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Application Process
- Middle School (Grades 6-8)
- Upper School (Grades 9-12)
- International Admission
- Cervone Center for Learning
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Applying for Grades 6–8
1. Online Application
Pennington accepts two online applications. Equal consideration is given to both forms of application.
CHOOSE ONE:
- The Pennington School Online Application
- Standard Application Online (SAO): Applicants applying to multiple schools may want to consider applying through a common application, known as the Standard Application Online, or SAO.
If you are using The Pennington School Online Application, you will be asked to complete the following steps:
- Candidate Profile: On this form, you will provide us with basic information about yourself and your family.
- Application Fee: The application fee for domestic applications is $50. The international application fee is $150.
- Parent Statement: We believe that your parent or guardian knows you better than anyone. The Parent Statement should be completed and signed electronically by your parent or guardian.
- Student Essays: You will be asked to answer five questions about yourself and your interests. Tip: Write in Word and then copy it into the application; there is no option for saving drafts!
- Academic Recommendations (English and math): You will be asked for the names and emails of your current English and math teachers. They will receive an email with a link for their recommendation letters, and they will submit their recommendation online.
- Character Recommendation: You will be asked for the name and email of a community member (not a relative) who can comment on your character and citizenship. He or she will receive an email with a link for the recommendation letter, and he or she will submit the recommendation online.
- Principal Recommendation: You will be asked for the name and email of your current principal, head of school, or school guidance counselor. Like your teachers and parents, he or she will complete the recommendation online. He or she will be asked to comment on your character, academics, and citizenship.
- School Report and Transcript Form: We will look at the last two years of your academic achievement.
- Graded Essay: You will be asked to submit a graded essay/writing sample from your current English class or a humanities class (history, religion, etc.). The essay must be written in English and include your teacher's comments.
- Application Deadline: January 15
2. Testing
As a Middle School applicant, you are NOT required to take the SSAT as part of the admission process.
3. Interview
We are offering interviews both in-person and over Zoom this year. Please begin the application and pay the application fee to receive a link to schedule your interview. Applicants will also have the opportunity to spend a day on the campus.
4. Financial Assistance Information (if applicable)
Read more information about financial assistance application procedures.
Application Questions? Contact us at:
Upper School (Grades 9-12)
Applying for Grades 9–12
1. Online Application
Pennington accepts two online applications. Equal consideration is given to both forms of application.
CHOOSE ONE:
1. The Pennington School Online Application
2. Standard Application Online (SAO): Applicants applying to multiple schools may want to consider applying through a common application, known as the Standard Application Online, or SAO.
If you are using The Pennington School Online Application, you will be asked to complete the following steps:
- Candidate Profile: On this form, you will provide us with basic information about yourself and your family.
- Application fee: The application fee for domestic applicants is $50. The international application fee is $150.
- Parent Statement: We believe that your parent or guardian knows you better than anyone. The Parent Statement should be completed and signed electronically by a parent or guardian of the applicant.
- Student Essays: You will be asked to answer five questions about yourself and your interests. Tip: Write in Word and then copy it into the application; there is no option for saving drafts!
- Academic Recommendations (English and math): You will be asked for the names and emails of your current English and math teachers. They will receive an email with a link for their recommendation letters, and they will submit their recommendation online.
- Principal Recommendation: You will be asked for the name and email of your current principal, head of school, or school guidance counselor. Like your teachers and parents, he or she will complete the recommendation online. He or she will be asked to comment on your character, academics, and citizenship.
- School Report and Transcript Form: We will look at the last two years of your academic achievement.
- Graded Essay: You will be asked to submit a graded essay/writing sample from your current English class or a humanities class (history, religion, etc.). The essay must be written in English and include your teacher's comments.
- Application Deadline: January 15
2. Testing
Standardized test scores are required, but we are flexible about the scores you can submit. We accept SSAT scores or ISEE, ERB, WISC, PSAT, SAT, or ACT scores, as well as other state-administered standardized tests such as NJSLA or ELA and Math tests in NJ. Please note that the SSAT is NOT required for admission to the Cervone Center for Learning, though other assessments are required. If you have any questions about which tests are acceptable or how to submit your scores, please contact a member of the Admission team.
3. Interview
We are offering interviews both in-person and over Zoom this year. Once your application has been started and you have paid the fee, you will receive a link to schedule your interview. One-on-one interviews are required. Applicants from China should schedule their interviews through Vericant; all Vericant submissions count as an official interview and will be reviewed by a member of the Admission Team. All interviews must be scheduled by January 15.
4. Financial Assistance Information (if applicable)
Read more information on financial assistance application procedures.
Application Questions?
