Apply to Hopkins

We are pleased that you are interested in Hopkins School. Hopkins seeks highly self-motivated applicants who are academically prepared and whose talents and intellectual curiosity will enable them to take advantage of the challenging curriculum and rich resources offered by the School. Applicants are expected to demonstrate an ability to complete a demanding course of study, determined by the Admission Committee during our admission process which includes the submission of an application, a transcript, admission test scores, teacher recommendations and a personal interview. 

The following steps will guide you through the application process. Please do not hesitate to call us at (203) 397-1001 ext. 211 with any questions.

If you would like to receive informational materials, please submit an inquiry.

Follow These Steps to Apply to Hopkins

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  • Submit your APPLICATION AND OTHER FORMS

    A complete application consists of:
       An application with
             Part I: Family and School Information completed, 
             Part II: Parent/Guardian Questionnaire completed,
             Part III: Financing Your Hopkins Education and
             Part IV: Applicant Questionnaire completed.
    A $75 application fee is required in order to submit Parts I-IV. For a fee waiver, please contact the admission office.
    PARTS I-IV MUST BE SUBMITTED IN ORDER TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW.
    THE REMAINING APPLICATION PIECES MUST BE SUBMITTED BY JANUARY 15:
    They are:
    1. Official transcript received directly from the current school
             (See Authorization for Release of School Records Form)
    3.   Current English Teacher Recommendation received directly from the teacher
    4.   Current Math Teacher Recommendation received directly from the teacher
    5.   Current Administrator Recommendation (e.g. Principal or Guidance Counselor) received directly from the administratior
    6.   Standardized test results received directly from the testing organization
    7.   Admission Interview
    8.   For students applying for financial assistance, a Financial Aid application is due by January 15. Click here for more information.

    In Part IV: Applicant Questionnaire, students are given the option to submit a short essay and/or a graded writing sample from the current school year. These optional pieces do not need to be submitted along with Parts I-IV, but are due by January 15.

    Although we encourage online submission of the application and teacher recommendations, applicants and recommenders who prefer to submit a paper version may do so. You may request a paper application or download and print the application here in September. 

  • Register to Take the Required STANDARDIZED TESTS

    In order to apply to Hopkins, you must submit standardized test scores. In most cases, the scores must be sent directly from the testing organization to the admissions office. Test scores must be received by January 15.

    Please be assured that Hopkins does not have a cut-off for test scores. We review your application as a whole, which includes your grades and teacher recommendations.

    If you have any questions, or if you find that the required testing is not available in your area, please contact us.
    SSAT Test Center
    APPLYING TO GRADE 7, 8, 9 or 10
    Applicants for grades 7-10 must submit current ISEE or SSAT scores. Please do not substitute with SAT scores.

    •   Complete your ISEE or SSAT testing during the school year in which you're applying, no earlier than August.

    •   The test results should be in the Admissions Office by January 15 for a late February decision. If you take a January test, we understand that the testing organization will forward the scores to us as soon as possible. Please let us know if you've had to delay testing beyond January.

    •   Instruct the ISEE or SSAT organization to send your scores directly to Hopkins. We cannot accept a family's copy of the scores because they do not include the required writing sample.

    •   If an SSAT test is not given in your area, check into the possibility of testing with an educational consultant. If this alternative is not possible, then please contact us.

    •   Hopkins's school codes are: SSAT 3995, ISEE 070490.

    SSAT offers an Online Practice Program, and information on what to expect from the ISEE can be found here.

    THE CHARACTER SKILLS SNAPSHOT
    As an optional portion of the application process, students are invited to take The Character Skills Snapshot.

    In addition to exceptional academics, character and personal growth are an integral part of a Hopkins education. As specifically noted in Hopkins Purpose and Values, we are committed to nurturing the development of a students’ character essential to leading a rich and purposeful life.

