Three different searches

Kindergarten, Grade 6, and Grade 9 deserve equal planning.

EntryWhat the market actually offersWhat the file tends to emphasizeParent risk to manage
KindergartenVerified K paths include Sidwell, GDS, Maret, Beauvoir, Potomac, Bullis, and Flint Hill. Holton-Arms begins in Grade 3; Landon, NCS, St. Albans, and Madeira do not serve K.Age eligibility, teacher/caregiver narrative, family context, and a child visit—often a group experience, not a miniature academic interview.Over-coaching a five-year-old; missing a tour or visit slot; assuming every K cutoff is the same.
Grade 6Verified paths span Sidwell, GDS, Maret, Potomac, NCS, St. Albans, Holton, Landon, Bullis, and Flint Hill. Published expansion varies: Potomac estimates 8–10 new Grade 6 students; other capacity may be unknown.Current and prior records, math/English or homeroom recommendations, student writing, interview/visit, and school or admission testing depending on the school.Treating every open Grade 6 as a major intake; asking the child’s school for too many duplicate forms; test-prep displacing the current school year.
Grade 9The broadest set: every major K–12 school here plus NCS, St. Albans, Holton, Landon, Madeira, and Flint Hill. Potomac estimates roughly 35 new students; Flint Hill calls Grade 9 its largest intake.Student-authored work, math and English recommendations, multi-year transcript, interview or shadow day, testing where required, and evidence the program is a curricular fit.Converting prestige into a too-long list; ignoring math or language placement; forgetting athletics, commute, and the teenager’s own reason for changing schools.

Our position: apply to the grade, not the logo. A K–12 school that is compelling at age five may not be the right response to a sixth grader’s needs. A Grade 9 search is not merely a rerun of middle-school admissions with harder testing. Each entry point asks a different question about independence, program, and family life.

The Fall 2027 calendar

The common dates are the end of the story.

The public dates range from Sidwell’s December 1 family form to Madeira’s January 15 complete-file deadline. Aid can be due before, with, or after the admission application. Build one master calendar, but preserve every exception.

WindowVerified examplesParent move
September–October 2026Portals and visits open. St. Albans starts September 8; Holton’s portal opens September 15; aid systems commonly open October 1.Open admission and aid accounts together. Book required tours, interviews, and visits before writing essays.
November–DecemberSidwell requests its Family Information Form by December 1 and grade-specific scheduling/material actions by December 15; Potomac closes December 28.Release recommendations only when permitted. Reserve a test date that returns scores before the school deadline.
January 1–10, 2027Beauvoir aid January 1; St. Albans application January 5; Maret and GDS application January 6; Bullis and Landon January 8; Holton January 10.Do not call “submitted” complete. Audit transcripts, recommendations, writing, tests, and aid separately.
January 13–February 1GDS and St. Albans supporting materials January 13; Maret materials and aid January 15; Madeira complete file January 15; St. Albans aid January 20; Sidwell, Potomac, and Landon aid February 1.Save proof of receipt. If an official page conflicts with the portal, ask which date controls and keep the response.
February 26AISGW’s recommended notification date. Maret, St. Albans, Holton, Bullis, Beauvoir, and Flint Hill publish that date.Read admission, aid, and enrollment documents together. Do not pay two deposits.
March 1–12Revisit period; AISGW’s recommended earliest reply date is March 12. Several schools expressly publish March 12.Compare the child’s day, net cost, support, and contract—not the emotional temperature of decision night.
May 1 at 4 p.m.AISGW’s recommended tuition-binding point.Read the signed contract: school terms govern, and earlier deposits may already be nonrefundable.

A working comparison—not a ranking

Thirteen schools, different reasons to be on a list.

