How to Apply Step by Step

Welcome to Commonwealth School's admissions process! We can’t wait to get to know you better.

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Step 1: Request Information

Step 2: Attend an Admissions Event

While it’s not a required part of the admissions process, attending an event will help you get a sense of what sets us apart before applying. We encourage you to join us for a Virtual Open House:

Sunday, November 12, 2:30–4:30 p.m.

Learn more here.

As the admissions season progresses, we’ll host several smaller in-person events for applicants and families. Be sure to fill out an online inquiry form so that you learn about these opportunities as they arise.

Learn More

Step 3: Interview

We can’t wait to get to know you—and for you to get to know us—during your interview. You and at least one parent/guardian will connect with a member of the admissions committee and begin a dialogue about what might make Commonwealth the perfect fit for you.

Please note that we conduct all of our interviews virtually. Our interview calendar is now open through November. You can schedule your online interview through Ravenna (see Step 4 for more!). Deadline: January 16.

Step 4: Apply

Commonwealth uses an online application system called Ravenna. Start by registering with Ravenna, creating a basic profile, and selecting "Commonwealth School" from the School Directory. (We also offer the option of downloading and printing an application to fill out by hand. Please contact us to learn more.) The application fee is $60 for U.S. residents and $120 for international applicants. If the application fee presents a challenge to your family, please contact us for a fee waiver; we’ll gladly extend one. Deadline: January 16.

Learn more about admission for international students.

Get Started on Ravenna

Step 5: Visit

If you apply on or before December 15, you can spend a partial day at Commonwealth taking a student-led tour of the school with one or two parents/guardians, attending classes, and completing a writing exercise that will become part of your application. We ask that visitors either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or wear a mask while inside our building.

If you apply after December 15, you’ll be able to complete the process with us virtually. We encourage you to sign up for a virtual Q&A session with our student ambassadors, and we’ll set up a virtual appointment during which you’ll complete the writing exercise that will become part of your application. We’ll do our best to accommodate an in-person visit should space remain. While we wish that we could offer an in-person visit to every eligible applicant, we need to be mindful of building capacity and our tight admissions timeline.

Step 6: Submit Additional Materials

As part of your application, you’ll need to submit a transcript, three school recommendations, and other materials. You’ll find detailed instructions below.

Standardized Test Scores

We require prospective students to submit either Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) or Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) scores, as they provide the admissions committee with a standard metric among applicants. We consider test scores within the context of each applicant’s overall application and educational background. Deadline: January 16.

Commonwealth’s SSAT code is 2542, and our ISEE code is 220222.

If students have taken any other standardized tests—MCAS, ERB, MAP, etc.—during middle school, we encourage them to share those results, too.

Information on the SSAT

Please see below for details on testing options. If the SSAT registration fee poses a financial challenge for your family, please don’t hesitate to contact us about a possible fee waiver.

SSAT Testing Options for Domestic Applicants

Paper-Based SSAT: Paper-based testing will be available for the 2023–2024 school year, and registration will open on August 1.
Computer-Based SSAT at Prometric Test Center: Students may take a computer-based version of the SSAT at a local Prometric Test Center location.
Computer-Based SSAT at Home: A secure, browser-based version of the SSAT will be available.

SSAT Testing Options for International Applicants*

Please note that SSAT options vary from country to country; you’ll find a partial list of offerings here. We encourage you to contact us with questions.

*Unless they attend a school in which English is the primary language of instruction, international applicants should plan to take the Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in addition to the SSAT.

Recommendations

Transcript

We ask applicants to complete a transcript release form, which they’ll turn in to their current school. Please note that, as this is a shared form amongst the Boston-area institutions that use Ravenna, it’s only necessary to submit the form to your current school once; simply check off all of the Ravenna schools to which you plan on applying.

Transcripts should include full-year grades for 2022–2023 and partial-year grades for 2023–2024. Many schools will also include grades from 2021–2022, which we gladly accept. School administrators should either upload transcripts to Ravenna or send them directly to Commonwealth by email (admissions@commschool.org). Deadline: January 16.

Writing Sample

We ask applicants to submit an essay that they’ve written during the 2023–2024 school year and that meets the following requirements:

It should come from an English, history, or social studies class.
It can be either a draft or the final version.
While it doesn’t need to be graded, it should include some kind of teacher feedback in the form of a completed rubric, comments, etc.
If it’s not possible to submit an essay from this school year, please select a piece of writing from the second semester of the 2022–2023 school year.
It should be uploaded to your Ravenna account.

Deadline: January 16.

Optional Materials

A personal recommendation—from a music instructor, coach, troop leader, past teacher, etc.—will be accepted but isn’t required. Please note that we’ll only consider one personal recommendation per applicant. Please refrain from submitting multiple personal recommendations.

In addition, if you'd like to submit any supplemental materials as part of your application, you’re welcome to do so. This might be a visual art portfolio, a video of a music or theater performance, or a video about a special interest. Please keep in mind that this is completely optional. We only suggest submitting supplemental materials that will highlight your strengths and enable the admissions committee to get to know you better as a candidate.

Both personal recommendations and supplemental materials may be submitted through Ravenna. Deadline: January 16.

Step 7: Respond to the Admission Decision

Questions?

Our admissions team is here to help and happy to guide you through the process.

What I really love about Commonwealth: You have a decent-sized sports crowd, you have a humanities crowd, you have a STEM crowd. And my family loved the small size, how teachers really focused on the students and really cared about their students. I think my expectations have been exceeded. I love the teachers here. I love the students.” Romen '23

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