Admission Process

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Come experience what a WES education is like for yourself.

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Tell us about your child and family.

A parent interview is required. The interview gives the WES admissions team the chance to learn more about your child and your family. You can schedule a parent interview online.

This is the time to share with the admissions team your child’s learning style, personality, interests, hobbies, and educational background. The best way to prepare for the parent interview is to think about a list of your aspirations for your child’s education and any information about your child’s learning or medical needs.

At the end of the interview, both you and the Office of Admission should have a good idea if WES is a potential fit for your child.

Not sure what to ask during the Parent Interview? Read a list of private school parent interview questions to help you dig a little deeper and get the information that will truly help you compare one school to another.

Begin your Washington Episcopal School admission application.

NOTE: The application deadline is January 15, 2025.

Please submit the application with a photo of your child and the $100 application fee. The application takes about ten minutes to complete, and you may start and save the application as needed before submitting it.

Families with financial need may request, in writing, a reduction of the application fee.

Once you finish the general online application, you will be prompted to complete the additional requirements as appropriate (i.e. transcripts, recommendations, and testing). Please give yourself a week to two weeks to complete the additional steps.

Required: Students must be age 3 by September 1 and toilet trained to apply to our PK3 program or must be age 4 by September 1 to apply to our PK4 program.

Recommendation: Please request your child’s current homeroom teacher recommendation through your application checklist in Blackbaud. Please select the form for Applicants to PK3-Grade 1.

Teacher Recommendation Form (if applicable)

Recommendation: Please request your child’s homeroom teacher recommendation through your application checklist in Blackbaud. Please select the form for Applicants to PK3 – Grade 1.

Testing (OPTIONAL): The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-IV). Scores are valid and usable for 18 months. Please let us know if you need assistance finding a tester.

Teacher Recommendation Form (if applicable)

Recommendation: Please request your child’s homeroom teacher recommendation through your application checklist in Blackbaud.

Testing (OPTIONAL): The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-IV) is optional for all applicants to Grade 1. Scores are valid and usable for 18 months. Please let us know if you need assistance finding a tester.

Recommendation: Please request your child’s homeroom teacher recommendation (Grades 2-5) or math and English teacher recommendations (Grades 6-8) through your application checklist in Blackbaud.

Testing (OPTIONAL): All testing is optional. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) is optional for all applicants applying to Grades 2 – 5. Applicants to Grades 6-8 may choose to take either the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) or the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT), but neither is required. Scores are valid and usable for 18 months.

• To register for the ISEE, please visit www.iseetest.org and enter 090329 to ensure that WES receives your child’s scores.
• To register for the SSAT, please visit www.ssat.org and enter 8035 to ensure that WES receives your child’s scores.

Transcript: Please submit this form to your child’s current school to request a transcript.

Transcript Release Form

Click HERE to learn more about tuition and the tuition assistance available, as well as how to apply.

Do

• Be yourself.  Let us get to know the real you. WES has a diverse and inclusive community that welcomes and embraces a range of students and families.
• Ask questions. Talk with our admissions team, administrators, faculty, students, and families. They will give you the confidence that you have the full picture of WES.
• Visit, visit, visit!  Join us for an Open House, take a private tour, attend a Chapel, see a game, view a play, and more. Our doors are always open.
• Read: Finding the Best Fit School for Your Child

Don’t

• Give a partial portrait of your child. If your child has special needs, please let the Office of Admission know. WES has a support team comprised of learning specialists, the school nurse, counselors, and a chaplain who can help assess if WES can meet those needs. WES is always happy to make referrals if there is a school that would be a better fit.
• Get stressed. The Office of Admissions is here to help you. Freely email or call with questions or concerns.
• Wait to invest in your child’s education. About a quarter of WES families receive tuition assistance. The online tuition assistance application takes about 30 minutes to complete and can make a huge difference in WES’s affordability. Grants range from a few thousand dollars to nearly full aid.

Washington Episcopal School seeks qualified students who can contribute to and benefit from our educational program. All students applying to the school are screened to assess their readiness for the program. Students are selected for admission on the basis of multiple factors and the school’s enrollment at time of application. In all cases, the school retains the right to determine, at its sole discretion, whether or not to select a student for admission or to re-enroll a student.

When there are more qualified candidates than openings available, the school establishes an unranked waiting list. If any openings occur, the admissions committee decides which candidate(s) to offer a position based on the overall profile of the class and the match between the needs and qualifications of the student and the needs of the school.

Siblings of current WES students may apply early and opt to receive early admission decisions, which are generally sent in early January.

Washington Episcopal School is committed to having a diverse student population. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, ancestry, family composition, economic status, or disability. All persons are encouraged to apply.