    While character has always been important to our admission process, we have not previously had a tool to measure the character skills a child is developing as they grow and mature. Grades and test scores are certainly part of the admission story, and we wanted to add a chapter that will provide a different, more holistic view of our applicants. The Character Skills Snapshot provides a way for us to know a child better, to understand their developing skills of intellectual curiosity, teamwork, initiative, responsibility, resilience, self-control, open-mindedness and social awareness and an opportunity to understand how those skills can be fostered by, contribute to, and enrich, our community.

    Students who have registered to take the SSAT can take The Snapshot for free. For students who are taking the ISEE, there is a fee of $25. Fee waivers are available to students who are not registered to take the SSAT and require financial assistance. The Snapshot can only be taken once, and is designed to be completed in one sitting of approximately twenty to thirty minutes.

    More information on The Snapshot can be found here. 

    IF ENGLISH IS NOT YOUR FIRST LANGUAGE
    •   The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is required if:
              • your primary or fluent language is not English and
              • you have not been taught primarily in English for the past four years
    •   Why do we require the TOEFL? Hopkins students must have a good command of written and spoken English to participate successfully in Hopkins's academic program. The TOEFL helps the Admissions Committee fully evaluate a student's competence in English.
    •   What's a good score? The Internet-based TOEFL exam (iBT) has four subsections, with a grading scale foreach section from 1 to 30 (30 being the best possible score). Hopkins does not require a minimum total score, rather student must earn the minimum score in each section:
         *Reading: 25
         *Listening: 21
         *Speaking:23
         *Writing: 22
    •   The TOEFL is required in addition to the standardized test for your grade (ISEE or SSAT) and is the only test that Hopkins accepts as evidence of English proficiency.
    •   Please designate Hopkins School as an office score recipeient on theTOEFL registration form. Hopkins School's TOEFL code is 4139.

    IF YOU'RE HOMESCHOOLED
    Applicants who are homeschooled are required to take the same tests as their peers, so be sure to check the requirements for your grade. If you've taken tests in addition to the ones required, we encourage you to share these additional scores with us.

  • Schedule Your ON CAMPUS INTERVIEW AND TOURS

    A personal interview is a required part of your application. If you are both touring and interviewing, please allow for a two-hour visit. If you are only interviewing, please allow for a one-hour visit.

    How do I schedule my visit?
    An appointment is necessary for an interview and/or student-guided tour. We will contact you after we have received Parts I-IV of your application to arrange an interview, and if you like, a tour of campus. Your application does not have to be complete in order to schedule an interview, but we require that you submit Part I: Family and School Information and Part II: Parent Questionnaire, Part III: Financing Your Hopkins Application and Part IV: Applicant Questionnaire to begin the process. This information wll give the interviewer some background information about you and your family and really helps shape the interview.

    When should I interview?
    The application is available as of September. Once Parts I - IV have been submitted, we will contact you to schedule an interview. All interviews must be scheduled by January 15, 2019 and conducted by January 31, 2019 in order to receive a late February decision for Fall 2019 admissions.

    What can I expect?
    Tours take about 45 minutes. A current student will take you and your family around campus and answer your questions.

    The interview is about an hour: 20-30 minutes with the applicant, followed by a conversation with the parents/guardians, where they will have a chance to ask questions or voice any concernes they might have. The interview is meant to be a conversation to get to know the student beyond what information is on the application. 

    Plan about 2 hours for the entire tour and interview process, or one hour for an interview only.

    What are you going to ask me?
    We want to meet the person behind the application. We'll ask about your favorite classes and why you like them, your hobbies and extracurricular activities and what you like about school.
     

  • SCHEDULE A SHADOW DAY, if desired

    After your interview, you will have the chance to schedule an optional shadow day. While the interview and tour offer a glimpse into what life and learning at Hopkins are like, it is not a substitute for a school visit or “shadow day”, a day of visiting classes that will give applicants a more accurate sense of the academic nature and spirit of our community. Please make the arrangements at least three days prior to the desired date, and please note that we do not offer shadow days on Wednesday, our early dismissal day. Shadow days are only arranged through the end of January. 