AISGW itself recommends against ranking exercises because member schools have different missions, grade ranges, pedagogies, and programs. We agree. The table below compares published structure; it does not order schools or predict admission.↗

School and locationK69The verified reason to investigateDo not assume
Sidwell Friends · DC/Bethesda↗YesYesYesAll three are published application grades. Current pages give unusually specific deadlines and assessment steps.One campus: Lower School is in Bethesda; Middle and Upper are on Wisconsin Avenue in DC.
Georgetown Day · DC↗PrimaryPrimaryPrimaryGDS expressly names K, 6, and 9 among its primary entry grades and offers unusually flexible transit options.That every detailed line on its mixed-cycle public page has been updated; verify inside Ravenna.
Maret · DC↗20 publishedInterview pathInterview pathGrade-specific pages disclose visit format, testing, writing, prerequisites, and actual K intake.That all grades have equal capacity: some non-entry grades are contacted only if openings appear.
Beauvoir · DC↗About 20NoNoA school intentionally focused on young children through Grade 3; K has a group visit and meaningful intake.Automatic continuation to NCS or St. Albans. Ask how placement after Grade 3 actually works.
National Cathedral School · DC↗NoAppliesAppliesGirls’ Grades 4–12 education on the Close; interview begins in Grade 5 and the advisory structure is publicly described.Current Fall 2027 dates or price from a page that still displays the prior cycle.
St. Albans · DC↗NoYesYes · day/boardingBoys’ Grades 4–12 program; current pages publish family tour/interview, student writing, records, and SSAT/ISEE.That boarding and day applications create the same daily life or cost structure.
The Potomac School · McLean↗~48~8–10~35A rare official seat-range disclosure and a comprehensive K–12 path; all three are entry grades.A normal parent drop-off routine after K: school buses are required for most Grades 1–11 students.
Holton-Arms · Bethesda↗NoYesYesGirls’ Grades 3–12 program; Grade 6 gets a visit and testing options, Grade 9 an interview, optional shadow, and video.That “Grades 3–6” proves Grade 6 expansion; public capacity was not stated.
Landon · Bethesda↗NoYesYesBoys’ Grades 3–12 program with a teacher-coach-mentor model and a single January 8 complete-file deadline.That Grade 6 or 9 capacity is published. “Accepts applications” is not a seat count.
Bullis · Potomac↗YesYesYesCurrent K/6/9 pages spell out interviews, visits, writing, recommendations, and a test-optional rule.That “test optional” means a lighter process: visits, records, recommendations, and writing still matter.
Flint Hill · Oakton/Vienna↗Natural entryNot naturalLargest intakeK adds a section; Grade 9 is described as roughly 40% new. Public pages also describe the Learning Center in detail.That Grade 6 has Grade 9-like availability; Flint Hill names JK, K, 5, 7, and 9 as natural entry points.
Madeira · McLean↗NoNoYes · day/boardingGirls’ Grades 9–12 day/boarding choice and a current accepted testing list; day decisions follow the AISGW window.That a boarding-school landscape or a 5 p.m. bus departure fits every day student.
Episcopal High School · Alexandria↗NoNoYes · boarding onlyCoed Grades 9–12 with 100% boarding. Fall 2027 applications are open for Grades 9, 10, and 11.That Alexandria means an ordinary D.C. day-school rhythm. Every student lives on campus and follows residential rules.

Kindergarten

Prepare the logistics. Leave the five-year-old alone.

Kindergarten processes are designed to see a young child in a developmentally appropriate setting. The adults’ job is to provide accurate context, respect the child visit, and choose schools where childhood will be protected. Rehearsed answers, academic drilling, and admissions talk at home can make the process less informative for everyone.

