The Bryn Mawr School

- Menu

Application Experience

Thank you for your interest in Bryn Mawr! We are excited to have the opportunity to introduce you to our school, and to get to know you and your family.

Click the tabs below to view the application steps for your child's entering grade.

List of 7 items.

Pre-K

Pre-Kindergarten
Applicants for 2025-26 entry must be three years old by September 1, 2024, to begin the Lower School admissions and assessment process for Pre-Kindergarten. For more information about the Lower School Pre-K program as well as our Little School option, please click here.

Step 1
Action: Attend a group tour or Visiting Day
Due Date: Register online or call 410-323-8800

Step 2
Action: Complete the admissions application and pay the $60 fee. Application fee waivers are available for siblings of currently enrolled students and daughters of alumnae. Please contact us to obtain your code.
Due Date: December 15, 2024; Rolling after Dec. 15 (on a space available basis)
Form: Application

Step 3
Action: Attend Individual Student Assessment and Parent Information Session
Due Date: Scheduled upon receipt of application; Parent Information Session takes place while student has her assessment or it can be virtual at a different time
Forms: See testing requirements below

Step 4
Action: Submit Common Referral Form
Due Date: Jan. 15, 2025 (sent directly from current pre-school)
Forms: Common Referral Form - PDF (150K)

Step 5
Action: Attend PK applicant group assessment session, Saturday, January 25, 2025, one hour time slots from 9am-1pm.
Due Date: Applicants to PK will be automatically registered for the group assessment. Please call 410-323-8800 x1310 with any questions or concerns.
Forms: See testing requirements below
K

Kindergarten
Applicants must be four years old by September 1, 2024, to begin the Lower School admissions and assessment process for Kindergarten entry 2025-26.

Step 1
Action: Attend a group tour or Visiting Day
Due Date: Register online or call 410-323-8800

Step 2
Action: Complete the admissions application and pay the $60 fee. Application fee waivers are available for siblings of currently enrolled students and daughters of alumnae. Please contact us to obtain your code.
Due Date: December 15, 2024; Rolling after Dec. 15 (on a space available basis)
Form: Application

Step 3
Action: Attend Individual Student Assessment and Parent Information Session
Due Date: Scheduled upon receipt of application; Parent Information Session takes place while student has her assessment or it can be virtual at a different time
Forms: See testing requirements below

Step 4
Action: Submit Common Referral Form
Due Date: Jan. 15, 2025 (sent directly from current school)
Forms: Common Referral Form - PDF (150K)

Step 5
Action: Attend Group Assessment session, Saturday, January 25, 2025, one hour time slots from 9a-1p.
Due Date: Applicants to Kindergarten will be automatically registered for the group assessment. Please call 410-323-8800 x1310 with any questions or concerns.
Grade 1

Grade 1

Step 1
Action: Attend a group tour or Visiting Day
Due Date: Register online or call 410-323-8800

Step 2
Action: Complete the admissions application and pay the $60 fee. Application fee waivers are available for siblings of currently enrolled students and daughters of alumnae. Please contact us to obtain your code.
Due Date: December 15, 2024; Rolling after Dec. 15 (on a space available basis)
Form: Application

Step 3
Action: Attend Individual Student Assessment and Parent Information Session
Due Date: Scheduled upon receipt of application; Parent Information Session takes place while student has her assessment or it can be virtual at a different time
Forms: See testing requirements below

Step 4
Action: Submit School transcripts
Due Date: Jan. 15, 2025 (sent directly from current school)
Form: Transcript Release Form - PDF (150K)

Step 5
Action: Submit Common Referral Form
Due Date: Jan. 15, 2025 (sent directly from current school)
Forms: Common Referral Form - PDF (150K)

Step 5
Action: Attend Group Assessment session, Thursday, January 16, 2025, one hour time slots from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Due Date: Applicants to 1st grade will be automatically registered for the group assessment. Please call 410-323-8800 x1310 with any questions or concerns
Grades 2-5

Grades 2-5

Step 1
Action: Attend a group tour or Visiting Day
Due Date: Register online or call 410-323-8800

Step 2
Action: Complete the admissions application and pay the $60 fee. Application fee waivers are available for siblings of currently enrolled students and daughters of alumnae. Please contact us to obtain your code.
Due Date: December 15, 2024; Rolling after Dec. 15 (on a space available basis)
Form: Application

Step 3
Action: Attend Parent Information Session (in-person or virtual)
Due Date: Scheduled upon receipt of application

Step 4
Action: Attend Shadow Visit and Student Conversation (conversation for 5th grade applicants only). The shadow visit is a morning-long visit spent in the applicant’s current grade (i.e. if the applicant is applying to third grade she will spend the morning with the second grade). The student conversation is a short 15 minute interview for prospective 5th graders with the Assistant Director of Admission.

Due Date: Upon receipt of application, the admissions office will reach out to you to schedule the shadow visit and student conversation. Shadow visits begin in October.

