Visiting the School Before Applying
Families interested in applying to the sixth or the seventh grade at Sidwell Friends are encouraged to attend one of our daytime Information Sessions. The program will include a panel discussion with faculty, administrators, and students and an optional tour of our Middle School will be offered. Register online for a program.
We are also having a Saturday Open House for the Middle and Upper Schools on the Wisconsin Avenue campus in the fall. Click here for event information and to register.
Spaces for fifth and eighth grades become available only through attrition of our current students. If you are interested in applying to fifth or eighth grade, please be aware that while we will accept applications for these grades, we will only be able to offer interviews to applicants if space becomes available. We will contact you in early spring if we are able to schedule an interview for your child.
How to Apply
In order to be considered for admission, Sidwell Friends requires the following materials: Part I, the Application Form, Student's School Visit and Interview, SSAT or ISEE Testing (WISC-IV if applying to fifth grade), two Teacher Evaluations (English and Math), School Transcripts, an Applicant Questionnaire for applicants to grades six through eight, and Parent Statement.
Application
Families must submit Part I, the Application Form, which we prefer to be completed online, by December 15, 2011. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your online application. Please note: Part II materials (teacher recommendation, school transcript, test results, etc.) do not need to be submitted with the application. The application itself is sufficient to begin the admission process. However, all supplementary materials must be received by the Admissions Office by January 15, 2012.
Application Fee
There is a $60 fee to submit an application, which is paid by credit card when applying online. If the application fee creates a true financial hardship for your family, a limited number of waivers are available. Please call the Admissions Office to discuss the possibility of a fee waiver.
Student's School Visit and Interview
Sixth and Seventh grade applicants: Applicants and their parents will be scheduled to visit the Middle School for a family interview. The visit will not be scheduled until we have received Part I, the Application Form. Please note that we cannot guarantee an interview for applicants who apply after December 1, 2011.
All students accepted to the Middle School will be invited to visit in March before the enrollment contract deadline.
Testing
Sixth and Seventh grade applicants: The applicant needs to take either the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) or Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) in October, November, December, or January.
The Sidwell Friends School code for the SSAT is 7366 and for the ISEE is 090200. Complete registration and fee information is available on the SSAT and ISEE Web sites.
Teacher Evaluation
Two Teacher Evaluations are required. These confidential forms should be completed by your child’s current Math and English teachers and submitted directly to the Admissions Office by the teachers. If the same faculty member teaches both of these subjects, please ask the child’s science or social studies teacher to submit the second evaluation.
School Transcript
Transcripts for the first grading period of the current school year and a complete report from the previous year are required for the applicant. It is the responsibility of the parent to request that these official records be sent to Sidwell Friends by submitting the Transcript Request Card to their child’s current school. The school will mail the transcript directly to us.
Parent Statement and Applicant Questionnaire
These forms help us to learn more about your child and family. An Applicant Questionnaire is required for applicants to grades six through eight.