Apply to Middle School

List of 5 items.

• 1) Submit your preliminary application. (Opens September 6, 2022 / Deadline: 12:00 noon on November 18, 2022)

  To begin the process of applying, a short preliminary application form and application fee of $75 are required.* We encourage families to submit this as soon as possible in Ravenna. The application is available after September 6, 2022 at noon and due no later than 12:00 noon on November 18, 2022.
  
  *If the application fee presents a hardship for your family, please use fee waiver code NEEDFA.

• 2) Tour Dalton!

  On-site tours of our school are offered on weekday mornings when school is in session throughout the fall. Registration is required, and available on Ravenna after submitting an application.  
  
  

  Please note that all visitors to our buildings are required to be vaccinated for Covid-19, and may be asked to show proof of vaccination upon entering the building.
  
  

  We also have a virtual tour available for families who would prefer to "tour" and learn about Dalton from their own homes, or who would like to take a "preview tour" of Dalton before applying. Touring the school, whether on-site or virtually, is highly recommended for all prospective families to get a sense of what Dalton is like.

• 3) Schedule a student interview and a parent meeting.

  All student applicants are required to have a one-on-one, 20-30 minute interview, conducted by a faculty member, middle school administrator, or Admissions staff. Parents have a separate meeting with our Director of Middle & High School Admissions.
  
  These interviews should be scheduled soon after you apply, and can be scheduled through Ravenna.

• 4) Schedule admissions testing.

  All student applicants are required to submit recent admissions testing results from either the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination) or the SSAT (Secondary Schools Admissions Test). This testing should take place during the fall of the student's application, between August and the first week of January, and dates for testing must be scheduled directly with the testing providers (see their websites, linked above). Preferred dates and locations for testing do fill, so be sure to register for this testing as early as possible.
  
  Fees for this testing range from $140 to $200, but fee waivers available for low-income families. After submitting your preliminary application to Dalton, you may review eligibility and request a fee waiver from Dalton here. 

• 5) Submit supplementary materials. (Deadline: January 12, 2023)

  Supplementary materials can be submitted and managed through Ravenna. Required supplementary materials include:
  

  • parent statement (form available in Ravenna)
  • transcripts/report cards for last year and the current (fall) term
  • teacher recommendation (form available in Ravenna) for English/language arts and mathematics (to be completed by a teacher who has taught the student within the last year)
  • recommendation (form available in Ravenna) from the student's guidance counselor or a school administrator (such as principal, division head, or placement counselor)
  • admissions testing score report (to be sent directly from ISEE or SSAT

  In addition, financial aid application materials are also due by this January deadline, if your family is requesting financial aid. 
  
  Any optional submissions (additional teacher or personal recommendations, work sample submissions, etc.) should also be submitted by this time, if you wish for them to be included in the application file. 
  
  Throughout the admission process, the Ravenna system will allow you to track Dalton's receipt of all of the above documents (with the exception of financial aid, which is managed in the SSS portal).