SchoolVerified structureChild/family experienceParent note
SidwellK is a stated application grade; applicants must fall in the published birth-date window. Family form is due December 1.Group visit, current-teacher recommendation after November 1, progress report, and parent/guardian meeting.Do not send early recommendations; the school says forms received before November 1 are not accepted.
GDSK is a primary entry; child must be five by September 1 of enrollment year.Lower School process includes parent interview and child visit; current granular requirements live in Ravenna.Use January 6/13 top-line dates, but verify every detailed K step because the page body contains prior-cycle text.
MaretPublishes 20 new K students and a firm age-five-by-September-1 rule.Two-hour drop-off visit in the K cottage: song, materials, one-to-one teacher work, story, play, and snack. Parent interview is strongly encouraged.No outside admission testing is required or accepted for this cycle.
BeauvoirPublishes approximately 20 K admits; K group visits run mid-November through January.Parent/caregiver tour is required unless previously completed; parent meeting is optional; applicant visits are small groups.The detailed how-to page still carries 2026–27 dates. Use current Ravenna for the Fall 2027 application checklist.
PotomacK is an entry point with about 48 published spaces and an age-five-by-September-1 rule.Adult tour, virtual parent meeting, and in-person group visit after application; teacher narrative/progress summary.K may be driven; the school-bus requirement begins later. Model that future transportation before choosing a K–12 path.
BullisCurrent application and aid deadline is January 8.Virtual parent interview, family campus tour, required group student visit, recommendation, and records.Recent WPPSI may be submitted but is optional; the school says applications receive equal consideration without it.
Flint HillK is a natural entry and adds a second section; January 13 is the Fall 2027 application deadline.School-administered Gesell observation, teacher recommendation, parent questionnaire, and required visit.This is a school observation, not a reason to commission an outside cognitive evaluation.

Questions in a Kindergarten parent’s mind

  • What does a tired or slow-to-warm child experience in the visit?
  • How much of the school day is choice, play, movement, and outdoors?
  • How do teachers communicate ordinary growth—not just concerns?
  • What happens when reading, language, motor, or regulation develops unevenly?
  • What care exists before school, after school, on Wednesday, and during closures?
  • Would the future Grade 6 or Grade 9 program still fit, or are we buying continuity we may never use?

Grade 6

The middle-school search is a transition decision, not a résumé contest.

Sixth graders are developing quickly and unevenly. Families should compare departmental teaching, advisory, executive-function support, social scale, athletics or arts access, homework, and the distance between asking for help and receiving it. The best application also sounds like an actual eleven-year-old.

SchoolInterview or visitTestingEvidence to protect
SidwellSchool assessment and parent/guardian meeting.In-school standardized testing required; SSAT/ISEE admission testing optional.Applicant video, current and prior records, and current math and English recommendations; follow December 1/15/31 stages.
GDSParent interview and student visit.Current page says required testing for Grades 5–8 but directs families to Ravenna for the exact accepted evidence.Treat January 6 application and January 13 supplements as the current top-line dates; verify the rest in portal.
MaretRequired student and parent/guardian interview, about 45–60 minutes total.SSAT, ISEE, or current-year school test such as ERB, MAP, or SOL.One-page student essay, current math and English forms plus a homeroom recommendation, and two years of records.
PotomacGrade-specific assessment/visit through Ravenna.Confirm the Fall 2027 Grade 6 rule in portal.Published intake is only about 8–10; use it as capacity context, never as a personal probability.
St. AlbansFamily tour beginning at 8:15 a.m.; applicant is interviewed after the tour while parents tour separately.SSAT or ISEE required by January 13.Student-authored two-question statement, current/prior homeroom recommendations, and current plus prior records.
Holton-ArmsRequired parent-only interview and required small-group applicant visit.SSAT, ISEE, ERB, MAP, or Holton’s Star assessment.Current/prior transcript and two current-teacher recommendations. Capacity is not publicly stated.
LandonPersonalized Lower School process; details in Ravenna.Confirm grade-specific rule in the live checklist.Application and all support documents share a January 8 deadline. Do not rely on an old form found in search.
BullisCampus tour plus student/parent interview, followed by a shadow day when space is available.Not required; SSAT, ISEE, or Snapshot may be submitted.Current math and English plus a third academic recommendation, records, and a graded current-year writing sample.
Flint HillInterview and required Grades JK–6 student visit.No new testing required for Grades 3–6; submit testing and evaluations already on file.Grade 6 is not listed as a natural entry. Ask directly about current capacity before investing heavily.

