Groton School

At a Glance

Groton School was founded in 1884 and occupies 480 acres at 282 Farmers Row in Groton, Massachusetts, about 35 miles northwest of Boston. Enrollment is 380 students: 84 percent boarding and 16 percent day, with international students making up 16 percent of the school and 24 countries represented.

One point matters more than any other for planning. Unlike most American boarding schools, Groton School admits students starting in grade 8. The school uses form names rather than grade numbers: Second Form is grade 8, Third Form is grade 9, Fourth Form is grade 10, Fifth Form is grade 11 and Sixth Form is grade 12. Applications are accepted for Second Form through Fifth Form.

Academics and Campus Life

The average class has eleven students and the student-faculty ratio is 4:1. The school describes its aim as teaching students to think critically, speak and write clearly, and reason quantitatively, and states explicitly that it avoids the contemporary emphasis on specialization, on the view that adolescents should expand rather than narrow their vision.

Residential leadership is built into the senior year: every Sixth Former leads in a dorm, and many also hold prefect roles elsewhere in the school. Campus life centers on a lawn known as the Circle, and school traditions include morning Chapel, Roll Call and handshaking each evening.

Applying

Applications for fall 2027 entry are due January 15, 2027, and the application fee is $50. Standardized testing is required, with the choice tied to entry form: Second Form applicants may take the middle or upper level SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test); Third Form applicants take the upper level SSAT; Fourth and Fifth Form applicants may submit PSAT, SAT, ACT or upper level SSAT results. Applicants at any level may take the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) instead. Applicants whose first language is not English, and who have not studied in an English-medium school for the past two years, must also take an English proficiency test; the school publishes reference score ranges for admitted international students. Groton does not publish a decision date or an acceptance rate.

Cost and Financial Aid

For 2026-27 the school publishes boarding tuition of $62,740 and day tuition of $48,850. Beginning in 2025, tuition is free to students whose family income is $150,000 or less, and 40 percent of students receive assistance. Aid applications run through Clarity, due January 15 for new applicants and December 1 for returning families. The school states that international students are eligible for financial aid.

For Families in Irvine

Grade 8 entry is the decision that deserves the most thought. It means a child leaving home at thirteen or fourteen, a full year earlier than at most boarding schools, and the question is whether that child is ready to live independently rather than whether the grade transition is convenient. Massachusetts runs three hours ahead of California, school programming follows Eastern time, and Orange County to Boston is a transcontinental flight with break airfare to budget for. Guardianship arrangements matter more, not less, for a younger boarder.

EDUBUS is based in Irvine. We handle school selection, SSAT preparation, essays and interview coaching, working backward from the January 15 deadline. Start with SSAT preparation and private school planning to gauge how long your family needs.