How Do You Get Into Top NYC Private High Schools and Middle Schools?

What exactly do top private high schools and middle schools want from applicants?

In short, private high schools and middle schools want students who have it all:

• Top ERB (ISEE) or SSAT scores
• Excellent grades
• Strong extracurriculars
• Impressive student interviews
• Well written and interesting essays

As you might expect, private schools look for the same qualities and experiences from students that colleges seek, but on a more junior level.

Private schools also don’t mind parents who add a certain something to their application pool:

• Interesting professions
• Unusual backgrounds
• Connections, wealth, and volunteering time