Grade 9

Give the teenager an actual vote—and an actual job.

A ninth-grade applicant should understand why a change may improve daily learning, relationships, challenge, support, or opportunity. Their job is not to perform a brand. It is to write their own work, reflect on their interests and needs, participate honestly in the interview, and notice the school day. The parent’s job is calendar, money, transport, disclosure, and emotional containment.

SchoolDistinctive published requirementTesting positionFit question that follows
SidwellSchool assessment, virtual parent interview, applicant video, math/English recommendations, and records.In-school test required; SSAT/ISEE optional.What does Quaker decision-making and community responsibility show up in the teenager’s classes, homework, and service?
GDSStudent interview and tour; detailed supplemental checklist in Ravenna.Testing is collected; exact Fall 2027 rule needs portal confirmation.Does the student want—and know how to use—the independence of an urban, informal, discussion-rich environment?
MaretOriginal one-page writing sample and completed Algebra I, including quadratics, by the end of Grade 8.SSAT, ISEE, HSPT, or a current-year school test such as ERB, MAP, or SOL.How will the student use a small school where advising and office hours are built into the week?
PotomacPublished Grade 9 intake is about 35.Confirm current exact rule in Ravenna.Can the family accept a bus-centered routine, including the late return required by activities?
NCSPublic checklist names testing, questionnaires, records, recommendations, campus visit, and Grades 5+ interview.Fall 2027 exact test and deadlines are unknown publicly.What does the student want from an all-girls environment, Episcopal identity, and collaboration across the Close?
St. AlbansGrade-specific family tour/interview, personal statement, recommendations, and transcript.SSAT or ISEE required.Day or boarding? How does the all-boys, Episcopal program’s daily structure fit this student rather than an abstraction?
Holton-ArmsRequired applicant interview and video; optional shadow combines classes and interview.SSAT, ISEE, ERB, MAP, or in-house Star.How will the student use the school’s global and all-girls program—and can the family live with River Road logistics?
LandonCurrent detailed checklist is portal-based; all materials due January 8.Verify in Ravenna.The Upper School requires athletics every season and two rostered sports per year: is that energizing or constraining?
BullisStudent/parent interview, graded writing, three academic recommendations, records, and half-day shadow experience.Not required; SSAT, ISEE, Snapshot, PSAT, SAT, or ACT may be submitted as applicable.Which parts of a large, resource-rich K–12 campus will the student actually use?
MadeiraDay or boarding status; interview/visit; complete file and aid due January 15.SSAT, ISEE, ERB, or school/state/country testing from the preceding two years.Does the student want a Grades 9–12 girls’ community with a residential center of gravity and an integrated work program?
Flint HillLargest natural entry: school says Grade 9 is generally 60% returning and 40% new.SSAT optional.Does the student need the scale, current learning-support structure, and NoVA geography the school offers?

Testing without folklore

There is no Washington-area testing rule.

For the same grade, one school may require SSAT or ISEE, another may accept current school testing, another may administer its own assessment, and another may be test-optional. “The DC schools require the SSAT” is therefore false. Build a row for every school and grade.

Policy familyVerified examplesWhat the family should do
Admission test requiredSt. Albans requires SSAT or ISEE for Grades 6 and 9.Register early enough for score delivery. The January 9 SSAT precedes a January 13 school deadline by only four days; ask whether it can arrive in time.
Choice of admission or school testMaret accepts SSAT/ISEE or current school testing; Holton accepts several reports or its in-house Star assessment.Use valid evidence the child already has if the school accepts it. Do not manufacture another test without purpose.
School evidence required, admission test optionalSidwell requires in-school standardized evidence for Grades 6 and 9 while making SSAT/ISEE optional.Confirm that the current school report is the right year and format before buying an optional test.
Test optionalBullis does not require testing for Grade 6 or 9; Flint Hill makes SSAT optional for Grade 9 and does not ask Grades 3–6 families to seek new testing.Optional means a choice, not a secret requirement. Submit only when the result adds useful, representative context.
Public rule unresolvedNCS and some portal-based checklists.Ask admissions. Never copy last year’s test rule or another division’s rule into the current plan.

