Boston Admissions for Fall 2027

Start with the entry grade

Before you open a single application, settle two things: which entry grade you are applying for, and what an ordinary Tuesday at the school would involve.

Then open each school's own checklist and sort it into three piles: what you send, what you attend, and what involves tests or aid. Three contrasting examples follow: BB&N, Park and Milton.

If you want a first move that is easy to undo, request information or book a visit, then track each school's file and aid on its own timetable.

Side by side

A single calendar is useful; a single deadline is not.

Kindergarten: the group visit

BB&N asks PreK–5 applicants to join an in-person group class activity, and Park holds its PreK–5 group visit in January.

What you can prepare is mostly logistics: a visit time that suits your child's day and a plan for any sibling who comes along. A young child's report on a school visit is real data, even when the headline is the snack.

Grades 6 and 9: tests and eligibility

BB&N requires an SSAT or ISEE score for Grades 6–11, taken in the application's academic year. Milton's Upper School makes scores optional, with no disadvantage for applicants unable to submit them.

Milton takes boarding applicants for Grades 9–11 and Greater Boston day applicants for Grades 9–10; status generally cannot change after admission. Its Lower and Middle Schools apply separately, so none of this covers Kindergarten or Grade 6.

Park's page describes a Grade 6 reading and writing assessment plus test scores or its own assessment, but its score window is last cycle's. Confirm Park's admission dates and current Grade 6 test options before booking.

Visits, files and aid

At BB&N, the inquiry form opens a Veracross portal for booking interview and tour slots, which fill quickly. Milton's interview, on campus or by video, is due January 15.

Park requires a tour and an interview, even if you attend an open house. Park asks aid applicants to file alongside admission; limited funds can mean a wait pool.

Questions only your family can answer

No school's page can tell you whether its daily rhythm suits your household. Visit on a day that resembles a normal one and make the trip at the hour you would really make it.

Work out after-school pickup and any sibling's schedule before you fall for a building, and ask what support exists for the kind of help your child actually needs. Then ask for the full annual cost, extras included, and when aid forms are due.

Your child's voice counts here too: let them say what they noticed, in their own words, before you offer your review. And when a school gives writing instructions for a statement or essay, follow them as written rather than a template from somewhere else.