School guides: applying for grades 5 and 6
Short answer
These guides cover thirteen independent schools: three in the Boston area and ten in and near New York City. All thirteen take the ISEE for grade 6. The New York schools close between November 13 and December 11, 2026 and decide in early February; the Boston schools close January 10–15, 2027 and decide on March 10.
Boston area
Deadlines January 10–15, 2027; decisions March 10, 2027
- Buckingham Browne & NicholsGrade 6 · grade 5 not listed in openingsISEE, grade 6RequiredDeadlineJanuary 10, 2027
- Milton AcademyGrade 6 · grade 5 as space allowsISEE, grade 6RequiredDeadlineJanuary 15, 2027
- The Winsor SchoolGrades 5 and 6ISEE, grade 6RequiredDeadlineJanuary 15, 2027
New York City and nearby
Deadlines November 13 – December 11, 2026; decisions February 5–10, 2027
- Ethical Culture Fieldston SchoolGrade 6, about 30 · grade 5 as space allows (own assessment)ISEE, grade 6RequiredDeadlineNovember 13, 2026
- Riverdale Country SchoolGrade 6, 20–25 · grade 5 as space allowsISEE, grade 6RequiredDeadlineNovember 16, 2026preliminary application
- Berkeley Carroll SchoolGrades 5 and 6 as space allowsISEE, grade 6RequiredDeadlineNovember 16, 2026core application
- Horace Mann SchoolGrade 6, about 55–60 · grade 5 wait pool onlyISEE, grade 6RequiredDeadlineNovember 18, 2026application form
- The Brearley SchoolGrades 5 and 6 (Classes V and VI)ISEE, grade 6RequiredDeadlineDecember 1, 2026
- The Allen-Stevenson SchoolGrade 6 · grade 5: contact admissions firstISEE, grade 6RequiredDeadlineDecember 1, 2026
- The Browning SchoolGrade 6, about 15 · grade 5 as space allowsISEE, grade 6RequiredDeadlineDecember 1, 2026preliminary application
- Hackley SchoolGrade 6 · grade 5 as space allows · WestchesterISEE, grade 6RequiredDeadlineDecember 1, 2026preliminary application
- The Spence SchoolGrade 6 · grade 5 as space allowsISEE, grade 6RequiredDeadlineDecember 11, 2026
- The Buckley SchoolGrades 5 and 6 as space allows · inquiry firstISEE, grade 6RequiredDeadlineJanuary 8, 2027application complete
Every school page answers the same questions: does the school admit grades 5 and 6, does it ask for the ISEE and can the SSAT stand in, does it publish score ranges, what this season's dates are, and how the interview and visits work.
Everything comes from the school's own admissions pages, with the address and the date we read it. Where a school does not say, the page says so instead of guessing.
How to read these pages
These pages do not rate or compare schools. They help parents see what each school asks for before the deadlines arrive. Admission decisions belong to the school alone, and this site makes no promise about outcomes.
Dates are for entry in fall 2027, applying in fall 2026. Schools adjust dates during the season, so treat the school's own page as the authority.
Which schools we cover
A school gets a guide when it admits new students into grade 5 or grade 6, asks for or accepts the ISEE for those grades, and publishes enough on its admissions pages to answer the guide's questions. We do not choose schools by any published list or reputation. Among schools that qualify, we add the ones parents search for most.
Common questions
Do all thirteen schools accept the ISEE for grade 6?
Yes. Winsor, Allen-Stevenson and Buckley name only the ISEE; Horace Mann accepts the SSAT only from boarding-school applicants; the other nine accept the ISEE or the SSAT.
Why these schools?
Each admits new students into grade 5 or 6, takes the ISEE for those grades, and publishes enough to answer every question in the guide.