Boarding Schools That Accept the ISEE

This is not an official school page; confirm requirements on each school’s admissions page.

What this page covers

This section answers which schools are included and what the table records. The page gathers every school in the directory that offers boarding, whatever its area: the boarding belt of Massachusetts, the schools in Westchester and the Hudson Valley north of New York City, the California boarding schools near Ojai, Santa Barbara, Monterey and the Bay Area, and single schools in Seattle and Houston. Some are boarding schools in the full sense, admitting almost everyone at grade 9; others are day schools with a boarding program, and the table includes both. For each school the table lists the state and city, the grades enrolled, the tests the school accepts, whether a test is required or optional, and the ISEE level that corresponds to each entry grade. The counts shown above the table are calculated from these records rather than written into this text.

How to read the table

This section explains the columns. The grades column is the span the school enrolls, which is not the same as the grades open for boarding applications; a K–12 school with a boarding program may board only its upper grades, and the school’s own page states which. The ISEE levels column lists the levels that follow from the school’s entry grades, using the grade-to-level mapping published by E3n: applicants to grades 5–6 take the Lower Level; applicants to grades 7–8 take the Middle Level; applicants to grades 9–12 take the Upper Level.

The policy column records what the school states. A school marked “Required” names a test as a required part of the application; a school marked “Optional” accepts a score without requiring one, and several well-known boarding schools now take this position. A school that lists the SSAT only does not accept an ISEE score, and it appears in the table so that a family can see the full picture before registering. The table never records minimum scores, and ISEEPrep lists no score cutoffs for any school.

Grade 9 and the Upper Level

This section explains why one level dominates. Boarding schools admit mainly at grade 9, with smaller numbers at grades 10 and 11, so the Upper Level is the level most boarding applicants take, whatever their current grade. A student finishing grade 8 at a day school and applying to boarding school for grade 9 takes the Upper Level; so does a student in grade 9 applying to repeat the year, a common choice among boarding applicants. The Upper Level page describes the four scored sections, the timing and the parts of the test that most often decide the outcome. The entry-grade table below the school list shows how far grade 9 outweighs the other entry points among these schools.

Junior boarding and the middle grades

This section is for families looking earlier than grade 9. A small number of junior boarding schools, most of them in Massachusetts, admit boarders at grades 5–8, and the boarding programs of some K–12 schools begin in the middle grades as well. For these schools the entry grade maps to the Lower or Middle Level rather than the Upper Level, and the levels guide sets out the difference. A family planning a path through a junior boarding school and then a secondary boarding school should expect to meet the ISEE twice, at two different levels.

Applying from outside the United States

This section is for the families who make up a large share of boarding applicants. The ISEE can be taken at home through the registration account, as well as at Prometric centers and at participating schools and offices; the registration page sets out the formats and the rules for each. Taking the test at home removes one trip from a calendar that already includes interviews, often by video, and sometimes a campus visit. Two points deserve care: the at-home format has its own time windows and identification requirements, and the testing seasons are fixed, so a family abroad should register early in the fall season and keep the winter season in reserve. Score reports are sent to the schools the family selects, so the school list should be settled before the first test.

Timing a boarding application

This section covers the order in which the pieces fall. A student may take the ISEE once per testing season and up to three times in a school year. Boarding deadlines tend to fall earlier in the winter than day-school deadlines, and the deadline column records each school’s date as the school publishes it. The practical plan is to test in the fall season, keep the winter season in reserve, and schedule interviews and visits around the test date rather than the other way round. The test dates page explains the seasons and how far in advance to register.

How to confirm a school

This section gives a four-step check that works for any school on the list. First, open the school’s admissions page from the link in the table. Second, confirm the grade the student is applying to enter and whether boarding places are open at that grade this year. Third, read which tests the school accepts and whether a score is required or optional. Fourth, note the deadline, the interview arrangements and the score-sending method. The schools guide describes these steps in more detail, and the ISEE vs. SSAT page helps when a target school lists the SSAT only.

Preparation support for boarding applicants

Families applying to boarding schools work with ISEEPrep online from anywhere: a diagnostic to confirm the level and find the weakest section, a plan that counts back from the earliest deadline on the family’s list, and one-to-one tutoring or the online learning system from there, scheduled across time zones. The consultation is free and involves no admission promises.

Boarding schools that accept the ISEE

43 boarding schools are in the directory. 30 accept the ISEE (all of them accept either the ISEE or the SSAT); 5 list the SSAT only; 1 state that they neither require nor consider standardized test scores; 3 use only the school’s own assessment; 3 use another external test; 1 have admissions pages that do not state a test, so families should confirm with the admissions office. Confirm with each school’s admissions page for the current year; this is not an official school page and no cut-off scores are listed.

