Application Preparation

Prepare for the pieces Horace Mann reads

The application mixes three student essays, a parent statement, recommendations, grades, an interview and an ISEE or SSAT score.

Checked against Horace Mann's published admissions pages on November 5, 2026.

Testing

Testing.

ISEE or SSAT: Applicants take the ISEE through iseetest.org. Students also considering boarding schools may submit the SSAT instead. Results must be received by January 8, 2027.
How the school uses scores: The school calls the test the only standard measure all applicants share, and says it is only one measure used together with the other required materials.
What else the school weighs: The school looks at school records, teacher recommendations, the interview and the rest of the application, and looks for students who will benefit from the program and families who will be positive members of the community.

01
Pick the ISEE or the SSAT early and take a full timed practice test before building a study plan.
02
Leave room for a second sitting, and check the test date against the January 8, 2027 results deadline.

Essays

Essays: Three student essays are required for Grades 6 to 11, due January 8, 2027.
Prompts: The prompts ask how life experiences have shaped the student, how the student might contribute to the school community, and (in one paragraph at most) the student's favorite academic subject and why.
Activities summary: The essay form has space for up to five of the student's activities or interests.
Parent statement: A parent statement is mandatory and must be received by January 8, 2027.
Optional graded essay: A graded school essay is optional for applicants to Grades 8 to 11. It must be received by January 8, 2027 if submitted.

01
Pick specific moments from the last year, not a list of achievements.
02
Get the substance right before polishing the style.
03
Write the parent statement in your own voice, as a parent, and keep it separate from the student essays.

Interview

Requirement: The interview is required. The application is not complete without it.
Format: The applicant and at least one parent or guardian attend. Families should allow an hour and a half for the interview and tour, and the tour happens the day of the interview while school is in session.
Scheduling: Families schedule interviews online through the Ravenna Admissions Portal. After October 15, 2026 the school contacts families directly if it can offer a later interview. The person you meet with has no bearing on admissions outcomes.
When interviews begin: Admission interviews begin September 14, 2026.
Cutoff for online interview booking: To guarantee an interview, submit the application and schedule the interview by October 15, 2026.

01
Have two or three stories ready that show how your student thinks.
02
Practice explaining an interest out loud, without notes.
03
Bring real questions about daily life in the Upper Division and about the commute.

Preparation plan

Adjust the pace to your student's schedule. The order matters more than the exact days.

First
Submit the application and book the interview
The application opens August 5, 2026. Submit it and book the interview online by October 15, 2026.
Early
Register for the ISEE or SSAT
Results must reach the school by January 8, 2027, so book a sitting with time for a second try.
October
Upload report cards
Upload last year and the year before through the portal by October 15, 2026, and request transcripts from the current school.
Fall
Draft the essays and the parent statement
Three student essays and a parent statement are due January 8, 2027.
By November 15
Submit financial aid materials
Families who want aid complete the Clarity application and submit materials by November 15, 2026.
After submitting
Confirm the file is complete
Check your application status in early January. The file is not complete without the interview. Decisions come in February 2027.

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