Upper School (Grades 9-12)
Applicant Information
Visits, Class Visits, and Interviews
Testing
APPLICANT INFORMATION
Students applying for grades 9-12 are required to submit the application, parent and applicant questionnaires, student transcript, English and math evaluations from current teachers, a previously graded essay, and schedule a class visit day and personal interview. In addition, applicants must provide current year testing, which can include results from the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE), Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT), or the College Board’s PSAT or SAT, with ISEE results preferred. Please see the section on testing for more information.
VISITS, CLASS VISITS, AND INTERVIEWS
Visits
Students and their parents are encouraged to attend one of our Open House events as well as take a personal tour of the campus with an admission officer to learn more about the School and its programs. Personal tours continue throughout the year and are scheduled through the Middle/Upper admission office at 805.687.2461.
Class Visits
Students in grades 9-12 are required to spend a day on campus attending classes with a host student. Class visits allow students to gain a sense of how teachers approach their courses of study, the block schedule and structure of the school day, and the social climate of the School. Students arrive at the admission office at 7:50 a.m. and are paired with a current student whom they “shadow” for the day. We encourage students to remain for the entire school day so they have a full experience. Students are available for pickup at the admission office following the completion of their visit.
Class visits are scheduled on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays beginning mid-October. Please contact the admission office at 805.687.2461 to make an appointment.
Interviews
Applicants for grades 9-12 are required to schedule a personal interview with an admission officer. Interviews last approximately 20 minutes and the appointment may be scheduled through the admission office once the application has been received and processed.
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TESTING
While testing is an important component of a student’s application, it is but one part of a greater whole that is considered during the admission process. The completion of the testing is a mandatory part of the application process; therefore, each applicant family should reserve the date for this event.
Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE)
The ISEE school code for Laguna Blanca is 053255.
All applicants to grades five through twelve are required to take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE)*. The ISEE is a three-hour entrance exam administrated by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) that includes math, reading, problem solving, and writing skills and measures aptitude and achievement. The exam results help predict the appropriateness of the match between the student and the School.
The ERB is an independent agency that provides admission testing both nationally and internationally for students applying to independent schools. All exams are returned to and scored by the ERB, with the results released only to each student’s family and those schools designated by the family to receive the information. Arrangements for the completion of the ISEE are the responsibility of each applying family. Reservations for testing are made through the ERB and payment for the testing is made to that agency. The ISEE may be taken only once within a six-month period.
*Special Note: To avoid unnecessary duplicate testing, Laguna Blanca will accept SSAT, PSAT, or SAT scores from current year testing in lieu of the ISEE for students applying to grades 9-12.
ISEE Dates for the Santa Barbara Area
Below are ISEE testing dates and locations for the local area. You may take the examination at any of the schools, even if you are not applying to that school. Please note, however, that Laguna requires that the test be completed by February 21 for priority admission consideration. You may consult the ISEE test booklet or ISEE/ERB online for other dates and locations if the local dates are not suitable to your family schedule.
Saturday, January 24, 2009 – Santa Barbara Middle School
Saturday, January 31, 2009 – Laguna Blanca School
Saturday, February 7, 2009 – Crane Country Day School
Saturday, February 21, 2009 – Marymount School
Saturday, March 14, 2009 – Providence Hall School
Saturday, May 9, 2009 – Providence Hall School
When to Arrive and What to Bring
Arrival
As with any test, it is recommended that students arrive well ahead of the examination start time, having eaten a nutritional breakfast. It is also suggested that students dress in layered clothing as classroom temperatures may vary site-to-site. A small snack and water will be provided at break-time during the exam.
Check in – 8:30 a.m.
Test Begins – 9:00 a.m.
Test Ends – approximately 12:30 p.m.
What to Bring
Students are asked to bring four (4) sharpened #2 pencils with erasers and two (2) black or blue ballpoint ink pens (erasable pens are permitted). No other materials—calculators, books, papers, rulers, beepers, or cell phones—are permitted in the examination room.
Placement Exams for Students Grades 7-12
All new students entering grades 7-12 are required to take placement tests in math, grammar, and foreign language, if applicable. These are mandatory exams; therefore, each newly admitted student should schedule with the admission office one of the listed dates, which are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis after the student has enrolled.
Saturday, May 16, 2009, 9:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009, 4:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 6, 2009, 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. (Make-up Date)
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For All Applicants
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