School	State	City	Grades	Tests accepted	Policy	ISEE levels
Cate School	California	Carpinteria	9-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Upper Level
Oaks Christian School	California	Westlake Village	TK-12	Other external test	Required	Primary 2, Primary 3, Primary 4, Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level
San Domenico School	California	San Anselmo	K-12	School’s own assessment	Not required	Primary 2, Primary 3, Primary 4, Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level
Santa Catalina School	California	Monterey	PK-12	ISEE or SSAT	Optional	Lower Level, Upper Level
Stevenson School	California	Pebble Beach	PK-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Upper Level
The Athenian School	California	Danville	6-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Lower Level, Upper Level
The Thacher School	California	Ojai	9-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Upper Level
The Webb Schools	California	Claremont	9-12	No admission test	Not required	Upper Level
Villanova Preparatory School	California	Ojai	9-12	Other external test	Optional	Upper Level
Woodside Priory School	California	Portola Valley	6-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level
Applewild School	Massachusetts	Fitchburg	PK-9	School’s own assessment	Not required	Primary 2, Primary 3, Primary 4, Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level
Belmont Hill School	Massachusetts	Belmont	7-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Middle Level, Upper Level
Berkshire School	Massachusetts	Sheffield	9-12	SSAT	Optional	Upper Level
Brooks School	Massachusetts	North Andover	9-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Upper Level
Cambridge School of Weston	Massachusetts	Weston	9-12	ISEE or SSAT	Optional	Upper Level
Concord Academy	Massachusetts	Concord	9-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Upper Level
Cushing Academy	Massachusetts	Ashburnham	9-12	SSAT	Optional	Upper Level
Dana Hall School	Massachusetts	Wellesley	6-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Lower Level
Deerfield Academy	Massachusetts	Deerfield	9-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Upper Level
Fay School	Massachusetts	Southborough	PK-9	ISEE or SSAT	Optional	Primary 2, Primary 3, Primary 4, Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level
Groton School	Massachusetts	Groton	8-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Middle Level, Upper Level
Lawrence Academy	Massachusetts	Groton	9-12	SSAT	Optional	Upper Level
Middlesex School	Massachusetts	Concord	9-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Upper Level
Milton Academy	Massachusetts	Milton	K-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Primary 4, Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level
Miss Hall's School	Massachusetts	Pittsfield	9-12	SSAT	Optional	Upper Level
Noble and Greenough School	Massachusetts	Dedham	7-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Middle Level, Upper Level
Northfield Mount Hermon	Massachusetts	Mount Hermon	9-12	ISEE or SSAT	Optional	Upper Level
Phillips Academy	Massachusetts	Andover	9-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Upper Level
St. Mark's School	Massachusetts	Southborough	9-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Upper Level
Tabor Academy	Massachusetts	Marion	9-12	ISEE or SSAT	Optional	Upper Level
The Fessenden School	Massachusetts	Newton	PK-9	ISEE or SSAT	Optional	Primary 2, Primary 3, Primary 4, Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level
The Governor's Academy	Massachusetts	Byfield	9-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Upper Level
The MacDuffie School	Massachusetts	Granby	6-12	See admissions page	—	Lower Level
Williston Northampton School	Massachusetts	Easthampton	7-12	ISEE or SSAT	Optional	Middle Level, Upper Level
Hackley School	New York	Tarrytown	K-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Primary 2, Primary 3, Primary 4, Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level
Léman Manhattan Preparatory School	New York	New York	PK-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level
Millbrook School	New York	Millbrook	9-12	ISEE or SSAT	Optional	Upper Level
The Harvey School	New York	Katonah	6-12	Other external test	Optional	Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level
The Masters School	New York	Dobbs Ferry	5-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level
The Stony Brook School	New York	Stony Brook	7-12	SSAT	Optional	Middle Level, Upper Level
Chinquapin Preparatory School	Texas	Highlands	6-12	School’s own assessment	Not required	Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level
The Village School	Texas	Houston	PK-12	ISEE or SSAT	Required	Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level
The Northwest School	Washington	Seattle	6-12	ISEE or SSAT	Optional	Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level

Source: each school’s own admissions page, with a check date recorded per school; the levels column is derived from each school’s entry grades and the level-to-grade mapping used by E3n. 1 school whose admissions page does not state a test requirement are marked “See admissions page”.

Entry grades across the area

The table counts how many ISEE-accepting boarding schools have an entry point at the grades each level covers. A school can appear under more than one level.

Level	Applying to	Schools with an entry point
Primary 2	grade 2	3
Primary 3	grade 3	3
Primary 4	grade 4	4
Lower Level	grades 5–6	12
Middle Level	grades 7–8	13
Upper Level	grades 9–12	29

Frequently asked questions

Do boarding schools accept the ISEE or only the SSAT?

Most boarding schools in this directory accept either test. A few list the SSAT only, and the tests-accepted column shows which. A family whose list includes one of those schools should plan for the SSAT; a family whose list is entirely ISEE-accepting can prepare for one test and send the same score to every school.

Which ISEE level does a boarding applicant take?

The level follows the grade the student is applying to enter. Most boarding schools admit mainly at grade 9, so most boarding applicants take the Upper Level. Junior boarding schools and the boarding programs of some K–12 schools admit at grades 5–8, where the Lower or Middle Level applies.

Can a student outside the United States take the ISEE for a boarding application?

Yes. The ISEE offers an at-home testing option through the registration account, as well as testing at Prometric centers and at participating schools and offices, and the registration page sets out the formats and their rules. A family abroad should check the time window for at-home testing and the identification requirements before registering.

How is a boarding application different from a day application?

Boarding schools usually ask for more: interviews, which for a family abroad are often held by video, extra recommendations and sometimes a writing sample. Deadlines also tend to fall earlier in the winter. The test is one part of a longer process, so the test date should be settled first and the rest of the calendar built around it.

What is a junior boarding school?

A school that offers boarding for the middle grades, usually grades 6–8 or 5–9, rather than from grade 9. A small number appear in the table, most of them in Massachusetts, and their entry grades map to the Lower and Middle Levels.

How current is the information?

Each record carries the date it was checked against the school's admissions page, and this page is scheduled for review every three months. Boarding admission policies change by year, so the school's page for the entry year governs, including whether a test is required and when scores must arrive.

Sources2 sources · checked 2026-10-01

Last reviewed 2026-10-01 · Next review 2027-01-01 · Reviewed by ISEEPrep teaching team