The Northwest School

A challenging and vigorous interdisciplinary academic program.

Located in downtown Seattle, The Northwest School offers a unique college preparatory experience, thriving arts and athletic programs, and a friendly and supportive environment. Graduates of The Northwest School attend some of the top universities in the nation and overseas. The school has a national reputation as a vibrant intellectual community and has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. It is the only school in Seattle with a coeducational international boarding program. Its great location allows international students to not only gain an excellent education, but to also experience many aspects of American culture and life.

Domestic Admissions

As the premier urban college preparatory school in the Puget Sound region, The Northwest School offers a challenging and vigorous interdisciplinary academic program that engages and inspires student growth, encouraging a love of learning and preparing students for college and beyond. Annually, we draw students from an average of 25 schools for both middle and upper school, from all over the greater Seattle area.

Our admission process is holistic in approach and considers every aspect of the application to determine a student's admissibility. We then strive to put together a class that reflects the values of our mission statement and contains the hallmark traits of our students: kindness, thoughtfulness, and respect.

Applications for the Current school year are now open. Please contact us at 206-816-6032 or [email protected] with any questions.

For families outside of the United States whose student would need a student visa and/or English language support to attend, please go to our International Admissions section.

As you consider The Northwest School as an academic opportunity for your student, please know:

• We are an intentional community and as such have specifically chosen to offer an integrated, liberal arts curriculum, with a focus on social justice. We value the arts as a core part of our curriculum and as an opportunity for creative expression. For over 35 years we have chosen to be an internationally inclusive community providing a global experience both in and outside of the classroom and offering students the option to travel abroad.
• We teach students how to learn, support healthy risk taking in academic, athletic, and artistic settings, and offer differentiated learning in our classrooms.
• We help students find their voice through the gifts and talents they possess and learn, honoring the effort and respecting the experience. Students are encouraged to pursue their interests and share those experiences with the greater community.

We look forward to meeting you this admissions season and welcome you to attend one of our many events during the fall. If you have any questions about The Northwest School or about the admissions process, please feel free to contact our office at 206.682.7309 or [email protected].

The Current School Year

Beginning on September 9, we are accepting applications for the current school year through the Ravenna application website. Scroll down for an overview of the application process, or for detailed instructions about how to apply, and to submit an application, please click the Apply Online button below to get started on Ravenna:

Application Overview

Submit an Online Application

• Preliminary Application Deadline: December 5th of last year
• Final Application Deadline: January 16th of current year
• $70 application fee required (please contact the Admissions Office if the fee is a barrier to applying)

Complete the Supplemental Forms

• Parent/Guardian Questionnaire: Answer all questions and submit the questionnaire.
• Supplemental forms include Parent/Guardian Questionnaire, Student Interest Sheet, and requesting Teacher Evaluations and Transcripts.
• Deadline: January 16

Take the ISEE or SSAT Test

• We accept either ISEE or SSAT scores. Register online and indicate that your scores should be sent to The Northwest School.
• ISEE (school code: 481127)
• SSAT (school code: 5413)
• Deadline: January 18

Attend a Student Visit Day

• All applicants must attend a student visit day. We will send you a visit day appointment via e-mail within three business days of receiving your application. If you do not see a visit day e-mail within that timeframe, please check your "junk" or "spam" folders, or contact our office.