Application Process

The major entry point for new students entering the Upper School is ninth grade. Each year 35 - 40 new students are added to the rising freshman class. Fewer spaces are available for the tenth and eleventh grades. In these grades, three to five students are typically added.

Submit Application and Application Fee ($65)

The online application must be submitted no later than December 1, 2019.
 

Submit Transcript

Please take the Transcript Release Form to your child’s school and request transcripts to be sent after the first term of the current year. Transcripts must be received no later than January 15, 2020.

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. Please submit the Common Referral Form to your child's current school after the first term. They must be received by McDonogh no later than January 15, 2020.

Please be aware that the Common Referral Form is confidential and cannot be shared with parents or students. Therefore, please have your child's teacher or school email the form to admissions@mcdonogh.org, fax to 443-544-7030, or mail directly to:
McDonogh School
Admissions Office
8600 McDonogh Road
Owings Mills, MD 21117
 

Interview and Day Visit

An interview is required of all applicants. If your child is spending the day with us, the interview will be scheduled for that day. Parent interviews are not required but are encouraged. Once we receive your ­application, an admissions officer will contact you to arrange a date and time or you may schedule these appointments online.

Day visits in Upper School are optional. They are non-evaluative and are simply an opportunity for the applicant to experience McDonogh first-hand. All visits to grades 9–12 must be completed by January 15, 2020. Students are hosted in their current grade except for ninth grade applicants who will visit with ninth grade.

Please note that the application must be received before a student may schedule a day visit. All interviews and day visits are scheduled on a first-come, first served basis, and the later an application is received, the less flexible scheduling can be.
 

Testing

Applicants should complete the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) or the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) by January 15, 2020. These tests do not have to be taken at McDonogh and may be taken at any school offering the test. However, on the registration form, you must 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 www.ssat.org. Registration closes three weeks prior to the testing date. Many test sites fill up quickly, so please register early.

Please note: we encourage students to take the test in November or December as winter weather can cause test cancellations.
 

Optional Essay - Grades 7 through 12

For students applying to grades 7 through 12, an optional essay is due by January 15, 2020. 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 four prompts and respond in 200 - 400 words.