Process and Timeline

We hope our Web site has helped you get to know Hotchkiss and that you are enthusiastic about applying here. To assist you, we have divided the application process into its five major elements.

Additional information for Late Applicants and about Applying for Financial Aid and our Revisit Program may also be found below.

We look forward to getting to know you!

Step 1: Admission Inquiry

If you have not already received our inquiry packet, please call, write, or complete our online Admission Inquiry Form to receive The Hotchkiss School prospectus, course listing, and application materials.

Office of Admission
The Hotchkiss School
11 Interlaken Road
Lakeville, CT 06039-2141

Telephone: +1-860-435-3102
Fax: +1-860-435-0042
Email : admission@hotchkiss.org

Step 2: Preliminary Application

 If you are applying to enter in fall 2013, our online application is now available, and PDFs have also been posted. The fee for submitting an online application is $60, or $100 for applicants residing outside of the U.S., payable online. If you prefer to submit a paper version, the fee is $75 for domestic and $115 for non-U.S. applications, payable in the form of a U.S. money order or a check drawn on a U.S. Bank account. 

Step 3: Interview and Visit

Please contact our office as soon as possible to arrange for an on-campus interview.

All candidates for admission are required to have an admission interview. If you are unable to visit campus, we would be happy to arrange an off-campus interview with a member of our Parent and Alumni Admission Council (PAAC). Applications for admission will not be reviewed until the interview has been completed.

More information on planning your visit to Hotchkiss.

Step 4: Standardized Testing

We strongly recommend that applicants take these tests in the fall, preferably on the November or December test dates. Applicants who sit for the January exams will still be considered during the regular admission cycle, but not until their test scores are received. We encourage you to attend to this requirement as soon as possible since registration deadlines come well in advance of the test dates.

SSAT registration forms may be obtained by request through our office or by contacting SSATB directly (www.ssat.org). Our school code is 4012.

ISEE information may be obtained via their Web site at http://www.erbtest.org/pages/ERB_ISEE.htmlOur school code is 070335.

For information about registering for the TOEFL and locating international test centers visit the TOEFL Web site (www.toefl.org). Our school code is 8199.

If you are applying for… …you must take these tests:
Grades 9 or 10 Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT)
- or -
Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE)
Grade 11 SSAT, PSAT, or the SAT1 Reasoning Test
Grade 12 or Postgraduate SAT1, ACT, or PSAT
All applicants to Hotchkiss whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in addition to the tests listed above. If a candidate has attended a school for three years or more where English is the primary mode of instruction, a TOEFL is not required.  For more information, click here.  

SSAT registration forms may be obtained by request through our office or by contacting SSATB directly (http://www.ssat.org/ssat/test/test-main.html). Our school code is 4012.

ISEE information may be obtained via their Web site at http://erblearn.org/parents/admission/isee. Our school code is 070335.

For information about registering for the TOEFL and locating international test centers visit the TOEFL Web site (http://www.ets.org/toefl). Our school code is 8199.

Step 5: Completing the Formal Application

To receive an admission decision by March 9, please submit all items listed below to our office by January 15, 2013. By this date, you also should have submitted your Candidate Profile with fee, and arranged for a formal interview.

Download application (PDF, 1.06 MB) or apply online.

The applicant should send:

  • Candidate Profile
    See Step 2 above.
  • Candidate Project
    All sections to be completed by the student.
    Both the applicant and parent/guardians must sign the application.
  • Parent Statement 
    Parents or guardians are asked to complete this form, or to write a supplementary letter, providing their perspective on the applicant for the admission committee.
  • Graded Writing Sample
    A copy of a paper from an academic course
    Please know that when submitting Graded Writing Samples and/or transcripts via Gateway, the upload file must be under 1MB. Also, the system will only take one file upload per form. If your recommenders are having issues with uploads, please have them fax the documents to: 860-435-0042, or scan/email the documents to admission@hotchkiss.org

    We will accept your materials in any of the following ways: fax, scan/email, mailed via U.S. Postal Service or express carrier.

    We do expect to receive recommendations and transcripts after the deadline and will be processing accordingly.

Others should send:

  • School Report and Transcript
    To be completed by your principal, school head, or guidance counselor
  • Three References
    To be completed by your current English teacher, math teacher, and another adult who knows you well

Financial Aid

January 31, 2013, is the deadline for applying for Financial Aid. For more information, please visit our Financial Aid Web pages.

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Late Applications

Although students who complete their applications after the January 14 deadline face a much more competitive admission situation, we encourage late applications in case spaces become available in the spring and summer months.

We will do our best to render decisions on late applications received before the end of January, but cannot guarantee that they will be included in the first round of decisions mailed on March 9. Typically, late applicants receive a decision from the Admission Office in mid-April.

Though we remain open during the winter months for campus tours and encourage late applicants to visit the School, we are unable to schedule on-campus interviews during that time. However, we would be happy to arrange for an interview with a member of our Parent and Alumni Admission Council in your area. Please contact our office as soon as possible to set up the interview.

In the third week of April, and continuing throughout the summer months, campus tours with student tour guides and interviews with Hotchkiss admission counselors will once again be available.
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Revisit Days

We believe Hotchkiss is an incredible place, but we know that both the tangible and intangible play a significant role in choosing a school that "fits." For applicants who are offered places at Hotchkiss, the revisit days provide a way to get a truly in-depth look at the School. Prospective students are paired with current student hosts to experience a typical day in the life of a Hotchkiss student. Parents also spend a full day getting to know the School through panel sessions and informal conversations with administrators and faculty members. Our hope is that by the end of the revisit day, families and students will have gathered enough information to decide whether Hotchkiss is the right school for them.

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Contact Us

If you have questions or would like to arrange for a campus visit, interview, or revisit, please contact us directly at:

Office of Admission
The Hotchkiss School
11 Interlaken Road
Lakeville, CT 06039-2141

Tel: +1-860-435-3102
Fax: +1-860-435-0042
Email: admission@hotchkiss.org
To contact a specific member of our admission office, please visit Meet Our Team.

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Admission Office

Email: admission@hotchkiss.org
Telephone: +1-860-435-3102
Fax: +1-860-435-0042
Meet Our Team

Application Forms

We strongly encourage all applicants to apply online via the Gateway to Prep Schools.

For your convenience, a PDF version of our complete application is available below. All necessary forms and instructions are included, except for envelopes. If you ask individuals to return these forms to you for submission with your application, the forms must be sent in envelopes that have been sealed and signed by the recommender.

Download Hotchkiss application
       (PDF, 1060K, opens in new
        window) or apply online.

Admission Application Timeline

Saturday June 08

SSAT test date