Apply

All families applying to Walnut Hill School for the Arts are encouraged to visit the campus for a tour and interview. Tours are conducted during the academic day by student tour guides. Families are also required to complete an interview with an Admission Office staff member. This staff member will speak individually with the applicant as well as the applicant’s parent(s). The interview and tour can be scheduled separately or can be arranged on the day of the applicant’s scheduled audition. If an applicant is unable to visit the campus for an interview, a virtual interview will be arranged. We are also happy to arrange for prospective families to attend one of the many performances and events that take place at the School throughout the year.

All applicants must be reviewed artistically by a member of our arts faculty within the department for which they are applying. Applicants will complete either an audition (Dance, Music, or Theater) or a portfolio review (Visual Art or Writing, Film & Media Arts). Please refer to the Audition and Portfolio Review page on our site for specific information pertaining to each arts discipline.

The official online application for Walnut Hill School for the Arts is Gateway to Prep Schools. You may access the application here. In addition, we also accept the Standard Application Online.

The Gateway application includes the candidate profile, candidate and parent statements, online recommendations from current English and math teachers, a school report, and a current transcript. An arts recommendation is also required and can be downloaded here. (The personal recommendation, found in Gateway to Prep, can also be used as an arts recommendation.) Home-schooled applicants must also submit the home school supplement.

The application fee, paid through Gateway to Prep, is $65 ($100 for international applicants). Fee waivers are available upon request to the Director of Admission and Financial Aid.

The required portions of the application are as follows:

• Part 1 – Candidate Profile (Available through Gateway to Prep)
• Part 2a – Candidate Statement (Available through Gateway to Prep)
• Part 2b – Parent/Guardian Statement (Available through Gateway to Prep)
• The following additional required forms can be accessed without a Gateway account for recommenders:
• Transcript Form 
• Counselor Recommendation
• English Recommendation
• Mathematics Recommendation
• Arts Recommendation
• Home School Supplement (for students currently in home school environments)

For applicants wishing to enroll in Fall 2020, the priority application deadline is January 15, 2020. While we prefer to receive your parts of the application by January 15, we recognize that supporting materials (grades, recommendations, etc.) may arrive after this date. We ask that you submit your parts of the application by the priority deadline. Students who submit their applications by January 15 will be issued an admission decision by March 10. Students who apply after this date will receive an admission decision on a rolling basis as space allows. 

The Financial Aid application deadline is February 1, 2020. Please visit the Affording Walnut Hill section of our website for more information.

To complete an application visit the The Standard Application Online. The SSAT Standard Application Online can be found here. 

The submission of standardized test results (SSAT or ISEE is required for all home-schooled applicants. English proficiency testing (TOEFL, TOEFL Jr. or iTEP-SLATE) is required of non-native English speakers. The submission of scores is optional for all other applicants; if you have taken the SSAT or ISEE and would like to submit your test scores, you are welcome to do so. The SSAT code for sending your scores to Walnut Hill School for the Arts is 8014; the ISEE code is 221480.