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 covers independent and parochial schools in Seattle and on the Eastside: Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond and Sammamish. For each school the table lists the grades enrolled, the tests the school accepts, whether a test is required or optional, the ISEE level that corresponds to each entry grade, and whether the school offers boarding. The counts shown above the table are calculated from these records rather than written into this text, so they change as records are added or re-checked.
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 applications; many schools in this area enroll grades 5–12 or 6–12 and admit most new students at the first grade of that span and again at grade 9. 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 2, 3 and 4 take Primary 2, 3 or 4; 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” asks for a standardized score as part of the application; at most schools here the family may choose which test, and the record’s note keeps the school’s wording. A school marked “Optional” accepts a score without requiring one. The table never records minimum scores, and ISEEPrep lists no score cutoffs for any school.
Test-flexible admissions, and where the ISEE fits
This section describes the approach that sets this area apart. Most Seattle and Eastside independent schools do not name a single required test. Instead they ask for one set of standardized results, or welcome one, and accept several tests: the ISEE, the SSAT, and often a score from a test the student has already taken at school. A few schools state that the ISEE is preferred, and one requires testing from kindergarten upward; a few others state that they neither require nor consider scores, and one uses its own assessment only.
For a family preparing for the ISEE, the practical reading is this. Where a target school names or prefers the ISEE, the reason to take it is clear. Where every target school is test-flexible, the ISEE remains a sound choice because it is designed for independent-school admission and reports by section and level, but the family may compare it with the alternatives. The ISEE vs. SSAT page sets out the differences between the two most common choices, and the admissions office of each school can say how it reads scores from different tests.
Matching the entry grade to the level
This section explains the one decision that comes before everything else. The ISEE level is fixed by the grade the student is applying to enter, not by the grade the student currently attends. A student in grade 4 applying to grade 5, or in grade 5 applying to grade 6, takes the Lower Level; a student in grade 8 applying to grade 9 takes the Upper Level. Choosing the wrong level is not a small error: the score report names the level taken, and admission offices read it against the entry grade. The levels guide sets out all six entry points, and the Lower Level page covers the entry point most common in this area. The entry-grade table below the school list shows how many ISEE-accepting schools have an entry point at each level.
Timing an application in this area
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, so the practical plan is to test in the fall season and keep the winter season in reserve. Several schools here accept a score from a test taken within the past year, which gives families more room; the deadline column records each school’s date as the school publishes it. The test dates page explains the seasons and how far in advance to register. Score reports are sent to the schools the family selects, so the list of target schools should be settled before the first test.
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 that grade is open for applications this year. Third, read which tests the school accepts for that grade and whether a score is required or optional. Fourth, note the deadline and the score-sending method. The schools guide describes these steps in more detail.
Preparation support for Seattle-area families
Families applying to Seattle and Eastside schools work with ISEEPrep online: 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. The consultation is free and involves no admission promises.
Schools in this area that accept the ISEE
17 schools in this area are in the directory. 10 accept the ISEE (all of them accept either the ISEE or the SSAT); 2 state that they neither require nor consider standardized test scores; 1 use only the school’s own assessment; 4 use another external test. 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 | City | Grades | Tests accepted | Policy | ISEE levels | Boarding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart | Bellevue | 5-12 | ISEE or SSAT | Optional | Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level | No |
| Eastside Preparatory School | Kirkland | 5-12 | ISEE or SSAT | Optional | Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level | No |
| The Bear Creek School | Redmond | PK-12 | ISEE or SSAT | Required | Primary 2, Primary 3, Primary 4, Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level | No |
| The Overlake School | Redmond | 5-12 | ISEE or SSAT | Optional | Lower Level, Upper Level | No |
| Eastside Catholic School | Sammamish | 6-12 | ISEE or SSAT | Required | Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level | No |
| Bishop Blanchet High School | Seattle | 9-12 | Other external test | Required | Upper Level | No |
| Lake Washington Girls Middle School | Seattle | 6-8 | No admission test | Not required | Lower Level, Middle Level | No |
| Lakeside School | Seattle | 5-12 | ISEE or SSAT | Required | Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level | No |
| Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences | Seattle | 6-12 | ISEE or SSAT | Optional | Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level | No |
| Seattle Country Day School | Seattle | K-8 | Other external test | Required | Primary 2, Primary 3, Primary 4, Lower Level, Middle Level | No |
| Seattle Girls' School | Seattle | 5-8 | Other external test | Optional | Lower Level, Middle Level | No |
| Seattle Preparatory School | Seattle | 9-12 | Other external test | Required | Upper Level | No |
| Seattle Waldorf School | Seattle | PK-8 | School’s own assessment | Not required | Primary 2, Primary 3, Primary 4, Lower Level, Middle Level | No |
| The Bush School | Seattle | K-12 | ISEE or SSAT | Optional | Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level | No |
| The Northwest School | Seattle | 6-12 | ISEE or SSAT | Optional | Lower Level, Middle Level, Upper Level | Yes |
| University Prep | Seattle | 6-12 | ISEE or SSAT | Required | Lower Level, Upper Level | No |
| Westside School | Seattle | PK-8 | No admission test | Not required | Primary 2, Primary 3, Primary 4, Lower Level, Middle Level | No |
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.
Entry grades across the area
The table counts how many ISEE-accepting schools in this area 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 | 1 |
| Primary 3 | grade 3 | 1 |
| Primary 4 | grade 4 | 1 |
| Lower Level | grades 5–6 | 10 |
| Middle Level | grades 7–8 | 8 |
| Upper Level | grades 9–12 | 10 |
1 of the ISEE-accepting schools offer boarding.
Frequently asked questions
Do Seattle private schools require the ISEE?
Few of them name the ISEE as the one required test. Most schools in this area are test-flexible: they ask for a standardized score, or welcome one, and accept several tests, of which the ISEE is one. The policy column records whether a score is required or optional, and the record's note keeps each school's wording about which tests it takes.
What does test-flexible mean for a family preparing for the ISEE?
It means the ISEE will satisfy the requirement at these schools, but so would other tests. A family whose target list includes a school that names the ISEE, or that prefers it, has a clear reason to take the ISEE; a family whose list is entirely test-flexible can choose the test that suits the student. The ISEE vs. SSAT page compares the two most common choices.
Which ISEE level does a student take for a Seattle school that admits at grade 6 and grade 9?
The level follows the grade the student is applying to enter. An applicant to grade 6 takes the Lower Level and an applicant to grade 9 takes the Upper Level. Several schools here also admit at grade 5, which is also the Lower Level.
Are there Washington schools that do not look at test scores at all?
Yes. A few schools state that they neither require nor consider standardized scores, and one uses its own assessment only. They appear in the table so that a family can see the full picture before registering for any test.
When do Seattle schools need ISEE scores?
Each school sets its own deadline, and the deadline column records the date as the school publishes it. Several schools accept a score from a test taken within the past year, which gives families more room in scheduling. Because a student may test once per season and at most three times in a school year, families usually test in the fall season and keep the winter season in reserve.
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. 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