The Application Process

+ Preliminary Application & Application Fee

The preliminary application form is used to gather general information about an applicant. The non-refundable $25 application fee is due upon completion of the online form. The Downtown School will extend fee waivers to qualifying families. Please contact admissions@downtownschoolseattle.org to request a fee waiver.

Please note: The preliminary application form must be completed before the student interview and optional student visit can be scheduled.

+ Interview

An interview is required for all applicants to The Downtown School. Interviews are relatively informal conversations that last approximately 25-30 minutes, with the first 20 minutes or so reserved for discussion between the student and a member of our team, followed by 5-10 minutes for parents and guardians to join and ask questions about The Downtown School. We highly recommend scheduling the student interview as soon as possible. Please email our team to schedule an interview.

+ Math Assessment (SSAT, ISEE, or in-house)

The Downtown School requires all prospective students to complete a math assessment as part of their application. There are two pathways students can take to fulfill this application requirement:

1) Submitting scores from a standardized admissions test. We accept scores from the SSAT and the ISEE (both of which include math sections). If students choose to take the SSAT or ISEE to fulfill their math assessment requirement, they should register through the SSAT or ISEE website. If the registration cost for either assessment is a stretch for your family, The Downtown School has a limited number of fee waivers available for each test. Please contact our team to request a fee waiver. Contact the testing agency directly to request any needed testing accommodations for your student. 

2) Coming to The Downtown School to complete an internal math assessment. As an alternative to the SSAT & ISEE, we are pleased to be able to offer students the option of taking an internal math assessment at The Downtown School. If a student is interested in taking our internal math assessment, please email the admissions team to learn more about available test dates and to request any accommodations that your student requires. 

Students may choose the test (SSAT, ISEE, or our internal math assessment) that they prefer. However, we recommend that students select the SSAT or ISEE if:

• they have recently taken the SSAT or ISEE for another purpose. We will accept scores from test dates in January 2023 or later. 

• they are considering applying to another school that accepts or requires one of those tests. 

• they would like the option to test from home (both the SSAT and ISEE have in-person and at-home testing options). 

• they would like to receive a score report (in addition to having a score report  sent to The Downtown School).

Regardless of the test your student chooses to take to fulfill the testing requirement, we strongly encourage applicants to register for their test as soon as possible (to avoid full test dates, sick days, snow days, etc.).

If you have questions about which test to select, please contact our team. 

Note: The Downtown School will also accept scores from the PSAT for applicants applying to grades 10-12.

+ Student Essay

The Downtown School uses the Puget Sound Independent Schools (PSIS) Student Essays form. The essay is an applicant’s opportunity to share more about who they are and what makes them unique. The student should complete the form within Ravenna without help from anyone (parents, guardians, teachers, etc.).

+ Student Interests & Activities

To learn more about the applicant and how they spend time outside of the classroom, The Downtown School uses the PSIS Student Interests and Activities form within Ravenna. The student should share their extracurricular activities, interests, and/or responsibilities on the form.

+ School Writing Sample

Applicants are required to submit a sample assignment (from the current or previous school year) of at least 300 words that showcases their writing. Please choose an essay, a piece of creative writing or short story, a book review or reflection, or a journal prompt response. You may upload the file to Ravenna as a PDF or a JPEG. If you have any questions about what or how to submit, please contact our admissions team.

+ Parent/Guardian Statement

The Downtown School uses the PSIS Parent/Guardian Statement form to learn more about the applicant's strengths and challenges from the parent/guardian perspective.

+ School Administrator Form

An administrator at the student’s current school completes the school administrator form. Applicants delegate (assign) the form within Ravenna.

+ Teacher Evaluations

The Downtown School uses the PSIS Teacher Evaluation form. Two teacher evaluations are required. One evaluation must be from a humanities teacher (English, history/social studies) and one from a math or science teacher. At least one evaluation must be from a current teacher. We will not review additional teacher evaluations or letters of recommendation.

Teacher evaluation forms are also delegated within Ravenna.

+ Student Records

Student records must come directly from the applicant’s school. Please use Ravenna to delegate a request to the school(s) for these records:

• The first complete report card must be from the current 2023-2024 academic year.

• Full-year transcripts from the 2022-2023 academic year.