Private school application materials generally include an application form, transcripts, recommendations, test scores, written statements and an interview. The materials themselves are not complicated. The difficulty lies in applying to several schools at once: each school uses a different platform, asks for different recommenders and sets a different deadline. This guide first explains where to apply, then how to request recommendations, and finally compares the materials required by several schools.
Three types of application platforms
Most common
The school's own admissions system
Many schools set up application accounts on their own websites, where recommendation forms, transcripts and interview scheduling are all handled in one system. For example, Pacifica Christian High School sends recommendation forms and schedules family interviews through its Admissions Portal.
Follow the How to Apply page on the school website
Regional platform
Ravenna
One account can be used to apply to several schools on the same platform and to track application status in one place. Parents enter each teacher's name and email address, and the teacher receives a recommendation form with a secure link. Sage Hill School states on its website that applications are submitted through Ravenna.
Schools in the same region sometimes share certain forms
Boarding schools
Gateway to Prep Schools
The application platform commonly used by East Coast boarding schools. The application has three parts: the candidate profile, each school's supplemental forms, and the recommendation and school report forms. Choate, Deerfield, Exeter, Hotchkiss and other schools covered on this site all accept applications through this platform.
Supplemental forms and deadlines differ by school
A single school list often includes several platforms. It is best to start with a table listing each school, platform, login account, application fee and deadline, and to update progress once a week.
Recommendations: whom to ask and how to send them
Teachers submit recommendation forms directly to the school
Most schools require three recommendations: the English teacher, the math teacher, and a principal, counselor or school administrator. Parents enter each recommender's name and email address in the application system, the recommender submits directly to the school through the secure link in the email, and parents can see only whether the form has been submitted.
- JSerra, Servite, Rosary and Sage Hill each require three recommendations
- Crean Lutheran requires one each from the English and math teachers
- Pacifica adds a personal or pastoral recommendation form
- The Pegasus School does not accept recommendation letters from relatives, friends or colleagues
- 1
September
Ask in person
First ask the teacher in person or by email whether the teacher is willing to write a recommendation, and list the schools and their deadlines.
- 2
At the same time
Provide a brief summary
Give the teacher one page covering the student's performance in the course this year, activities and the schools on the list.
- 3
In the system
Send the recommendation invitations
Enter the teacher's name and email address in each school's application system; the teacher then receives a link to the recommendation form.
- 4
Two weeks before the deadline
Confirm submission
Check the recommendation status in the system and send one polite reminder for any form not yet submitted.
- 5
Afterward
Express thanks
Write a thank-you card and share the admission results with the teacher once they arrive.
Materials required by eight schools
| School | Recommendations | Interview | Grades and records | Entrance exam | Application fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JSerra Catholic High School | Three (pastoral optional) | — | Transcript | HSPT | $75 |
| Servite High School | Three | Student and at least one parent on campus | — | HSPT | $65 (includes HSPT) |
| Rosary Academy | Three | Student and family | Records release form | HSPT | $75 |
| Mater Dei High School | One teacher recommendation, plus a parent letter and a student letter | — | Grade 7 and first grading period of grade 8 | HSPT | $80 |
| Sage Hill School | Three | Student alone, about one hour | — | ISEE or SSAT | — |
| Crean Lutheran High School | One each from English and math | 15-minute freshman interview | Transcript, attendance, discipline and immunization records | — | $75 |
| Pacifica Christian High School | Four (including personal or pastoral) | Family interview | — | ISEE | $50 |
| The Pegasus School | Recommendation forms | Possible interview or Shadow Day | Transcript | ISEE (grade 2 and up) | — |
Three means the English teacher, the math teacher, and a principal, counselor or school administrator. A dash (—) means the school website does not state the item on its application page; it does not mean the item is not required. The Crean Lutheran website does not list an entrance exam. The first five schools were checked on September 26, 2026, and the last three on September 8, 2026; follow each school's requirements for the current year before applying.
Checklist before submitting materials
Accounts and forms
- The application account for each school works, and the application form has been submitted
- The application fee has been paid and a confirmation email has arrived
Recommendations and grades
- Each recommendation form shows as submitted in the system
- The transcript or records release form has been given to the student's current school
Tests and interviews
- Test scores have been sent to every school
- Interviews, campus visits or Shadow Days have been scheduled
