Application Preparation
Prepare for the pieces St. Paul's reads
The application mixes required test scores, short answers, a parent statement, recommendations, grades, a writing sample and an interview.
Checked against St. Paul's School's published admissions pages on November 5, 2026.
Testing
Testing is required.
- Testing policy
- Standardized testing is required for all applicants.
- Which tests
- The school accepts the SSAT, ISEE, PSAT, PreACT, ACT and SAT.
- Score codes
- Score codes: SSAT 6886, ISEE 300110, TOEFL 2342. Send ACT, PSAT and SAT scores to admissions@sps.edu.
- When to test
- All tests must be taken within one year of the application deadline. Scores are preferred before January 15, and January retake results are considered as updated scores.
- English-language tests
- Students who do not speak English at home need the TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test, unless enrolled for 3 or more years in a school where English is the primary language.
- 01
Pick one test early and take a full timed practice test before building a study plan.
- 02
Leave room for a second sitting before the January 15 deadline.
Essays
Short answers and a writing sample that sound like your student.
- Required writing
- The required writing is the four short-answer questions in Part 2 of the Gateway application. The school asks for no additional essays.
- Writing sample
- A graded writing sample is a longer piece from this school year, from any class, with the teacher's feedback, plus a form.
- Parent statement
- A parent statement is part of the application.
- Using AI tools
- The school expects all writing to reflect the applicant's own work without assistance, including AI tools.
- 01
Pick specific moments from the last year, not a list of achievements.
- 02
Choose a writing sample that shows how your student thinks, and make sure the teacher feedback is included.
- 03
Write the parent statement in your own voice, as a parent, and keep it separate from the student answers.
Interview
An interview that feels like a conversation.
- Requirement
- An admissions interview is part of the application, and Part 1 of Gateway must be done before you schedule it.
- Format
- On-campus interviews run from June through January. Virtual interviews run from September through January.
- Scheduling
- To book a tour and interview, fill in the inquiry form and Part 1 of Gateway, then schedule through the portal.
- 01
Have two or three stories ready that show how your student thinks.
- 02
Practice explaining an interest out loud, without notes.
- 03
Bring real questions about daily life in the dormitories and in a Harkness class.
Preparation plan
A plan that works backward from the deadline.
Adjust the pace to your student's schedule. The order matters more than the exact days.
First
Fill in the inquiry form and Gateway Part 1
You need both before you can schedule a tour and interview. On-campus interviews run June through January, virtual ones September through January.
Early
Choose a test and sit it
Testing is required. Tests must be taken within one year of the deadline, and scores are preferred before January 15.
Next
Draft the short answers and the parent statement
The four Part 2 questions sit inside Gateway. Write them in your student's own words.
Fall and winter
Ask for recommendations
St. Paul's asks for current English and math teachers, a personal recommender and a principal or counselor. Tell them early.
From November 20
Start the financial aid application
Families who expect to need aid apply through Clarity when they apply for admission.
After submitting
Watch for March 10
The school lists March 10, 2027 for admission decisions. It has not published a reply date, so check its admissions site.