Step 5
Action: Attend Student Assessment on Saturday, January 11, 2025
Due Date: Scheduled upon receipt of application
Form: See testing requirements below

Step 6
Action: Submit School transcripts
Due Date: Jan. 15, 2025 (sent directly from current school)
Form: Transcript Release Form - PDF (150K)

Step 7
Action: Submit Common Referral Form
Due Date: Jan. 15, 2025 (sent directly from current school)
Form: Common Referral Form - PDF (150K)
Grades 6-12

Grades 6-12

Step 1
Action: Attend a group tour or Visiting Day
Due Date: Register online or call 410-323-8800

Step 2
Action: Complete the admissions application and pay the $60 fee. Application fee waivers are available for siblings of currently enrolled students and daughters of alumnae. Please contact us to obtain your code.
Due Date: December 15, 2024; Rolling after Dec. 15 (on a space available basis)
Form: Application

Step 3
Action: Attend Student Shadow Day
Due Date: Scheduled upon receipt of application, beginning in October

Step 4
Action: Submit Student Questionnaire (in Parent Portal) and Student Essay
Due Date: Dec. 15, 2024
Form: Student Essay

Step 5
Action: Student testing (ISEE - Independent School Entrance Exam ) or SSAT
Due Date: Jan. 25, 2025 (ISEE testing available at Bryn Mawr on Nov. 16, 2024 or Dec. 14, 2024)
Form: See testing dates and requirements below

Step 6
Action: Submit School transcripts
Due Date: Jan. 15, 2025 (sent directly from current school)
Form: Transcript Release Form - PDF (150K)

Step 7
Action: Submit Common Referral Forms (1 from current Math teacher, 1 from current English teacher)
Due Date: Jan. 15, 2025 (sent directly from current school)
Form: Common Referral Form - PDF (150K)
International
International Students

We are eager to learn more about interested families and their ambitions for an American education for their daughters. To apply to Bryn Mawr, please complete the steps below. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Step 1
Complete application and forms:
- Student Essay/Questionnaire
- Parent Statement (optional)
Step 2
Pay the application fee of $125 USD.

Step 3
Provide school transcripts OR report cards for current year plus previous two years.

Step 4
Complete admission testing (ISEE, SSAT, or SAT) and provide TOEFL iBT or TOEFL Essentials results.

Step 5
Submit Common Referral Forms from both the math teacher and English teacher, OR a letter of recommendation from the school principal.

A math recommendation should include a brief outline of topics covered this year. The English recommendation should include a synopsis of the novels read in class and the student's ability to write a sustained essay on a work of literature, due to the fact that Bryn Mawr English classes are focused on reading literature and writing analytically, not grammar.

Step 6
Complete a Zoom interview or campus visit.

The application, processing fee and all of the supporting documents should be submitted as soon as possible. A Zoom interview will be scheduled after receipt of all materials. If the student is accepted, her family will be sent a contract to sign and return with the designated deposit. When the contract and deposit are returned to the School, the student will be officially enrolled, and the I-20 form will be issued from SEVIS.

*International students who will not be living with a natural parent and are seeking a host family are required to be represented by one of our partner agencies, Ivy International Group, Apex International Education Partners (AIEP), or TBI New Oasis International Education for the duration of their time at Bryn Mawr.
Little School

Click here to view the Little School Application Process

Testing Requirements

List of 5 items.

Pre-Kindergarten

Bryn Mawr uses a combination of testing instruments that help the Admission Committee measure developmental and academic readiness. Students are tested individually in the mornings during the months of October, November, December and January and will also be required to attend a group assessment on Saturday, January 25th.

Date: October - January (various dates are available for the individual assessment) and Saturday, January 25th (Group Assessment).
Time: Mornings - time scheduled upon receipt of application
Tests: Pre-K Individual and Group Assessments
Location: The Bryn Mawr School - Get Directions
Kindergarten

Bryn Mawr uses a combination of testing instruments that help the Admission Committee measure developmental and academic readiness. Students are tested individually in the mornings during the months of October, November, December and January and will also be required to attend a group assessment on Saturday, January 25th).

Date: October- January (various dates are available for the individual assessment) and Saturday, January 25th (Group Assessment).
Time: Mornings - time scheduled upon receipt of application
Tests: Kindergarten Individual Assessments and Group Assessments
Location: The Bryn Mawr School - Get Directions
Grade 1

Bryn Mawr uses a combination of testing instruments that help the Admission Committee measure developmental and academic readiness. Students are tested individually in the mornings during the months of October, November, December and January and will also be required to attend a group assessment on Thursday, January 16th.

Date: October - January (various dates are available for the individual assessment) and Thursday, January 16th (Group Assessment).
Time: Mornings - time scheduled upon receipt of application
Tests: Grade 1 Individual Assessment and Group Assessment
Location: The Bryn Mawr School - Get Directions
Grades 2-5
Bryn Mawr offers group testing for students applying for grades 2 - 5.

Date: Saturday, January 11, 2025
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Tests: Otis-Lennon School Ability Test & Stanford Achievement Test
Location: Admission Cottage Get Directions
- We will be happy to share the results of this testing with other schools.
- If the Bryn Mawr date is inconvenient for you, you may sign up for testing at another school. Please ask them to send your daughter's testing results to the Bryn Mawr Admission Office.
- If your daughter does plan to test at Bryn Mawr, please make sure to register in your Parent Portal.
Grades 6-12
The ISEE exam is required for applicants to grades 6-12. Bryn Mawr offers two in-person dates for ISEE testing. Alternatively, applicants to grades 9-12 may also take the SSAT.

Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Tests: Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) Register Now
Location: Centennial Hall - Get Directions

Date: Saturday, December 14, 2024
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Tests: Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) Register Now
Location: Centennial Hall - Get Directions
- If the Bryn Mawr dates are inconvenient for you, you may sign up for testing at another school, a Prometric center, or ISEE at Home. Please be sure to add Bryn Mawr's ISEE school code 210050 for us to receive the scores.
- Please indicate on the ISEE or SSAT registration that they should send your daughter's testing results to the Bryn Mawr Admission Office. The ISEE should be taken by Jan. 25, 2025 for first round admission consideration.