Portsmouth Abbey School

Application Process

At Portsmouth Abbey, our admission process is created to give each candidate the ability to demonstrate their abilities and potential to be a member of our community. During the process we ask you to tell us about yourself and your talents, and in turn we provide you the opportunity to learn about the Abbey by connecting you with our students, faculty, parents and alumni. This checklist is to help you thoroughly complete the application process while learning more about Portsmouth Abbey School and community.

Step 1: Inquire Online

Step 2: Schedule your Tour and Interview

Step 3: Complete Standardized Testing

• Students applying for the III or IV Form (9th or 10th grade) are required to take the upper level Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) prior to January 31st. Our school code is 5860. To register for the test please use this website.
• If you are applying for the V Form (11th grade) or higher we will also accept either the PSAT or SAT.
• If you are a non-native English speaking applicant, we also require the TOEFL. Our school code is 2227. To register for the test please use this website.

Step 4: Complete the Application

To apply to Portsmouth Abbey School we ask that you use our online application through inResonance. You may access this application here:

• Create an account. The email address for the login must be a parent's email address.
• Click "Add An Applicant" on the left hand side of the screen, and fill out the appropriate biographical information.
• Complete the Application.
• Upload a recent photo (optional).
• Complete the Parent Statement (optional).
• Submit Recommendation letters. Portsmouth Abbey requires a recommendation letter from your English and math teachers, and a school personnel member (guidance counselor or principal). Once you ask these people to complete a recommendation letter for you, fill out their name and contact information and they will be sent an electronic recommendation form to submit.
• Submit a copy of your official transcript.

Portsmouth Abbey School will accept the SAO (Standard Application Online) via SSAT in lieu of the inResonance application.

Step 5: Meet the Deadlines

• All admission material for boarding students must be submitted by January 31st.
• All admission material for day students must be submitted by January 15th.
• All financial aid material for both boarding and day students must be submitted by January 31st.
• Notification of the admission decision is on or before March 10th.
• Confirmation of enrollment is due by April 10th.
• All applications submitted after the January 31st deadline will be reviewed on a rolling admission basis.

Visit Us

The best way to get a feel for Portsmouth Abbey School is to visit campus. Appointments are scheduled while classes are in session to afford families the opportunity to see the school in action and to interact with our community. Tell us if you have a particular area of interest that you would like to explore while on campus and we will schedule a meeting with a faculty member or a coach. Visits last approximately two hours and include a student-led tour and an interview with one of our admission officers. An interview is a required part of the application process. However, if coming to campus is not possible we will conduct interviews via skype or phone.