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ECC - Grade 12: The best way to begin your SCH journey is to experience our community in person. We encourage families to attend an admissions event such as Inside SCH to explore our program and meet faculty, students, and other families. If you are unable to attend this event, please contact Maggie Baker, Admissions Coordinator, who will be glad to help you arrange another opportunity to visit our gorgeous 62-acre campus. Then you can start your application process in your Admissions Portal account.

ECC Families: Families may apply no more than one year before their intended enrollment year. While we do not maintain multi-year waitlists, priority is given to:

• Siblings of current SCH students
• Children of alumni
• Families who intend to continue through Lower School and beyond

ECC - Grade 12: The parent questionnaire serves as a valuable tool for us to gain insights into your family and your child's unique qualities and experiences. By completing this questionnaire alongside your application, you provide us with a better understanding of your child. We request that this be submitted prior to your parent meeting so we can better prepare for your visit.

Grades 9 - 12: Only students in the Upper School are required to submit a student questionnaire along with their application. 

ECC - Grade 12: After completing the questionnaire, parents of applicants are required to complete an informal, interview-style conversation. This conversation is an extension of the questionnaire, providing our admissions team further clarity on questionnaire responses while giving parents an opportunity to learn more about our curriculum and community, ask questions, and tell us more about their student directly. We are happy to chat in-person or virtually.

ECC: A short, play-based classroom visit for your child, allowing us to observe them in a relaxed school setting. This step is required for rising Laurels (2-3 years) and Chestnuts (3-4+ years).

Pre-K and K: In order to better understand your student's readiness for Pre-K or Kindergarten, you will need to schedule a play visit (up to one hour) at SCH Academy. Once you complete your parent questionnaire in your application, you will be asked to schedule your play visit. Students will spend time with our Admission Director and Early Childhood Center educators, engaging in different activities while getting a first-hand introduction to our school.

Grades 1-8: Applicants will spend a full day with their grade cohort experiencing our classrooms, community, and daily routines firsthand. During the visit, students will also participate in assessments and get to know members of the faculty. 

Grades 9-12: Applicants will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in our school, attending classes alongside students and experiencing daily life at SCH. Each applicant is paired with a student host and participates in a one-on-one conversation with an Upper School faculty member, providing an opportunity to share more about themselves, ask questions, and learn more about our community.

ECC: Required for children currently enrolled in a daycare or preschool program.

Pre-K - 1: Once you submit your application, please request your recommendation letters electronically. We prioritize the confidentiality of these recommendations, which must be directly sent from the respective teachers to our Admission Office after October 15.

Grades 2-5: SCH requires two teacher recommendation letters - one from your current and previous homeroom teacher. We prioritize the confidentiality of these recommendations, which must be directly sent from the respective teachers to our Admission Office after October 15.

Grades 6-12: We require two teacher recommendations: one from the applicant’s current math teacher and another from their current English teacher. For grades 6-8, a third recommendation is optional, but for grades 9-12, a recommendation from a principal/advisor is required. We prioritize the confidentiality of these recommendations, so we kindly ask the parent to utilize the Recommendation Requests available on the applicant checklist after October 15. 

Grades 5-8: We require the applicant’s previous year's final report card and a current report card/progress report.

Grades 9-12: For applicants in 9th-12th grade, we require two years' worth of final report cards, in addition to the first-semester (or trimester) report card of the current enrolled academic year.

Pre-K-4: Internal testing will take place during the visit day. 

Grades 5-8: Middle School applicants may fulfill this requirement in one of two ways:

• Register for either the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) or the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT). Please select Springside Chestnut Hill Academy as a recipient (ISEE CODE: 393520, SSAT CODE: 7450).
• Submit assessment score reports: MAP, ERB, TerraNova, or PSSA. If your child’s school does not administer these, please register for the ISEE or SSAT.

Grades 9-12: All applicants are required to submit the results of either the ISEE or SSAT. For 11th and 12th grade applicants, we also accept PSAT, SAT, or ACT scores. Please have the testing organization submit scores directly to SCH (ISEE CODE: 393520, SSAT CODE: 7450). If you are seeking academic support or accommodations, we will require a copy of your student's most recent psycho-educational evaluation (completed within the last three years).

Families interested in Financial Aid should apply at the same time as their admission application. Decisions are awarded simultaneously with your admissions offer. 

Applications completed by December 1 will receive an admission decision on or after January 15.

Those who received an admissions offer by January 15 will have until February 15 to enroll. After that point, decisions will be shared on a rolling basis.