APPLY TO SHIPLEY
We're glad you're ready to take the next step in the Admissions process. Below you'll find everything you need to apply to Shipley — a clear view of the process, the key dates, and the people here to help along the way.
Key Dates
Application Deadline: December 1
Decisions Released: Beginning January 10
Enrollment Decision Due: February 15
Applications received after December 1 are reviewed on a rolling, space-available basis.
If you're applying for more than one child, please complete a separate application for each. If a question comes up at any point, our Admissions team is just a call or email away at 610-525-4300 or admit@shipleyschool.org.
How to Apply
- Request Information. Tell us about your family and we'll be in touch.
- Visit Campus. Take a tour or attend an admissions event.
- Submit Your Application. Complete the online application.
- Parent/Guardian Meeting. A conversation to get to know your child — completed before the campus visit.
- Student Visit. Your child experiences a day in the classroom (Middle and Upper School applicants also have a brief, conversational interview).
- Records, Recommendations & Testing. We'll guide you through exactly what's needed for your child's grade.
Tuition Assistance
We are committed to making a Shipley education accessible to students from a range of socio-economic backgrounds. For families who wish to apply for Tuition Assistance, the Tuition Assistance application is due by December 1, or at the time the application for admissions is submitted. Families can apply for tuition assistance online through Clarity. Get more information about applying for tuition assistance.
Application Process
The steps to Apply to Shipley are the same across divisions, with a few differences in visit format, testing, and recommendations depending on your child's grade.
Lower School Application Process
Pre-K through Grade 5
| Step 1: Request Admissions Information |
| The first step in applying to Shipley is requesting Admissions Information. If you have not already done so, fill out our inquiry form. Request Admissions Information |
| Step 2: Visit Campus |
| A campus tour is a wonderful way to envision your child at Shipley. Tours are offered on Wednesday and Thursday mornings throughout the school year. You can also get to know more about Shipley by attending one of our Admissions Events. Learn more and sign up here. |
| Step 3: Submit Your Application |
| We encourage prospective parents to complete our online application (there is an application fee of $60). Once your application is submitted, we will contact you to schedule a Parent/Guardian Meeting and Student Classroom Visit and to discuss the steps of the application process. An applicant must be four years old on or before August 31 to be enrolled in Pre-K and five years old to be enrolled in Kindergarten. Apply to Shipley |
| Step 4: Parent/Guardian Meetings |
Parent/Guardian Meetings are conducted either virtually or by telephone. During this meeting, we will learn more about your child and their interests and help you learn more about Shipley. The Parent/Guardian Meeting must be completed before the applicant’s visit to campus. This enables us to consider the applicant’s interests when scheduling their classroom visit day. Please contact the Admissions Office to schedule your Parent/Guardian Meeting. If you have not yet requested Admissions information or started your application, please submit your information. |
| Step 5: Student Classroom Visit |
An on-campus classroom visit is required of all applicants. This visit is scheduled after the Parent/Guardian Meeting and following the submission of a completed application. The classroom visit offers students the opportunity to experience a day at Shipley and allows us to get to know your child both as an individual and in a classroom setting. Applicants to Pre-K and Kindergarten will participate in a morning playdate or a half-day visit; and students applying to grades 1-5 spend a full day at Shipley. If you have not yet requested Admissions information or started your application, please submit your information. |
| Step 6: Recommendations, Records, Testing |
| Confidential Teacher Recommendation Form A confidential Teacher Recommendation Form is required of all applicants. This should be completed by your child’s current teacher. To send a request to your child’s teacher, please log into your ShipleyNet account and request the online form in the checklist. School Records For application to grades 1–5, transcripts (official school records) are required for the current and previous two school years (if applicable). Please complete the Records Release Form. Once it is completed and signed, please give the Records Release Form to your child’s current school and they will send official transcripts directly to Shipley. Forms may be scanned and sent to admit@shipleyschool.org. Testing Applicants to Pre-K – Kindergarten: No standardized testing required. Applicants to Grade 1 – Grade 4: The WISC-V is required for applicants to grades 1-4 and can be scheduled with a local psychologist. Applicants to Grade 5: We require all applicants to grade 5 to take the lower level Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) |
Middle & Upper School Application Process
Grades 6 through 12
| Step 1: Request Admissions Information |
| The first step in applying to Shipley is requesting Admissions Information. If you have not already done so, submit your information here. |
| Step 2: Visit Campus |
| A campus tour is a wonderful way to envision your child at Shipley. Tours are offered on Wednesday and Thursday mornings throughout the school year. You can also get to know more about Shipley by attending one of our Admissions Events. Learn more and sign up here. |
| Step 3: Submit Your Application |
We encourage prospective parents to complete our online application (there is an application fee of $60). Once your application is submitted, we will contact you to schedule a Parent/Guardian Meeting and Student Classroom Visit and to discuss the steps of the application process. |
| Step 4: Parent/Guardian Meetings |
Parent/Guardian Meetings are conducted either virtually or by telephone. During this meeting, we will learn more about your child and their interests and help you learn more about Shipley. The Parent/Guardian Meeting must be completed before the applicant’s visit to campus. This enables us to consider the applicant’s interests when scheduling their classroom visit day. Please contact the Admissions Office to schedule your Parent/Guardian Meeting. If you have not yet requested Admissions information or started your application, please submit your information. |
| Step 5: Student Classroom Visit |
On-Campus Student Visits are the best way for applicants to truly understand and experience a day in the life of a Shipley Student. Applicants will spend a half-day (8:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m.) with a current Shipley student who will guide them through a typical school day. Student Interviews are conducted during the visit day and involve a one-on-one conversation with a member of the Admissions team. The student interview is intended to be conversational and informative. |
| Step 6: Recommendations, Records, Testing |
| Confidential Teacher Recommendation Forms Two Confidential Teacher Recommendations are required of all applicants and should be completed by a current math and English teacher. To send a request to your child’s teacher, please log into your Shipley account (ShipleyNet) to access the online form in the checklist. School Records Official school records/transcripts are required for the current school year and previous two school years. Please complete the Records Release Form. Please sign the form and give it to your child’s current school to send the transcripts directly to Shipley. Standardized Testing We require all applicants to take and submit scores from the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). |
- Earliest Application Deadline: December 1
- Earliest Notification Date: January 10
- Earliest Commitment Deadline: February 15
If you are asked to reply to an offer of enrollment or scholarship that does not align with these “no earlier than” process dates, or a personal family circumstance requires an exception to the above, here are the next steps:
- Call the school that is asking you to reply earlier than the agreed upon dates listed above and ask for an extension on your reply to their offer.
- If no extension is granted, call the other school(s) to which you have applied and ask for an exception and expedited review and/or decision.
COURAGE FOR THE DEED; GRACE FOR THE DOING |
| You’re More Than A Student. We’re More Than A School. |