The ISEE level follows the grade applied to: Lower for Grades 5–6, Middle for Grades 7–8, Upper for Grades 9–12. SSAT’s naming is based on the student’s current grade: Middle for current Grades 5–7 and Upper for current Grades 8–11. Read registration instructions rather than guessing from the words “middle” and “upper.”↗↗

A humane test plan

First identify the minimum evidence every school accepts. Then choose one official format, one diagnostic baseline, short skill practice, two full-length rehearsals, and a stopping rule. Testing should not consume the child’s fall or imply that a percentile is a verdict on readiness, character, or potential.

Build the file without taking it over

The application should feel consistent, not manufactured.

Schools are trying to understand whether a child can thrive in a particular program and contribute to a community. Parents are trying to make the child visible without reducing them to a pitch. Those interests are compatible when the file is specific, honest, and proportionate.

Parent writing: show the child in motion

Replace labels with small observations. “Curious” is generic; a child who re-created a broken marble run three ways, then asked a sibling to test it, is visible. Name a real growth edge and how adults respond. Do not write a disguised school brochure or promise that the family already embodies every value on the website.

Student writing: preserve authorship

Maret expressly requires an original one-page response; St. Albans says the personal statement must be composed solely by the applicant without outside sources; Bullis requests a graded current-year piece. Those instructions are not invitations for adult line-editing. Help the student understand the prompt and schedule the work; leave voice, syntax, and imperfect specificity intact.↗↗↗

Recommendations: context beats advocacy

AISGW publishes common forms for Preschool–Grade 1, Grades 2–12, and separate English and math forms for Grades 6–12, but it warns that not every school uses them and due dates vary. Give teachers a clean list, accurate deadlines, permission forms, and gratitude. Never ask them to “sell” a child.↗

ComponentOwnerQuality control
Calendar, portal, fees, recordsParent/guardianReceipt, exact grade, exact cycle, named deadline
Parent questionnaireParent/guardianSpecific, candid, recognizable, not promotional
Student response or videoStudentAuthentic authorship and compliance with instructions
RecommendationTeacher or schoolConfidential, recent, direct delivery, no parent drafting
TestingStudent with adult logisticsCorrect level, accommodations, delivery date, stopping rule

Interviews, visits, and shadow days

Prepare for the format, not an invented answer key.

Public pages show meaningful differences. Maret’s K visit is a two-hour drop-off in the cottage. Its Grade 6 interview speaks first with the student and then the parent. St. Albans combines a morning family tour with a separate applicant interview. Holton’s Grade 9 shadow may include classes and the required interview. Bullis places several events after the application, so late applicants may lose access to the full experience.

A preparation plan that respects the child

  1. Explain the format: who will be there, how long it lasts, and whether the parent leaves.
  2. Practice one ordinary greeting, one follow-up question, and how to say “I’m not sure” without panic.
  3. Help the child recall two genuine interests, one recent challenge, and a question that matters to them.
  4. Stop. Do not rehearse a school-specific persona or memorize answers about “why us.”
  5. Afterward ask what the child noticed, not how they performed. Record facts before family mythology forms around the visit.

Parents should expect reciprocal evaluation. A school may ask what the family hopes for, how the child responds to difficulty, or why a change is being considered. The best answer is accurate and bounded. Schools work hard to build coherent communities; they deserve enough truth to assess fit. Families work hard to protect a child; they deserve concrete answers about the program the child would actually enter.

