Apply

To begin your family’s application, go to Ravenna and create an account. Be sure to create this account using an email address you will have access to throughout the entire admission season, as this will be your primary email contact with the MBS. Please use the same Ravenna link to log in to complete an in-progress application.

Upon submission of the preliminary portion of the application, you will receive a confirmation email that includes a link to schedule your interview. Please make sure to choose the appropriate division. Your interview will be conducted over Zoom and last approximately one hour - 30 minutes for the student and 30 minutes for the parent.

Please note that applicants will be required to provide a graded writing assignment or complete a writing prompt provided by Morristown Beard School and submit via email prior to the final application deadline for the admission round. 

An up-to-date transcript must be forwarded directly to the MBS Admission Office from your child’s school(s). We require transcripts which provide current marking period and previous year final grades.

Your family’s health and safety are of great importance to us, and accordingly, MBS is proud to share that our admission process will be test-optional this year. As the COVID-19 pandemic poses unique challenges on families regarding entrance exam testing, please know that we support the applicant’s personal choice on this decision, and that all applications will be evaluated fairly and equally, regardless of the inclusion or exclusion of this information.

If your family is interested in entrance exams, please note that Morristown-Beard School accepts either the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) or the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT). This year, MBS will accept entrance exam results from testing completed between July 1, 2021 and December 18, 2021. Please be sure to have the testing organization forward the results to MBS using the following codes: 310845 (ISEE) and 5200 (SSAT).

To best protect our community during the COVID-19 pandemic, please note that MBS will not serve as a host site for any entrance exam administration during the 2021-2022 school year.

We encourage applicants to register for their desired test date early in the admission season as seats for these tests fill up quickly. Applicants can register for the ISEE at https://www.erblearn.org/services/isee-overview or (800) 446-0320, or the SSAT at https://www.ssat.org/testing/overview or (609) 683-4440.

MBS requires four (4) recommendations from your child’s current teachers and administrators as part of the Admission Application:

• Head of School, Principal, or Guidance Counselor Recommendation (with Transcript Release)
• Math Recommendation
• English Recommendation
• Supplemental Academic Recommendation - Science or Social Studies

The Optional Recommendation may be submitted from a past teacher or someone who knows your child in another capacity such as a coach, music instructor, volunteer leader, tutor, former teacher, etc. The school or other representative must forward the completed recommendation to our Admission Office directly.

With Ravenna, you can easily send requests for recommendations to those who will complete the form on the applicant’s behalf. Simply enter the teacher’s name and email address in Ravenna, and the teacher will receive an email with a secure link to the form. You can also print a copy of the form.

The MBS Admission digital portfolio is an important component to our application and is an exciting and powerful opportunity for the applicant to introduce themselves, using their own voice, to the Admission Committee. The goal of the digital portfolio is to get to know our applicants beyond their formal application. Applicants should record themselves on a device, focus on creativity over technical expertise, and follow guidelines provided below while having fun with the process.  

1. The Personal Presentation:  The applicant will introduce themselves and speak about which of the MBS core values is most important to them. A description of each core value can be found here: MBS's Values

2. The Applicant Answer:  Choose one of the following questions to answer.

   1. Describe a time when you learned a valuable lesson from a friend and why it had an impact on you.

   2. Describe a time when doing the right thing was difficult for you and what was the outcome.

   3. Describe a time when you had to apologize for something and what you learned from the experience.

3. The Student Spotlight:  Use the remaining time to be as creative as you like and highlight what you are passionate about.  You can continue to speak to your audience about your passions or include something else such as a slideshow, video footage, and/or any creative content that you would like to showcase.

The digital portfolio should not exceed five minutes. We prefer the digital portfolio to be one file but you are welcome to include additional links in your Ravenna portal if needed. Please upload your digital portfolio file to YouTube or Vimeo only and include the link(s) to the video in the digital portfolio section of your application in Ravenna.