Admissions Process

Who should apply to Rivers?

Rivers seeks highly qualified students of proven academic ability and strong character for selected openings in grades 6 through 11. In addition, the Admissions Committee looks for students who will be strong citizens and contribute to our community through involvement in artistic, athletic, and co-curricular activities.

In making its decisions, the Admissions Committee closely evaluates a student's current transcript, standardized test scores, teacher recommendations, and the quality of the student and parent applications. An interview with an admissions officer is also required.

No family should hesitate to apply to Rivers due to an inability to pay. Need-based financial aid is available to qualified applicants who file a separate application to Rivers through School and Student Services (SSS).

How to apply

List of 8 items.

  • 1. Inquire Online and Create an Application Account

    Please complete our inquiry form and create an account in Ravenna, our on-line application management portal by clicking here. You will receive our viewbook and information about our admissions process, including invitations to open houses and webinars.

  • 2. Schedule an Interview and Campus Tour

    At Rivers, the admissions interview is an integral and highly personalized process that involves a comfortable and interesting discussion between admissions interviewer and candidate, followed by a conversation between the same interviewer and the candidate’s parent (s)/guardian(s). Your interview will also include a tour of our campus led by a student tour guide which will allow you to see our classes in action, see our state-of the-art facilities and truly get a “feel” for our community.

    To schedule your interview and in-person campus tour, please sign up through your Ravenna account.  If you have any questions, please call the admissions office at 339-686-2253.

  • 3. Learn More about Rivers: Fall Open Houses and Informational Webinars

    Our Middle School Open House (grades six through eight) will be held on Saturday, November 5th from 9am until 11:30am. Our Upper School Open House (grades nine through eleven) will be held from 1:00pm until 3:30pm.

    Join Director of Enrollment Management Yassine Talhaoui and Head of School Ned Parsons as we welcome families in Kraft Hall.  Families are invited to tour campus in a group setting, attend sample mini-classes, and meet with faculty, administrators, coaches, current parents, and current students for conversation and to answer questions.

    Please register for either Open House through your Ravenna account.

    We will be hosting several informational webinars this fall. Please click here to see a current list of events.

  • 4. Register for Standardized Testing

    If you are applying for grades 6, 7 or 8, please register for the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE).  The Rivers School code for the ISEE is 220610.  If you are applying for grades 9, 10 or 11, please register for the SSAT. The Rivers School code for the SSAT is 6058. 

    To register for the ISEE, please visit their website.
    To register for the SSAT, please visit their website.

  • 5. Complete the Candidate and Parent Application

    Complete the online Candidate Application Form and the Parent Application Form through your Ravenna account. The application will be available on Ravenna beginning September 15th.  The Candidate and Parent application forms are due by January 15th.

  • 6. Complete forms in the online application

    Within your Ravenna account, you are able to request recommendations from your English teacher, math teacher and guidance counselor/or principal/school administrator. An optional Special Interest Form is also available. We request that all records come directly from your student’s school.
    Request your official and current transcript to be either uploaded to Ravenna or sent directly to the Admissions office.

  • 7. Applying for Financial Aid

    If you are applying for financial aid, please follow the financial aid application guidelines outlined in the financial aid page. Be sure to submit all required paperwork by January 15th.

  • 8. Admissions Decisions

    Notification of all admissions decisions will be released electronically on March 10th through your Ravenna account.  Admitted families will be invited to campus to learn more about our programs, meet our teachers and students and connect with our community.
Rivers admits academically qualified students of any race, religion, sex, disability, or national origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally available to its students. Rivers does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, color, ethnic, or national origin in our admissions policies, educational policies, financial aid and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.
“It’s amazing to be a high school student and have the chance to work on a medical study that’s going to be published … The internship [Boston Medical Center] was one of the best experiences of my life. It made me so much more confident about where I am and proved that medicine is the right path for me.”

                                                                ---Jess ’21
333 Winter Street Weston, MA 02493
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