Offers, waitlists, and the reply window

Decision night is not decision quality.

The AISGW window is designed to give families time. Use it. An offer confirms that a school believes the placement can work; it does not settle commute, contract, aid, support, or the child’s response. A waitlist confirms none of the rumors families are tempted to read into it.

CompareEvidence needed before signing
Child’s actual dayEntry-grade schedule, transition plan, advisory, workload, required activities, and what the child noticed on revisit
TransportationExact morning and regular/late return; route-change terms; backup; sibling and care logistics
Net costTuition, grant, deposit, fees, care, transportation, meals, books, technology, uniforms, trips, and likely increase
SupportNamed provider, frequency, setting, documentation, cost, and program boundary
ContractRefundability, tuition liability, insurance, binding date, withdrawal, and conditions of enrollment
Family reasonOne clear reason tied to the child—not a ranking, parent identity, or fear of declining a scarce offer

If waitlisted, reply in the requested channel, state continued interest truthfully, send only permitted material updates, and enroll in another workable school by its deadline. Do not submit deposits to more than one school; AISGW explicitly tells families not to do so. Waitlist movement and personal odds remain unknown.

Our readConfidence: High

The best Washington list is smaller, more regional, and more honest.

Washington families are surrounded by serious schools working hard to offer distinct versions of childhood and adolescence. That is a gift—and a trap. The market makes it easy to assemble a glamorous list across three jurisdictions, several educational philosophies, single-sex and coed models, and day and boarding programs. It is much harder to admit that only some of those options produce a humane weekday for this child.

Our strongest conclusion is not that one school is “best.” It is that entry structure, transportation, support, and net cost belong inside admissions strategy from day one. A school with a real Grade 6 intake, a credible support answer, and a bus the child can live with may be a stronger choice than a more famous school with unknown capacity and an exhausting trip. A teenager who can explain why a program fits is giving better evidence than a parent who can explain its reputation.

Confidence is high in the dated facts cited here and in the method of treating logistics as fit. Confidence is intentionally limited where a school has not published Fall 2027 capacity, detail, or price. Unknown is not gossip waiting to be filled; it is the family’s next precise question.

