How to Get Into The Hotchkiss School
Key Dates and Information
- Application deadline: January 15, 2024
- Financial aid deadline: January 15, 2024
- Decision date: March 10, 2024
- Student reply deadline: April 10, 2024
- Admissions Tests:
- 9th and 10th grade applicants: test optional
- SSAT or ISEE
- 11th, 12th, and postgraduate applicants: testing is required
- PSAT, SAT, ACT, SSAT, or State/Country mandated testing administered within the preceding two-years.
- 9th and 10th grade applicants: test optional
- Interview:
- Virtual or in-person
- Interviews available from mid-September to mid-January
- No interviews offered during Thanksgiving or Winter Breaks
- Virtual or in-person
Introduction
The Hotchkiss School is a prestigious boarding school in Lakeville, Connecticut. Its approximately 600 students receive a rigorous education. Hotchkiss is exclusive – only 18% of applicants are admitted.
Applying to one of the most sought-after schools in the country may seem intimidating, but Test Innovators is here to help. We’ve created this guide to assist you with the Hotchkiss application process. We recommend using it alongside our Admissions Assist Courses, which will help you write your application essays, prepare for your interviews, and understand what schools like Hotchkiss are looking for.
Application
The majority of the Hotchkiss application is through an online platform called Gateway to Prep Schools. Applicants will need to complete the following steps:
- Fill out the Application Inquiry Form
- Fill out optional special interest forms (if relevant):
- Submit the following on Gateway to Prep Schools:
- Candidate profile (basic information about you, your family, and where you live)
- Candidate project (formal application, essay questions, and activities)
- Short responses
- Short essays
- Parent statement
- School record
- Teacher recommendations
- Supplemental materials for arts or athletics (optional)
- $75 application fee
- Interview:
- In-person or virtual
- Schedule your interview
- Admissions test scores:
- Optional for 9th and 10th grade applicants
- SSAT or ISEE
- Required for 11th, 12th, and postgraduate applicants
- PSAT, SAT, ACT, SSAT, or state/country mandated testing administered within the preceding two-years.
- Optional for 9th and 10th grade applicants
For more details on the Hotchkiss application requirements and process, please check the Hotchkiss Admissions Page
Recommendations and Transcripts
Hotchkiss requires several recommendation forms, listed below, alongside your official transcript. More information on how to send each form to its appropriate recommender can be found in the Gateway to Prep Schools portal.
- Principal/counselor recommendation form
- English teacher recommendation (completed by current or last year’s English teacher)
- Math teacher recommendation (completed by current or last year’s math teacher)
- Personal recommendation (written by an adult who knows you well)
An official transcript or report card copies must be uploaded and submitted directly by your school.
Admissions Interview
At Hotchkiss, interviews are not required but are highly recommended.
For Fall 2024 applicants, Hotchkiss offers both virtual and in-person interviews. Before scheduling an interview, prospective students must complete the Application Inquiry Form.
Interviews are offered mid-September through mid-January. No interviews will be available during the school’s Thanksgiving or Winter Breaks.
On-campus interviews begin with a 45-minute tour lead by a current Hotchkiss student, followed by a one-on-one interview with an admissions counselor. On-campus interviews and tours can be scheduled here.
Students who cannot make it to campus may schedule a virtual interview. Before signing up for a virtual interview, applicants must have completed the Candidate Profile on Gateway to Prep Schools. Virtual interviews can be scheduled here.
For more information on interviews, please visit the Hotchkiss page on scheduling visits and interviews.
Admissions Tests
Hotchkiss is test-optional for 9th and 10th grade applicants. Students may submit SSAT or ISEE scores.
Testing is required for 11th grade, 12th grade, and postgraduate applicants. Hotchkiss accepts the PSAT, SAT, ACT, SSAT, or any state/country mandated testing. Scores must be from a test administered within the last two years.
Additionally, The Hotchkiss School encourages all applicants to complete the optional Character Skills Snapshot, which provides a more holistic look at each student’s strengths and educational needs beyond what can be measured by traditional testing.
Although testing isn’t required for 9th and 10th grade applicants, we still recommend all students take an admissions exam, because “test optional” really means that score submission is optional. Strong test scores can help your application stand out. You can review your SSAT and ISEE scores before sending them to any schools. If your scores are competitive for Hotchkiss, then submit them with your application. You can always omit your scores if you don’t think they will benefit your application.
Please see our SSAT Prep Guide to learn more about the SSAT and our ISEE Prep Guide to learn more about the ISEE.
For more details on Hotchkiss’ testing requirements, please visit the school’s admissions testing page.
International Students
Hotchkiss requires most international students to submit TOEFL, Duolingo, or IELTS results with their application. Students for whom English is the primary language spoken at home or who have attended a school where English is the primary language of instruction for three or more years are not required to submit TOEFL, Duolingo, or IELTS results.
Day and Boarding
Hotchkiss offers both day and boarding options for students. Boarding students make up 96% of the student population. All day students are assigned a room on campus with a desk and chair where they can work or take a break during the school day.
Extracurricular Opportunities
Athletics
Hotchkiss has the following sports teams:
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Field Hockey
- Football
- Golf
- Hockey
- Lacrosse
- Mountain Biking
- Rowing
- Sailing
- Soccer
- Squash
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Track and Field
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
For more information, please visit the Hotchkiss athletics page.
Arts
Hotchkiss offers programs in the following visual and performing arts disciplines:
- Dance
- Music
- Photography, Film & Related Media
- Theatre
- Visual Art
For more information, please visit the Visual and Performing Arts Department page.
Supplemental Materials
Hotchkiss encourages candidates to include supplemental materials alongside their applications when relevant. Dance, photography, film, music, theatre, and visual arts submissions should be uploaded to hotchkiss.slideroom.com. Athletic video submissions should be sent to admissionmaterials@hotchkiss.org.
All supplemental materials must be submitted by January 15, 2024.
Conclusion
The Hotchkiss School is an exciting, rigorous environment that provides its students with a world-class education. Although applying to such an exclusive institution might seem intimidating, Test Innovators provides many resources to support you throughout the application process, from studying for your admissions tests to crafting your application essay. We’re here to help you make your application stand out.
Preparation Resources:
- Enroll in our Admissions Assist Courses
- Learn more about preparing for the SSAT
- Learn more about preparing for the ISEE
- Learn more about preparing for the PSAT
- Learn more about preparing for the SAT
- Learn more about preparing for the ACT
- Learn more about The Hotchkiss School
Originally published on October 21, 2022. Updated on November 15, 2023.
