Welcome to McDonogh, a joyful community built on close relationships and trust.
Children educated at McDonogh emerge as young men and women of character who are exceptional communicators and who honor diversity in all its forms. Both independently and with others, our students learn to pose their own questions and grapple with complex problems creatively. We believe that preparing children to be “LifeReady” is the ultimate objective of each student’s experience at McDonogh.
We encourage you to come visit our campus and meet the people who make McDonogh a vibrant place to learn and grow. We look forward to seeing you.
The Journey Begins Here
The first step in the application process is to create an admissions profile, which will allow you to request information, sign up for an open house or tour, and access the forms necessary to complete your child’s application. Because open houses and visiting days, as well as testing and other requirements vary by division, your admissions profile will help you manage McDonogh’s important dates and deadlines. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the admissions office at 443-544-7020.
Submit Application And Application Fee ($65)
The online application must be submitted no later than December 1st of last year.
Submit Common Referral Form(S)
Prekindergarten through first grade: Only one recommendation is required. Please submit the Common Referral Form to your child’s current school no earlier than November 15th of last year. The Common Referral Form must be received no later than January 15th of current year.
Second through fourth grades: Two teacher recommendations are required. We prefer one from your child's current reading teacher and one from your child's current math teacher. If your child has only a homeroom teacher, please ask a specialty teacher or the previous year's teacher to fill out the second recommendation. Please submit the Common Referral Forms to the current school after the first term. They must be received no later than January 15th of current year.
Please be aware that the Common Referral Form is confidential and cannot be shared with parents or students. Therefore, please have your child's teacher or school email the form to admissions@mcdonogh.org, fax to 443-544-7030 or mail the form directly to:
Submit Transcripts (Second - Fourth Grades Only)
Please take the Transcript Release Form to your child’s school and request transcripts to be sent after the first term of the current year. Transcripts must be received no later than January 15th of current year.
Once we receive your application, a member of the admissions staff will contact you to arrange a date and time for a parent conference.
Kindergarten, prefirst, and first grade applicants come to the Admissions Office for a two-hour assessment. Prekindergarten assessments are held in Dudley Hall. If second through fourth grade applicants test at another school, please request that the results be forwarded to us. Once we receive your application, a member of the admissions staff will contact you to arrange a date and time for your child's assessment.
Due to space limitations, we require a completed file before arranging a day visit. Once the file is complete and has been reviewed, candidates will be invited to visit in their current grade.
To enter Prekindergarten in the fall of current year:
Applicants must be 3 by September 1st of current year, to apply to prekindergarten. The appropriate birthday range for prekindergarten applicants is late summer/fall to August 31.
To enter Kindergarten in the fall of current year:
Applicants must be 4 by September 1st of last year, to apply to kindergarten. The appropriate birthday range for kindergarten applicants is late summer/fall to August 31.
To enter prefirst in the fall of of current year:
Ages can vary in prefirst, but the majority of children entering prefirst in the fall of current yearwill have birthdays from May to December. Children must currently be in a kindergarten program in order to apply to prefirst.
To enter First grade in the fall of of current year:
Applicants must be 5 by September 1, to apply to first grade. The appropriate birthday range for first grade applicants is late summer/fall to August 31.
Application And Application Fee ($65)
The online application must be submitted no later than December 1st of last year.
Submit Transcript
Please take the Transcript Release Form to your child’s school and request transcripts to be sent after the first term of the current year. Transcripts must be received no later than January 15th of last year.
Submit Common Referral Forms
Two teacher recommendations are required. We prefer one from your child’s current English teacher and one from your child’s current math teacher. Please submit the Common Referral Form to the current school after the first term. Completed forms must be received by McDonogh no later than January 15th of last year.
Please be aware that the Common Referral Form is confidential and cannot be shared with parents or students. Therefore, please have your child's teacher or school email the form to admissions@mcdonogh.org, fax to 443-544-7030, or mail directly to:
An interview is required of all applicants and parents. If your child is spending the day with us, the interview will be scheduled for that day. After you have submitted an application, you may schedule a day visit and interview online through your family profile page.
Optional Middle School day visits are non-evaluative and are simply an opportunity for the applicant to experience McDonogh first-hand. All visits to fifth through eighth grades must be completed by January 15th of current year. Students are hosted in their current grade except for fifth grade applicants who will visit with fifth grade. Visits last through lunchtime.
Please note that the application must be received before a student may interview or visit. All interviews and day visits are scheduled on a first-come, first served basis, and the later an application is received, the less flexible scheduling can be.
Applicants should complete the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) by January 15th of current year. The ISEE may be taken at any school that serves as a test site; simply request that the results be forwarded to McDonogh School. Our school code for the ISEE is 210750. You may register on-line at www.iseetest.org. Registration closes three weeks prior to the testing date. Please register early as many test sites fill up quickly.
We encourage students to take the test in November or December as winter weather can cause test cancellations.
For students applying to Grades 7 through 12, an optional essay is due by January 15th of current year. Students can access the essay prompts by signing into their admissions profile page and clicking on the student essay link. There they may choose one of four prompts and respond in 200 - 400 words.
Submit Application And Application Fee ($65)
Please take the Transcript Release Form to your child’s school and request transcripts to be sent after the first term of the current year. Transcripts must be received no later than January 15th of current year.
Two teacher recommendations are required. We prefer one from your child’s current English teacher and one from your child’s current math teacher. Please submit the Common Referral Form to your child's current school after the first term. They must be received by McDonogh no later than January 15th of current year.
Please be aware that the Common Referral Form is confidential and cannot be shared with parents or students. Therefore, please have your child's teacher or school email the form to admissions@mcdonogh.org, fax to 443-544-7030, or mail directly to:
An interview is required of all applicants. If your child is spending the day with us, the interview will be scheduled for that day. Parent interviews are not required but are encouraged. Once we receive your application, an admissions officer will contact you to arrange a date and time or you may schedule these appointments online.
Day visits in Upper School are optional. They are non-evaluative and are simply an opportunity for the applicant to experience McDonogh first-hand. All visits to grades 9–12 must be completed by January 15th of current year. Students are hosted in their current grade except for ninth grade applicants who will visit with ninth grade.
Please note that the application must be received before a student may schedule a day visit. All interviews and day visits are scheduled on a first-come, first served basis, and the later an application is received, the less flexible scheduling can be.
Applicants should complete the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) or the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) by January 15th of current year. These tests do not have to be taken at McDonogh and may be taken at any school offering the test. However, on the registration form, you must request that the results be forwarded to McDonogh School. Our school code for the ISEE is 210750 and for the SSAT is 4757. You may register online at www.iseetest.org or www.ssat.org. Registration closes three weeks prior to the testing date. Many test sites fill up quickly, so please register early.
Please note: we encourage students to take the test in November or December as winter weather can cause test cancellations.
For students applying to grades 7 through 12, an optional essay is due by January 15th of current year. Students can access the essay prompts by signing into their admissions profile page and clicking on the student essay link. There they may choose one of four prompts and respond in 200 - 400 words.
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