Continue your research

Choose your next step

Month-by-month processBuild the Fall 2027 regional calendarCoordinate AISGW dates, Ravenna, SAO, school portals, testing, records, visits, aid, two households, relocation, late starts, decisions, and enrollment.School list and daily lifeCompare fit and the regional commute before applyingTurn entry reality, school model, support, Metro, buses, carpools, traffic, public options, boarding paths, and student ownership into a livable shortlist.Aid and the offer decisionModel the full cost and read the contractWork through Clarity, SSS, FAST, complex households, government and military moves, renewals, appeals, deposits, wait pools, and timing conflicts.Boys’ day school with boardingCompare St. Albans day life with its small boarding homeSeparate Grade 4, 6, and 9 entry, Episcopal formation, NCS coordination, workload, support, commute, residential scale, complete cost, outcomes, safety, and fit.Bilingual international school profileStart Washington International with the language routeSeparate beginner from language-dependent entry, then test the PYP, school-designed middle years, IB Diploma, support, two campuses, transportation, full cost, and fit.All-girls Episcopal school profileRead the National Cathedral School parent guideTest Grade 4, Grade 6, and Grade 9 separately; then examine worship, St. Albans course access, workload, support limits, the Woodley Road commute, complete cost, outcomes, and safeguarding.Coed full-boarding profileRead the Episcopal High School, Virginia parent guideCompare Grades 9–11 entry, the 100% boarding week, dorm supervision, leave, Washington access, support, family travel, complete cost, and safeguarding at the Alexandria school.Boys’ day and boarding profileRead the Georgetown Prep parent guideCompare the Jesuit boys-school model, day and boarding experiences, Grade 9 entry, residential structure, support, family cost, and North Bethesda commute.Individual school guideTest Georgetown Day through its daily practicesExamine five primary entry grades, division-specific admissions, inquiry and social justice, workload, support, complete cost, transportation, governance, outcomes, and fit.Individual school guideSeparate Maret’s three main entry pointsCompare Kindergarten, Grade 6, and Grade 9 admissions, then test the class-and-activity schedule, support boundaries, commute, cost, leadership transition, safeguarding, and fit.Northern Virginia individual guideModel Potomac’s entry year, school day, and busSeparate Kindergarten, Grades 4 and 6, and Grade 9; then test academics, workload, support, McLean transportation, full cost, governance, safeguarding, and fit.Regional boarding alternativeRead the Mercersburg Academy parent guideCompare a fully residential Mid-Atlantic path through entry by grade, academics, support, dorms, travel, full cost, safeguarding, outcomes, and fit.Parallel public-charter pathwayUnderstand Washington Latin’s two-campus lotteryKeep My School DC evidence, continuation effects, classical academics, campus differences, services, discipline, transportation, and governance separate from the private cycle.Regional boarding and day pathwayTest Madeira’s girls-school and residential modelKeep Grades 9–11 entry, boarding-day life, Co-Curriculum internships, modular academics, travel, and residential care visible beside day-school options.Parallel public-charter pathwayUnderstand DC International’s lottery and feeder priorityKeep My School DC timing, language tracks, feeder preference, IB pathways, and public-school services separate from the private application cycle.Individual school guideTest Sidwell Friends through its daily practicesExamine seven entry grades, Quaker practice, two campuses, workload, support, cost, privacy, safeguarding, and fit.Market contextExplore Washington-area schoolsReturn to the regional hub before adding more schools to the family list.Process libraryBuild your admissions toolkitUse the broader library for interviews, aid, testing, and decision work.School researchBrowse the school directoryKeep school research separate from the mechanics of completing applications.Editorial guidesSee all family guidesCompare the questions that matter across grades, cities, and school types.

Sources and further research

Where to verify and keep reading

We favor direct links to the exact page or document a family may need next. Access dates matter because admissions, tuition, leadership, and programs change.

  • Statement to Applicants

    Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Regional notification, reply, and tuition-binding recommendations

  • Common Recommendation Forms for Applicants

    Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Forms labeled for the 2027–28 application year

  • Statement on “Ranking”

    Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington · Accessed August 31, 2026

  • Affordability and Additional Support

    Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington · Accessed August 31, 2026

  • Our Schools

    Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington · Accessed August 31, 2026

  • About the SSAT

    Enrollment Management Association / Admission.org · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Official levels, content, formats, and fees

  • Paper SSAT Testing

    Enrollment Management Association / Admission.org · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Official 2026–27 paper dates and registration cutoffs

  • About the ISEE

    E3n / Admission.org · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Official grade levels and test overview

  • Admissions Process by Grade

    Sidwell Friends School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 K, Grade 6, and Grade 9 requirements and dates

  • Tuition and Financial Aid

    Sidwell Friends School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · 2026–27 tuition and additional expenses

  • Learning Support

    Sidwell Friends School · Accessed August 31, 2026

  • Admissions

    Georgetown Day School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Primary entry grades and age rules

  • How to Apply

    Georgetown Day School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 top-line dates; some embedded detail remains prior-cycle

  • Tuition and Affordability

    Georgetown Day School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · 2026–27 tuition and Fall 2027 aid date

  • Hopper Transportation Program

    Georgetown Day School · Accessed August 31, 2026

  • Apply to Lower School

    Maret School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 K process, visit format, intake, and testing rule

  • Apply to Middle School

    Maret School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 Grade 6 process, interview, writing, and testing

  • Apply to Upper School

    Maret School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 Grade 9 process and Algebra I prerequisite

  • Admission FAQs

    Maret School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 dates, school hours, and after-school information

  • Tuition and Financial Aid

    Maret School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · 2026–27 complete-cost examples and Fall 2027 aid deadline

