Application Process

APPLICATION AND APPLICATION FEE ($65)

The online application must be submitted no later than December 1, 2023.

SUBMIT TRANSCRIPT

Following the submission of the application, parents can electronically request transcripts and school records to be sent to McDonogh School via their parent portal. Please request transcripts to be sent after the first term of the current school year. Transcripts must be received no later than January 15, 2024.   

SUBMIT COMMON REFERRAL FORMS

Two teacher recommendations are required. We prefer one from your child’s current English teacher and one from your child’s current math teacher.

Following the submission of the application, parents can electronically request common referral/teacher recommendation forms to be sent to McDonogh School via their parent portal. Please submit this request to all pertinent teachers after the first term. Completed forms must be received by McDonogh no later than January 15, 2024.

Please be aware that the Common Referral Form is confidential and cannot be shared with parents or students.

INTERVIEW 

Once your child’s application is submitted, you will have the ability to schedule a Virtual Family Meeting and Interview with a member of the Admissions Team. This meeting typically lasts 45 minutes, depending on the number of questions you and your child have, and is an opportunity for you to learn more about McDonogh and our LifeReady academic program. Typically, we speak with students and their parents separately in this meeting, and we are happy to let families decide the order of this conversation. 

TESTING

Applicants should complete the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) or SSAT by January 15, 2024. The ISEE and SSAT may be taken at any school that serves as a test site as well as at a Prometric Test Center location convenient for your family. 

At-home computer-based testing options are also permitted; simply request that the results be forwarded to McDonogh School. Our school code for the ISEE is 210750 and for the SSAT is 4757. You may register online at www.iseetest.org or https://www.ssat.org. 

We encourage students to take the test in November or December as winter weather can cause test cancellations.

OPTIONAL ITEMS

• Shadow Visit
  Be an Eagle for the Day! Prospective students can spend the day visiting academic and arts classes as well as eating lunch with a Middle School guide to experience McDonogh on a first-hand basis. Visiting students are hosted in their current grade except for fifth-grade applicants who will visit with the fifth grade. Shadow Day visit registration can be completed upon submission of the initial online application form.
• Essay
  For students applying to Grades 5 through 12, an optional essay is due by January 15, 2024. Students can access the essay prompts by signing into their admissions profile page and clicking on the student essay link. There they may choose one of several prompts and respond in 200-400 words.
• Additional Student Materials
  If your child would like to submit additional materials to help us better understand their passions or talents (for example, a short writing sample, a photo and description of community service work, artwork, or a link to a video of a musical performance), please have them do so. Materials can be submitted via a secure online portal by January 15, 2024.