The Application Process

Doane Academy welcomes qualified applicants with a variety of talents, interests, and perspectives, without regard to race, religion, gender, or national or ethnic origin. We seek to enroll mission-appropriate students who have the potential and inclination to contribute to and benefit from our college preparatory program and successfully fulfill program requirements.

Students are selected for admission on the basis of academic promise, social and emotional maturity, school achievement, independence, creativity, and readiness for the School's program. Each applicant is carefully evaluated as an individual.

Doane Academy’s Upper School application deadline is February 1, 2012 for 7-12th grade applicants wishing to secure consideration for the 2012-2013 school year. Applicants whose applications are received by the February 1 deadline will be notified by March 1. Applications received after the February 1 deadline will be considered should space be available.

Applicants for Doane Academy’s Lower School are strongly advised to apply by April 2, 2012 for the 2012-2013 school year. adheres to a rolling admission policy. Applications will be accepted at anytime until available spaces are filled. An admission decision will be made within three weeks of the completion of the application.

Pre-K and Kindergarten applicants, please note: Recognizing the importance of emotional, social and physical maturity to a child's school success, we require our pre-K students to be age four and our Kindergarten applicants, age five, by October 1 of their entry year.

Doane Academy offers a simple, sequenced admission process.

Step One: Visit
Schedule a visit to Doane Academy for a campus tour. Campus tours are available at your convenience. Please call the Admission Office at 609-386-3500 x15 or submit an online request to schedule a tour.

Doane hosts open houses throughout the year. Prospective students and their families can tour the campus, hear from faculty and students, and pick up materials.

Step Two: Application
Submit the preliminary application form, student questionnaire (grades 6-12 only), and one-time $35 fee.

Application forms can be downloaded from this site, requested online, or requested via phone by calling the Office of Admission at 609.386.3500 x15.

Step Three: Recommendations and Transcripts
Submit to applicant's current school the recommendation form(s) and transcript release form

• Applicants in grades PreK-1 submit PreK-1 Teacher Recommendation Form
• Applicants in grades 2-12 submit Teacher Recommendation Form and Principal/Guidance Counselor Recommendation Form

Step Four: Shadow Day
Parents of applicants in PreK-12 grade need to contact the Admission Office (609 386-3500, extension 15) to schedule a student classroom visit (shadow day). Typically lower school applicants (grades PreK-6) visit for a half of day, and upper school applicants (grades 7-12) visit for a full day. We'll work with your schedule to find a convenient time, but prefer to arrange shadow days on Fridays.

Step Five: Test
To ensure that your child is placed in the class most appropriate to his or her developmental level, we evaluate every students applying to Pre-K through Grade 6 on the day of their class visit.

• Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade applicants are administered the Gesell Observation Assessment, a highly regarded development screening tool.
• 2nd - 6th grade applicants are evaluated using the WRAT:Wide Range Achievement Test.
• Upper School Applicants (7th-12th grade) need to register for the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE), which is administered four Saturdays a year at Doane Academy.
  • Throughout the 2010-2011 school year, we will administer the ISEE at Doane Academy on November 13, December 11, January 8, February 26.
  • To register online for the exam please visit http://www.erbtest.org/parents/admissions/isee or all test information and registration materials are included in the student guides to testing which are sent with our admission packet.
  • Applicants applying after the February 7 group test date can take the exam at another testing location and have the scores sent to Doane or an individual test can be arranged by contacting the Office of Admission.
  • Please Note: Students who have taken the SSAT during the current year may submit those test results in place of the ISEE.