Application Process

If you haven't already, filling out our Inquiry Form is a great first step in expressing your interest and learning more about Berkshire. The form allows you to highlight areas of interest and extracurricular strengths. Once submitted, you and your family will begin to receive our communications and invitations for events. Inquiring online is particularly helpful prior to scheduling your campus visit and interview (virtual or in-person). Your record will also merge with your application once you apply.

During your visit to Berkshire, you can expect to spend about two hours on campus.  Our student-led tours (scheduled Monday through Saturday) include stops in our academic and athletic facilities, dorms, dining hall, and other spaces relevant to your interests. Following your tour, you will interview with a member of our admission team.

Note: Applicants from mainland China are required to interview with a representative from Vericant before scheduling an interview at Berkshire. Please contact Vericant to make your appointment.

Berkshire has been fortunate to experience several years of record-breaking application numbers making our process more selective than ever. Our holistic admissions philosophy has always been focused on choosing strong students we believe are the best match, based on the full scope of their talents and interests, as we seek those who will thrive and contribute to what we believe is a very special community. We are dedicated to equity and access, and we understand that the playing field is not level when it comes to standardized tests. 

Based on our research to better understand the role of standardized test scores as they relate to student success, we are confident that academic performance, character and citizenship, and community contributions are the factors that are most relevant in understanding a student’s fit at Berkshire. That is to say, Berkshire is a test-optional school. We also know that, for some, standardized testing is a strength, and we will happily welcome scores from students who choose to submit them. When a student decides not to submit standardized test results, we will require a third academic recommendation, and their applications will be given full and equal consideration.  

Please note that students who receive narrative reports instead of grades or those who are homeschooled may be asked to submit SSAT scores and should reach out to admission@berkshireschool.org for more clarity.

Click on the button below to sign up for the SSAT if you would like to take the test. You will be able to see your results before sharing them with Berkshire School.

SSAT

Please note that students who do not identify English as their first language will be required to submit one of three approved English proficiency tests - TOEFL, Duolingo, or IELTS. Students who have studied at an English-speaking school for four or more consecutive years may inquire about waiving this requirement.

Through your chosen application platform, the SSAT's Standard Application Online (SAO) or Gateway to Prep Schools, request your transcript and recommendation from your school Principal or counselor.

Request recommendations from your current English and math teacher by using your application platform.

If you elect not to submit your SSAT scores, you will need a third academic recommendation and you may use the “any teacher" form within the SAO or the "personal recommendation" form found within Gateway for this purpose. Please note that while your English and math recommendations need to be submitted by your current teacher, this third academic recommendation may be completed by a teacher from the previous year.

Request a personal reference of your choice. This is optional.

Email admission@berkshireschool.org with any questions about our requirements.

Ensure that you have completed all required components of the application and submit your materials by January 15.

If you are applying for Financial Aid, please visit Clarity to complete required financial aid forms and directly submit all necessary tax documents by the January 15 deadline. For assistance in submitting these materials, please contact Clarity at 206-210-3752 or email them at support@clarityapp.com.

For questions relating to Berkshire's Financial Aid policies and practices, please contact Lizzy Spalding, Director of Financial Aid, at lspalding@berkshireschool.org 

All applicants will be notified of their admission decisions via their online admission portal on March 10.

Accepted students will be invited to participate in our revisit program, A Day at Berkshire which is held in late March/early April.

Students are required to formally accept or decline their offer of admission and return the signed contract and deposit to Berkshire School by April 10.

At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school, prior to the COVID pandemic, Berkshire embarked on a three-year test-optional trial period to collect data about the validity of standardized testing’s ability to predict a student’s potential for success at Berkshire. Based on our research, we are confident that academic performance, character and citizenship, and community contributions are the factors that are most relevant in understanding a student’s fit at Berkshire, and we have remained test-optional.

>We also know that, for some, standardized testing is a strength, and we will happily welcome scores from students who choose to submit them. When a student decides not to submit standardized test results, we require a third academic recommendation, and their applications will be given full and equal consideration. 

Throughout the application review process, we look for evidence of Berkshire’s core values of curiosity, integrity, respect, inclusion, perseverance, and resilience. Affirmation of these values can be shown through academic excellence, community contributions, character recommendations, and in the interview. Berkshire is a strong, vibrant, and open-minded community, and we are looking for those applicants who are eager to take advantage of our unique learning environment and embrace all that makes our community even stronger.