How to Apply Step by Step

Welcome to Commonwealth School's admissions process! We will open our application for fall 2023 entry on September 1, 2022. In the interim, we encourage you to connect with us. We can’t wait to get to know you.

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

Get Started Now

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 one of our Virtual Open Houses:

Thursday, October 6, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 13, 2:30–4:30 p.m.

Register now
As the admissions season progresses, we’ll likely host several smaller in-person events for applicants and families. Be sure to request more information so you learn about these opportunities as they arise.

Step 3: Schedule an Interview

We cannot wait to get to know you—and for you to get to know us—during your online interview. You and at least one parent or guardian will talk with a member of the admissions committee and begin a conversation about what might make Commonwealth the perfect fit for you.

We will start scheduling interviews on September 1, and they will begin on October 3. Please return to this page for details. Deadline: February 1.

Step 4: Apply

We will open our application for fall 2023 entry on September 1, 2022. In the interim, we encourage you to complete an online inquiry form and to reach out to us with any questions.

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.) 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 our office to request a fee waiver, and we will gladly extend one.

Deadline for international students: January 1
Priority deadline for domestic students: January 1*
Standard deadline for domestic students: February 1

*Students who submit the initial application form in Ravenna by January 1 will be prioritized in visiting Commonwealth in person to tour and attend classes.

Learn more about admission for international students.

Get Started on Ravenna

Step 5: Visit

There are two options for applicants and families to get to know Commonwealth better and to complete the application process:

If you apply on or before January 1, and you can meet our health and safety requirements, 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. If you cannot visit in person we would be happy to arrange an alternative virtual experience.
If you apply after January 1, you will be able to complete the process with us virtually. You can sign up for a virtual Q&A session with our student ambassadors, and we will set up a virtual appointment during which you’ll complete the writing exercise that will become part of your application. If you can meet our health and safety requirements, we will 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 classroom capacity.

Step 6: Submit Additional Materials

As part of your application, you will 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: February 1.

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. Typically, upon request, a student's current school can send these score reports directly to Commonwealth.

Information on the SSAT

Please see below for details on testing options. Students are welcome to take the SSAT in whatever format they wish. If the SSAT registration fee poses a financial challenge for your family, please do not hesitate to contact us for a fee waiver.

We welcome (but do not require) students who have taken the Character Skills Snapshot, an online character development assessment through SSAT, to share their reports with us.

SSAT Testing Options for Domestic Applicants

Paper-Based SSAT: Paper-based testing will be available for the 2022–2023 school year, and registration opens 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 will find a partial list of offerings here. We encourage you to contact us with questions.
Paper-Based SSAT: Paper-based testing will be available for the 2022–2023 school year, and registration opens on August 1.
Computer-Based SSAT at Prometric Test Center: Location permitting, students may take a computer-based version of the SSAT at a local Prometric Test Center location. Please note that this option is not available to students in China, Hong Kong, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Jamaica, and Myanmar.

*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. Learn more about admission for international students.

Recommendations

Commonwealth requires recommendations from three current teachers: one from an English teacher, one from a math teacher, and one from your head of school, principal, guidance counselor, or placement counselor. Commonwealth accepts recommendations through Ravenna's online recommendation system. Directions for online recommendations can be found in your Ravenna application portal. Personal recommendations—from a music instructor, coach, past teacher, etc.—are accepted but not required. Should you wish to include a personal recommendation, please limit yourself to one. Deadline: February 1.

Transcript

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

Transcripts should include full-year grades for 2021–2022 and partial-year grades for 2022–2023. Many schools will also include grades from 2020–2021, which we gladly accept. School administrators should either upload transcripts to Ravenna or send them directly to Commonwealth by email (admissions@commschool.org) or mail (151 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02116). Deadline: February 1.

Writing Sample

We ask applicants to submit a writing sample that they have written this 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 does not have 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 last school year.
It should be uploaded to your Ravenna account; you will find instructions in your application portal.

Deadline: February 1.

Step 7: Respond to the Admissions Decision

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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