Sidwell Admissions Overview
Sidwell admissions, step by step.
Start with the entry grades and the Ravenna account. Then see what goes into the file.
Checked against Sidwell Friends's published admissions pages on November 5, 2026.
The application
What the application includes.
Every family applies through a Ravenna account. This guide covers entry to Grades 6, 7 and 9.
- Applications open
- Applications for the 2027/28 academic year are open.
- Entry grades
- Most new students enter in the expansion grades. For this guide those are Grades 6, 7 and 9.
- Seats
- Sidwell lists typical new-student numbers of 16 in Grade 6, 16 in Grade 7 and 30/35 in Grade 9.
- Platform
- Every family needs a Ravenna account to submit the application, access forms, register for events and track progress.
- First step
- The Family Information Form is the first step. Sidwell suggests setting aside 20 to 30 minutes.
- Application fee
- $75 non-refundable application fee, with a fee waiver available for financial hardship.
- Assessment
- Applicants to Grades 6, 7 and 9 register for the Sidwell Friends School Assessment.
- Teacher recommendations
- Request recommendations from the current math and English teachers after November 1. Forms received before November 1 are not accepted.
- Report cards
- Sidwell asks for the previous year’s report cards and the first quarter or first trimester report card for the current year.
- Applicant video
- Grades 6, 7 and 9 submit an applicant video by December 31, 2026.
- Parent meeting
- Grades 6 and 7: schedule a parent or guardian meeting, in person or virtual.
- Grade 9 interview
- Grade 9: schedule a parent meeting and interview, held virtually.
- Testing
- Standardized in-school testing is required. Admissions testing is optional, and Grade 9 applicants may send SSAT or ISEE results.
- Other grades
- Students may be admitted in other grades only if space is available, and spaces open only when there is attrition.
SSAT and ISEE practice
Admissions test practice.
Practice is shared across our private school sites.