Admissions FAQs

We look for a variety of personal qualities such as strength of character, motivation, initiative, intelligence, creativity, perseverance, and the ability to work with and relate well to peers and adults.

Our Open House provides applicants and their families an opportunity to visit the school. We would also be pleased to arrange an appointment for you to visit the campus and explore your questions as part of a group tour with the Director of Admissions.

Please keep in mind that January, February, and early March are the busiest times in admissions and that campus tours are more difficult to arrange during that period.

The school enrolls a diverse student body, welcoming students of all races, creeds, national or ethnic origins, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Our first consideration is to ensure that applicants are the right academic fit. When all other factors are equal, an applicant with a sibling currently enrolled or one whose parent is a graduate will be accepted over other candidates. 

Our financial aid deadline is February 4. Our main advice for applicants considering applying for financial aid is to complete your tax return as early as possible so that Flintridge Prep has the most accurate information to work with. Admissions decisions and financial aid decisions are completely independent of each other. Members of the Admissions Committee don’t know whether a family is applying for financial aid, and the Finance Committee only sees financial aid applications after the student has been selected for admission. See our Financial Aid page for more information.

There are 48 openings for 7th grade, and approximately 48 openings for 9th grade. On occasion, there are openings in 8th, 10th, or 11th grade.
 

No, you may take the ISEE at any one of the ISEE test sites. For more information about testing sites and dates, please visit www.iseetest.org. Remember to include our school code 052375.

Four sources are generally used: A transcript of grades from the applicant’s present school, ISEE test scores, teacher recommendations, and a personal interview. Our aim is to obtain a balanced, objective view of your personality, achievements, and potential.

Flintridge Prep wants the admissions process to be as worry-free as possible for candidates and their families. Our online admissions system allows your family to work at its own pace to complete the application, and gives you an easy way to follow up with math and English teachers who are providing recommendations. We also provide a tracker that will notify you when application materials, such as ISEE scores and school transcripts, arrive. If we notice a delay, the Admissions Office will make every effort to obtain the required items from your school, and we will contact you if we have not received the necessary paperwork as the due date approaches. If you have any questions, you can always contact us.

Flintridge Prep is excited to be using online recommendation forms for the first time this year, but we realize that not all schools and teachers may be able to accommodate the schoolrecs system. We invite you to explore the schoolrecs website. If you would like to download paper recommendation forms, you can access math recommendation forms here and English forms here.

The online admissions application contains a section that asks families to select student interview dates. We will contact you to confirm one of the times and dates that the family has requested. It may take several weeks for you to be notified of the appointment. This is because all interviews are scheduled in January and February.

One or both parents should accompany the student on the day of the interview. The family should come to the front office and give the student’s name to the receptionist at the front desk. A teacher or administrator will come out to meet you.

The purpose of the interview is to get to know you, find out your interests, and answer your questions. After the interview the parent(s) will have a few minutes alone with the interviewer to ask questions about the school or share insights about the student.

The total length of the visit is usually no longer than 40 minutes. Plan to arrive a few minutes early, as interviews take place during a free class period for the interviewer — if you are late, there will be less time available for the interview.

Decisions are reached by an Admissions Committee consisting of representatives from the administration and nearly half of the faculty. After each committee member has carefully reviewed each student’s file, the Admissions Committee meets to discuss what each candidate has to offer the Flintridge Prep community.  

Unfortunately, Prep has more qualified applicants than it has open spots in each class. The waiting list consists of qualified students who cannot initially be accepted. If space develops, we refer to the waiting list and accept candidates. Because vacancies can develop unexpectedly, acceptances might occur as late as the end of August. One out of four new 9th graders each year are students who applied previously for grades 7 or 8 but who were not admitted at that time.

Prep is a family. We don't just teach students; we encourage parents to participate in the life of the school. We hope that your family will contribute to the school in many ways — by participating in the Parents Association, Fathers Club, or donating to the Annual Fund. There are many ways in which you can volunteer your time and resources.

For example, parents often volunteer to host receptions at student art exhibitions; assist with drama productions and dance concerts; help athletic teams by designing programs, selling concessions, and hosting season-end banquets; and add to the Flintridge Prep community in countless other ways.