How to Apply

List of 6 items.

• The Inquiry Form

  Complete our inquiry form to join our mailing list, receive our admission viewbook, and learn about events that may be happening in your area.  The information you provide will help us connect you with people at Groton who share your interests.

• 1. The Candidate Profile

  The Candidate Profile offers admission candidates a convenient way to provide biographical data to numerous schools with one form. You may access the Candidate Profile online by visiting the Gateway to Prep Schools www.gatewaytoprepschools.com, an online application system.
  

• 2. Tours, Interviews, and Information Sessions

  Tours and Interviews
  A campus visit during the academic year typically involves a 45 minute student-led tour followed by an interview with an admission counselor, and a brief meeting for parents and guardians to ask questions about the school or the admission process. Families may register for an interview after the Candidate Profile has been submitted using the Gateway to Prep Schools online application system. After the profile is submitted, an email with access to the Groton application portal will be sent within twenty-four hours. The portal provides the means to schedule an interview and monitor the status of an application.  All visitors to campus must be fully vaccinated with an FDA or SAGE-WHO-approved vaccine.
  
  If you would like to tour the campus and refrain from interviewing during your visit, please call us to make an appointment at (978) 448-7510.
  
  

  Remote Interviews

  The remote interview is conducted via video chat. Remote Interviews are offered because Groton recognizes that some applicants may have difficulty traveling to campus. Preference is given to families living outside of New England.  Prospective students who would like to request a remote interview should first submit the Candidate Profile.  An email confirming receipt of the Candidate Profile will include a link to the Application Portal where the Remote Interview Request Form is located.  Please tell us why traveling to campus would be difficult for you. Also, please be advised that applicants who have been studying in a school for the past two years where English is NOT the primary language of instruction must submit Duolingo, TOEFL, or IELTS results.  You may report the scores of English proficiency testing in the Remote Interview Request Form or submit the scores through the supplemental materials section of your Application Portal.
  
  To request a remote interview, log into your Application Portal and complete the Remote Interview Request Form. 
  
  Please note: Currently all of our remote interview appointments have been filled, but we expect openings will occur between now and the end of January when the interview season concludes.  We will do our best to fulfill your request for a remote interview.  In the meantime, we hope you will proceed with the rest of the application to Groton.  Lastly, we do have openings for interviews on campus so please visit us if you can do so.
  
  

  Video Introductions
  Instead of an interview on campus or a remote interview, you may provide a video introduction of yourself.  We prefer video introductions that are simple statements of your interests and aspirations rather than a presentation that is extensively rehearsed or edited.  Its length should not exceed three minutes.  It is perfectly acceptable to send us a "selfie-style" video recorded on a phone! Add a link to your video introduction to your Application Portal.

  
  Student-led Information Sessions

  Information sessions are online interactive meetings between current Groton students and prospective applicants. It’s a good idea to prepare some questions in advance of your information session. We hope you will engage in conversation because we would like to get to know you, but you can also hang back and ask questions via the chat function if you prefer. Visiting the school is great, but hearing from a number of Groton students may be an even better way to get a sense of our community!
  
  To register for a student-led information session, please click here.
  
  Group Tours
  A limited number of student-led group tours that do not include interviews are offered during the academic year. To register for a group tour, please complete the Candidate Profile so that a registration link can be sent to you. 

• 3. Standardized Tests

  Groton School requires applicants to submit standardized test results.  For entry in 2021 and 2022, this requirement was suspended because of health concerns at testing sites.  Standardized test results are one of many factors that help admission offices determine whether or not a school is a good fit for an applicant.  Transcripts, recommendations, test results, and the Candidate Statement are all important in assessing an application.  
  
  

  Without test results, great applicants may be overlooked.  When admission counselors are unfamiliar with an applicant's school, test results help to contextualize an application.  Testing helps us fulfill one of our primary objectives: enrolling a diverse and talented student body.   Some see standardized testing as a barrier preventing access to a great education.  We see testing as a means to overcome barriers such as incomplete recommendations and grade inflation.  Standardized testing helps applicants from many different backgrounds become students at Groton School.
  
