Admissions Process | The Rivers School

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. A virtual 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

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).

As we move into yet another year during the COVID pandemic, the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff as well as our applicants is of utmost importance. Therefore, the required admission interviews will be held via Zoom. Last year, we found that Zoom interviews were relaxed and truly as informative as in-person interviews. We are confident that we can get to know our applicants and their parents as effectively during a Zoom interview as we can during an in-person interview. Additionally, a video tour with a student tour guide will be available as a part of the virtual interview.

Knowing how important it is, however, for prospective families to visit our campus to see our classes in action, meet and interact with current students, see our state-of the-art facilities and truly get a “feel” for our community, we will also be offering optional in-person tours during the school day, as well as in-person group tours during our two October Open Houses. Masks will be required throughout any tour on campus. *

To schedule your Required Zoom Interview and your optional 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.

*Please note, due to shifting health and safety conditions and concerns, our in-person opportunities are all subject to change.

3. Learn More about Rivers: Fall Open Houses and Informational Webinars
We will offer two Open Houses in October and several informational webinars in November/December as well as a Conservatory Program Open House for students applying to the Conservatory Program.
More details to follow so please check back often.

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. These application forms are due by January 15th. The non-refundable application fee is $50.00.

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.