    What should I expect on my shadow day?
    Students should plan on arriving at the Admission Office by 7:45 am to meet their host. (Visitors may request a particular host if they know a student in the grade to which they are applying.) Hopkins will provide a lunch for visiting students. We do not have a formal dress code, but ask that visitors wear appropriate, comfortable attire. It is a good idea to bring a book to read in the event that student hosts are involved in a writing exercise or a test. For insurance purposes, visitors cannot participate in athletics during the day or after school; however, students are welcome to watch practices and games. During a scheduled study hall, hosts will take visitors on a tour of the campus and will treat them to a hot chocolate at the school cafe! Parents should expect to pick up visitors in the Admission Office at the regular dismissal time of 3:30 pm. In the event of inclement weather, please check hopkins.edu for delays or cancellations.

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  • Si está interesado en solicitar a Hopkins, haga clic aquí.

    Para solicitar, necesita hacer lo siguiente:
    • Llenar la solicitud. Es lo primero que se necesita para empezar el proceso. No se puede hacer cita para la entrevista sin antes haber enviado la solicitud.
    • Hacer una entrevista en Hopkins. Favor de llamar al 203-397-1001 x211 para hacer una cita de más o menos una hora donde se entrevistará al estudiante y, por lo menos, su padre o su madre.
    • Tomar el examen SSAT o ISEE. Este paso requiere que visiten uno de estos websites (uno para SSAT u otro para ISEE). Nosotros aceptamos ambos y usted decide cual.
    • Solicitar recomendaciones del maestro de matemáticas, del maestro de inglés y del director o el consejero de la escuela.
    • Dar permiso a la escuela para que envíen las notas de su hijo o hija.

    Para empezar haga clic en el botón rojo en la parte superior derecha que dice “Apply now.”

    La solicitud es en inglés y la entrevista también es en inglés pero si usted necesita un entrevistador de habla española, favor de solicitarlo y haremos lo posible por complacerle.
     
    La solicitud tiene que estar completa y enviada para el 15 de enero de 2019.

    Se ofrece ayuda economica para las familias que cualifiquen. Para solicitar ayuda, debe completar el “Parent Financial Statement (PFS)" que es el documento que nos explica su situación económica. Este documento se encuentra aquí y va a tener que enviar documentos adicionales. Para mas informacion, haga clic aquí. Debe solicitar antes del 15 de enero de 2019.
International Students Must Read This Section Before Applying

Upcoming Admission Events

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View Calendar

Other Ways to Apply

In an effort to make applying to independent schools easier and more accessible to all applicants, we will accept the SAO and Gateway Online applications, as well as our own online application. The links to SAO and Gateway applications are below:

SSAT Standard Application Online:

SAO

Gateway Online Application:
If you are planning to apply to Hopkins through Gateway and currently live outside of the U.S., please contact ctraester@hopkins.edu.






We Use the Character Skills Snapshot

Dates to Remember

Please keep these important dates in mind when applying to Hopkins

As early as possible Registration for standardized testing opens in August. 
August  2019 The application is available now. Appointments for interviews and shadow days are made AFTER Parts I-IV of the application are received. Interviews will not begin before October 2.
October 2, 2019 Financial aid applicants may begin their PFS at www.solutionsbysss.com. Interviews begin.
January 15, 2020 All application materials are due (we encourage you to submit materials as early as possible for efficient processing)
January 15, 2020 Financial aid materials are due
Late February 2020 Decisions are sent by mail to the family mailing address indicated on the student's application
April 10, 2020 Enrollment contracts are due
Hopkins School reaffirms its longstanding nondiscriminatory policy and admits students of any religion, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or national origin to all rights privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at Hopkins School, and further states that Hopkins School does not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or national origin in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship, athletic and other school-administered programs.