Admissions

To get started, please go to the Clarity Application and create an account. The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete. The Clarity Application is also mobile-friendly, so you can complete it from anywhere. You are also able to save your progress and return at any time. In the application, you will sign and submit the IRS Form 4506-C, which will permit Clarity to pull your prior-year tax returns.

At the end of the application, there is a $60 fee to submit, and you can share your application with additional schools that accept the Clarity Application for no additional charge. Simply use the dropdown menu in the application to select those schools.

The deadline for completing the financial aid application for admissions applicants is Friday, December 19, 2025.

If you need support during the process of completing your application, there is in-app support available as well as email support at support@claritytuition.com in both English and Spanish. The application itself is also fully translated into Spanish.

Parents are also encouraged to consult Clarity's Family Application Guide for more information regarding the online application process.

McDonogh works to support families who, without financial aid, would otherwise not be able to attend. Considering all available resources, McDonogh expects families to make paying tuition a priority in their family's financial planning. Financial assistance should be considered a last, not a first, resource.

Financial aid is allocated divisionally in Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools, with Middle and Upper Schools receiving the most funding. Typically, financial aid in Lower School is prioritized for the kindergarten entry point. Students in Prefirst through Grade 4 are welcome to apply for assistance, but the number of grants at these levels is limited.

Financial aid is available for parents of children in grades kindergarten through 12. Financial aid is not available for prekindergarten students. Current prekindergarten students can apply for assistance beginning in kindergarten, but their financial aid applications will be reviewed with all of the new students. We cannot guarantee that funds will be available for every prekindergarten family that qualifies.

Our aid processing vendor generates an estimated amount that your family can contribute to educational expenses based on the information that parents provide. We use this estimate as a starting point to help us make fair and objective financial aid decisions. Home ownership, family size, the number of children at tuition-charging schools, regional cost of living adjustments, and other factors are considered in the evaluation of a family's ability to pay.

A student's need is recalculated annually. Therefore, parents are required to submit an aid application and current tax information each year. Even with assistance, as tuition increases each year, so will a family's expected contribution, typically in step with the same percentage as the tuition increase.

While we evaluate admission and financial aid applications through separate processes, our admission decisions do take financial need into account. We are committed to only offering admission when we can provide the financial aid support a qualifying family needs, rather than admitting students whose demonstrated need we cannot meet.

Yes, you can apply for assistance if there has been a significant change in your financial profile; however, there is no guarantee that you will receive assistance. Families must apply for assistance before the designated deadline. Applications received after the designated deadline will be automatically waitlisted for assistance. When assistance becomes available, it will be allocated. Families should note that this process may last through the summer as enrollment numbers for the coming year are being finalized.

No, McDonogh does not offer a sibling discount.

In addition to assistance with the cost of tuition, McDonogh offers additional assistance, as needed, with books, trips, transportation, etc. An additional application is not required, and supplemental funds are distributed at the discretion of the Director of Financial Aid.