  • How to Apply

    Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Detailed process remains labeled 2026–27; not treated as current dates

  • Visit Beauvoir

    Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 tour and parent-meeting guidance

  • Admissions FAQ

    Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Kindergarten intake and visit structure; page contains prior-cycle language

  • Tuition and Financial Aid

    Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · 2026–27 cost and Fall 2027 financial-aid dates

  • How to Apply

    The Potomac School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 entry grades, deadline, and division-specific steps

  • Admission FAQ

    The Potomac School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Published approximate intake by entry grade

  • Tuition and Financial Aid

    The Potomac School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · 2026–27 tuition and Fall 2027 aid date

  • Transportation

    The Potomac School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Bus requirement, service types, Metro-area stops, and late service

  • Learning Support

    The Potomac School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Scope of support and curricular-modification boundary

  • Apply

    National Cathedral School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Public page still directs 2026–27 inquiries; Fall 2027 dates unknown

  • Tuition and Fees

    National Cathedral School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Public price remains 2025–26; not used as a current cost

  • Financial Aid

    National Cathedral School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Public figures and downloads are not consistently cycle-aligned

  • Advisory Program

    National Cathedral School · Accessed August 31, 2026

  • Grade 6 and 7 Application

    St. Albans School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 dates, interview, writing, recommendations, and testing

  • Grade 9 Application

    St. Albans School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 grade-specific application requirements

  • Financial Aid and Tuition

    St. Albans School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · 2026–27 day and boarding tuition; Fall 2027 aid date

  • Apply

    Holton-Arms School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 common dates and served grades

  • Lower School Application

    Holton-Arms School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 Grade 6 process and testing options

  • Upper School Application

    Holton-Arms School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 Grade 9 process, interview, video, and testing options

  • Tuition and Financial Aid

    Holton-Arms School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · 2026–27 tuition and additional expenses

  • Transportation

    Holton-Arms School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · 2026–27 regional routes, late service, rates, and aid eligibility

  • Admissions

    Landon School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 application and supporting-material deadline

  • Tuition and Fees

    Landon School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · 2026–27 tuition, required fees, transportation, and care costs

  • Financial Aid

    Landon School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 deadline, process, inclusions, and current aid statistics

  • About Landon

    Landon School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Grade range, transportation overview, and school structure

  • Apply

    Bullis School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 K, Grade 6, and Grade 9 steps and dates

  • Admission FAQs

    Bullis School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 testing and decision guidance

  • Tuition and Financial Aid

    Bullis School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · 2026–27 grade-level pricing and Fall 2027 aid date

  • Bus Service and Transportation

    Bullis School · Accessed August 31, 2026

  • Learning Support

    Bullis School · Accessed August 31, 2026

  • How to Apply

    The Madeira School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 day and boarding process and accepted testing

  • Tuition and Financial Aid

    The Madeira School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · 2026–27 day and boarding tuition and aid policy

  • Transportation

    The Madeira School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Displayed routes and prices are labeled 2025–26

  • Application Process

    Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Virginia · Accessed September 1, 2026 · Fall 2027 Grades 9–11 entry, deadlines, materials, testing, and interviews; this is the Virginia boarding school, not the Houston day school

  • Affording Episcopal

    Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Virginia · Accessed September 1, 2026 · 2026–27 comprehensive boarding fee, current exclusions, financial aid, and Fall 2027 aid process

  • Apply and Engage

    Flint Hill School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Division-specific application components

  • Admission FAQs

    Flint Hill School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Fall 2027 deadline, natural entry points, and testing policy

  • Tuition and Financial Aid

    Flint Hill School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · 2026–27 tuition and Fall 2027 aid date

  • Transportation and Extended Day

    Flint Hill School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · 2026–27 service areas and prices

  • Student Success Resources

    Flint Hill School · Accessed August 31, 2026 · Current learning-support delivery and documentation guidance