  

  Through the years, the majority of admitted applicants have submitted test scores that are quite strong, but this is certainly not true for everyone.  Test scores are evaluated with consideration of each applicant's educational background.  They are only one of many factors considered in an application to Groton.
  
  

  The Enrollment Management Association provides schools with fee waivers for the SSAT.  Groton issues fee waivers to applicants who complete a Candidate Profile, and request a fee waiver via email (addressed to admission@groton.org).  Household income for the previous year should be stated in the request.  If the income meets the criteria described by the Enrollment Management Association (ttps://www.ssat.org/about/fee-waiver-program), a fee waiver will be offered.  The number of waivers provided to each school is limited.  

  
  The SSAT is the exam we prefer, but you may take the ISEE. For more information on testing dates and sites, visit www.ssat.org and www.erbtest.org. Be sure to list Groton's code when you register for the SSAT (3598) or for the ISEE (220930). We can only accept scores directly from the testing services. The November or December test dates are preferable; the January date is acceptable. Students applying for 2nd Form (8th grade) may take the middle or upper level SSAT. Students applying for Fifth Form (11th grade) may submit test results from the PSAT, SAT, or ACT. 

  
  English Proficiency
  If English is not your native language, and you have not been studying in a school where English is the primary language of instruction for the past two years, you should also take an English language proficiency test. We accept results from Duolingo test, TOEFL iBT, and IELTS. International students admitted to Groton tend to score above: 100 on the TOEFL iBT, 7.5 on the IELTS, and 125 on the Duolingo English Test.
  
  Groton Testing Codes:  Please use these codes to have the score reports sent directly to Groton. 
  SSAT - 3598
  ISEE -  220930
  TOEFL - 8224

• 4. Recommendations

  Groton applicants use the Gateway to Prep Schools online application for recommendation forms. To access the Gateway recommendation system you must submit the Candidate Profile. Completing recommendations online through the Gateway system is a simple and secure process for you and your teachers. Your first step is to ask people if they will recommend you. If they agree, ask them for their email addresses. You will then enter those addresses in the recommendation section of the Gateway application so your recommenders will receive the forms via email. We advise recommenders to print copies of their recommendations before submission.

• 5. Complete the Application

  To complete an application, you must submit all forms to the Admission Office by January 15, 2023. Groton uses the Gateway To Prep Schools, an online application system. With the exception of applications submitted through community-based organizations, applications to Groton must be submitted electronically through the Gateway application system. Samples of these forms can be found below. You can access the Gateway platform and all the forms here.
  

  • Candidate Profile - should be returned with the application fee to initiate the application process
  • Candidate Statement
  • Parent Statement
  • School/Principal Report
  • Current Academic Year Grade Report and Previous Grades  - No application can be considered complete without a transcript that includes grades from the first marking period of the current school year and grades from the past two school years.
  • Current English Teacher Recommendation
  • Current Math Teacher Recommendation
  • Personal Recommendation - The Special Interest Recommendation may be used in place of, or in addition to, the Personal Recommendation.
  • Special Interest Recommendation - The Personal Recommendation may be used in place of, or in addition to, the Special Interest Recommendation.
  • Graded Writing Sample - We prefer non-fiction papers written during the current school year. Papers should be written in English.
  • Test Score Report
  • Multimedia and Additional Documents (voluntary) - You may provide links to athletic or musical performances, artwork, or any other supplemental information through your Application Portal. We do not accept original artwork, CDs, or DVDs. Do not delay the submission of your Candidate Profile because you are waiting for multimedia to be prepared. In the Additional Information section, please indicate that a link will be provided later. You may also upload other documents here.  Please note that we strongly prefer to receive grade reports directly from schools. Please do not email multimedia and additional documents to members of the admission team.
  • Parent Financial Statement - For Financial Aid applicants only. Deadline: January 15, 2023.

  The School reserves the right to request additional information, including complete files from schools attended. 
  
  If your financial circumstances make it difficult to pay the application fee, please call us at 978-448-7510.