Baylor School

The Baylor School admission process is all about finding the right fit. You need to feel that Baylor is the right school for you, and we want to feel that you will do well while you’re here. To help all of us make the determination, we have designed an admission process that is informative, comprehensive and, we hope, hassle-free.

Each applicant to Baylor is assigned an admission counselor who will guide you through the process, and you should feel free to contact your counselor any time you have a question.

Whether you are applying to middle school or upper school, boarding or day, we will request information about past and present academic performance and personal interests.

If you would like more about Baylor before applying, you can request an information packet by filling out an inquiry form or by calling the admission office at 423-267-5902 or emailing us at admission@baylorschool.org.

Applying

Whether you are applying to middle school or upper school, boarding or day, we will request information about past and present academic performance and personal interest. You will be asked to visit campus and participate in a conversation with an admission counselor, and you will be asked to submit scores from a standardized test.

If you have any question along the way, please call the admission office at 423-267-5902 or email us at admission@baylorschool.org.

We go out of our way to make the admission process enjoyable for prospective students and their families. So take a deep breath, relax, and get started whenever you are ready.

Middle School Admission

Applying to Middle School (Grades 6-8, day students only):

The Baylor School application is electronic. Once your family has created an account and the accompanying Parent Portal, you will have a checklist that guides you through the steps necessary to complete the application. Those steps include:

• Submitting a completed admission application. The application is accessible through the Parent Portal and requires a $75 fee.
• Requesting letters of recommendation from current Math and English teachers. These requests are submitted electronically from the application checklist.
• Requesting current grades and transcript from the student’s current school. These are also generated from the application checklist.
• Registering for and taking the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT). Information about the SSAT and a link to the test application can be found on the application checklist.
• Visiting campus for a tour and a conversation with an admission counselor. Campus visits can be scheduled from the application checklist.
• An optional Shadow Day. Students are invited to spend a day in the company of current Baylor students who will take them to class and lunch. Shadow Days may also be scheduled from the application checklist.
• Other optional events, including Academic Day, a lively Saturday morning session that introduces prospective students and parents to the Baylor classroom and the great teachers who inhabit them; The Big Red Quest, part treasure hunt, part scavenger hunt, and total fun exploring the Baylor campus on a Friday evening; and a Parent Presentation, a parents-only introduction to the Baylor Middle School.

The deadline for completing all parts of the application is Monday, January 13th of current year.

Making the Decision

Decisions on admission are made by the Baylor admission committee and will be announced on March 6th of current year. The committee takes into account all aspects of a student’s application file: academic performance, extracurricular involvement, citizenship and character, test scores, comments and commendations from teachers and others, and the content and tone of the conversation with the admission counselor.

Once students have been offered admission to Baylor, they will have until March 15 to accept the offer and submit their deposit before their space is offered to other students on the waiting list.

Upper School Day Admission

Applying to upper school/day:

The Baylor School application is electronic. Once your family has created an account and the accompanying Parent Portal, you will have a checklist that guides you through the steps necessary to complete the application. Those steps include

• Submitting a completed admission application. The application is online and accessible through the Parent Portal and requires a $75 fee.
• Requesting letters of recommendation from current Math and English teachers. These requests are submitted electronically from the application checklist.
• Requesting current grades and transcript from the student’s current school. These are also generated from the application checklist.
• Registering for and taking the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT). Information about the SSAT and a link to the test application can be found on the application checklist.
• Visiting campus for a tour and a conversation with an admission counselor. Campus visits can be scheduled from the application checklist.
• An optional Shadow Day. Students are invited to spend a day in the company of current Baylor students who will take them to class and lunch. Shadow Days may also be scheduled from the application checklist.
• Other optional events, including Academic Day, a lively Saturday morning session that introduces prospective students and parents to the Baylor classroom and the great teachers who inhabit them; and a Parent Presentation, a parents-only introduction to the Baylor Upper School.

Boarding Admission

Applying to upper school/boarding:

The Baylor School application is electronic. Once your family has created an account and the accompanying Parent Portal, you will have a checklist that guides you through the steps necessary to complete the application. Those steps include:

• Submitting a completed admission application. The application is online and accessible through the Parent Portal and requires a $75 fee for domestic boarding applications and $150 for international boarding applications.
• Requesting letters of recommendation from current Math and English teachers. These requests are submitted electronically from the application checklist.
• Requesting current grades and transcript from the student’s current school. These are also generated from the application checklist.
• Registering for and taking the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT). Information about the SSAT and a link to the test application can be found on the application checklist.
• Completing a tour and interview with an admission counselor. Tours can be completed both in-person or virtually. Although you will hear from an admission counselor within 24 – 48 hours of completing your application, you can schedule a visit by contacting the Admission department at (423) 267-5902 or admission@baylorschool.org..
• (Domestic applicants only) Attending a Boarding Open House is not required, but it’s a great opportunity for parents and students to experience our boarding program first hand.
  • A welcome reception and campus tour,
  • A presentation about Baylor, its people and programs, followed by an interactive panel discussion with current boarding students and Baylor parents.
  • An optional event in the evening that will take place on campus or in the city of Chattanooga.

Admission Deadlines

For boarding students wishing to be considered in the first round of admission decisions, the deadline for completing all parts of the application is December 31. After the first round of boarding decisions is announced in mid-March, Baylor goes into rolling admission.