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Your first step towards admission at Shady Side Academy is to complete the Inquiry Form. Taking this step will ensure you receive everything you need to know about the admissions process. Simply complete the short form by creating an account in Veracross, our admissions portal. Once you have an account, you will gain access to your admissions checklist, upcoming requirements, and individualized visit opportunities.

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The best way to get to know Shady Side is with an in-person visit. We can’t wait to learn more about your child and your hopes and dreams for their educational journey. This is an opportunity to connect with our admissions team during the interview, ask questions of student ambassadors while touring the campus, for your child to shadow a current student, and envision your family as part of the Shady Side community. If you are unable to visit campus, we are happy to meet with you virtually.

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Your child’s current teacher sees their strengths and opportunities for growth. We value their perspective on your child’s school experience so far and look forward to receiving their feedback. Mathematics and English teacher recommendations are required for grades 6–12. Teacher recommendation requests are submitted directly through the admissions portal, and you will receive a real-time update when the form has been returned.

Download the Transcript Request Form from Veracross and submit it to your child's school. This release allows the school to share your child’s records with our admissions team.

Shady Side accepts the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) or the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) for the standardized testing requirement. In-person testing for the ISEE is available on Shady Side’s campus in December and January or at a Prometric testing site. At-home testing is available through ISEE’s At-Home feature or through SSAT At-Home. Send scores directly to Shady Side by using the school search feature on each of the websites. 

A Duolingo score report is required for all non-native English speakers. Applicants are required to submit results from Duolingo prior to beginning the application process. Our minimum score requirement is 130+. A TOEFL score of 100+ can be submitted for screening purposes, but the Duolingo score is required by the application deadline.

All of these steps can be completed in the order that best matches how you want to explore Shady Side. You can complete the application form to kick off your process or submit it after you have a chance to visit with us. The form invites you to share background about your family and child and to reflect on a few short-answer questions about what is most important to you in your child’s education. A $50 application fee is required to finalize your child’s application. (Waivers are available to those who qualify. Please email Enrollment Management for information.)

Students also have the opportunity to reflect on their own questions and share experiences.

Monitor your application checklist and upload any supplementary documents. Enjoy the satisfaction of checking things off. All of your progress will be documented in your child’s checklist, and we will be sure to prompt and remind you as deadlines approach.