Contact us at:
International Admission
Pennington has been welcoming international students for more than 100 years! Please read the instructions below in order to complete your application to The Pennington School.
1. Online Application
Pennington accepts two online applications. Equal consideration is given to both forms of application.
CHOOSE ONE:
- The Pennington School Online Application
- Standard Application Online (SAO): Applicants applying to multiple schools may want to consider applying through a common application, known as the Standard Application Online, or SAO.
If you use The Pennington School Online Application, you will be asked to complete the following steps:
- Candidate Profile: On this form you will provide us with basic information about yourself and your family.
- Application Fee: The application fee for international applicants is $150.
- Parent Statement: We believe that your parent or guardian knows you better than anyone. The Parent Statement should be completed and signed electronically by a parent or guardian of the applicant.
- Student Essays: You will be asked to answer five questions about yourself and your interests. Tip: Write in Word and then copy into the application; there is no option for saving drafts!
- Academic Recommendations (English and math): You will be asked for the names and emails of your current English and math teachers. They will receive an email with a link for their recommendation letters, and they will submit their recommendation online.
- Principal Recommendation: You will be asked for the name and email of your current principal, head of school, or school guidance counselor. Like your teachers and parents, he or she will complete the recommendation online. He or she will be asked to comment on your character, academics, and citizenship.
- School Report and Transcript Form: We will look at the last two years of your academic achievement.
- Graded Essay: You will be asked to submit a graded essay/writing sample from your current English class or a humanities class (history, religion, etc.). The essay must be written in English and include your teacher's comments
- Application Deadline: January 15
2. TOEFL or Duolingo English Test
International student applicants are required to take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the Duolingo English Test. Our TOEFL school code is 2481.
Our average TOEFL score for accepted students for 2022-23 was 105; the average Duolingo score was 130. Applicants to The Pennington School should have the following minimum scores in order to be considered as competitive candidates in the admission process:
Grade 8: TOEFL 85 or Duolingo 115
Grade 9: TOEFL 90 or Duolingo 120
Grade 10: TOEFL 95 or Duolingo 125
Grade 11: TOEFL 100 or Duolingo 130
3. Interview
Once your application has been started and you have paid the application fee, you will receive a link to schedule your interview via Zoom.
Applying from China?
To better facilitate the interview process for our students from China, we have established a partnership with Vericant, a company that can conduct the required interviews with our applicants from China. Vericant does not evaluate candidates, but instead posts the interviews online for our admission officers to review. The Vericant interview will serve as the official interview for applying to The Pennington School.
For applicants residing or attending school in mainland China, please visit www.vericant.com for more information about scheduling an appointment with Vericant.
Please note: your application fee does not include costs associated with the Vericant interview. For interview scheduling and fee information, please visit Vericant's website.
Application Questions?
Contact us at:
admiss@pennington.org
P: 609–737–6128
F: 609–730–1405
Cervone Center for Learning
For admission to the Cervone Center for Learning program, many factors are considered, including:
- Intellectual ability
- The specific nature of the student's difficulties
- The student's demonstrated interest in academic success
- The student's ability and willingness to work collaboratively with our faculty
Applicants to the Cervone Center for Learning should use The Pennington School Online Application. In addition to the general requirements for Middle School or Upper School admission, extra documentation is required for applicants to the Cervone Center as listed below. These documents are integrated into our proprietary application to simplify the process.
Please note that the SSAT is NOT required for admission to the Cervone Center for Learning.
Required additional documentation:
- Psychological Report: This is a cognitive evaluation that includes the results of either the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (for students up to age 16) or the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (for students age 16 and above). The evaluation should accompany the application and should be no more than three years old. It should include a full listing of standard scores and percentiles for all subtests within the report.
- Educational Assessment: Comprehensive testing of reading, writing, and mathematics skills is essential. The Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement or the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) provides this information. The evaluation should be no more than three years old. Standard scores and percentiles should be included in the report. The testing should include specific measures of phonological awareness, decoding/word attack, word identification, and reading comprehension, as well as measures of writing and math skills.
- Cervone Center for Learning Supplemental Application: This is a questionnaire to be completed by the parents of the applicant. The form, integrated into the online application, includes areas such as family history, medical history, developmental history, educational history, and educational assessment and intervention.
Read more information about the Edmund V. Cervone Center for Learning.
Please note that the Cervone Center for Learning is not prepared to work with students having primary emotional or behavioral difficulties.
Application Questions? Contact us at:
Application Questions? Contact us at:
The Pennington School admits students of any race, religion, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, physical disability, national and ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and financial aid programs, employment policies, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
The Pennington School follows the National Association of Independent School's (NAIS) principles of good practice in its admission process. You can read more about these principles here.