Buckingham Browne & Nichols

What kind of school is BB&N?

Buckingham Browne & Nichols is a coed day school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from pre-K (which the school calls Beginners) to grade 12. Its events page places grades Beginners through 6 in the Lower School and grades 7–8 in the Middle School, so a grade 6 applicant joins the Lower School's last year.

Does BB&N admit grades 5 and 6?

Grade 6: yes. The admissions FAQ estimates about 20 openings in grade 6 and notes that the number changes with current enrollment.

Grade 5: not listed in openings. The FAQ's estimates skip grade 5, but the application page does describe what grade 5 applicants do: a classroom visit on the Lower School campus.

Does BB&N ask for the ISEE? Can the SSAT stand in?

Grade 6: required, either test. The school says all applicants for grades 6–11 take the SSAT or the ISEE, in the same academic year as the application.

Grade 5: not stated by the school. The application page starts the test rule at grade 6. The FAQ has a general line that all candidates submit standardized testing, without saying what grade 5 applicants take. If your child is applying to grade 5, ask the admissions office before booking a test.

Does BB&N publish score ranges?

No. The school's pages give no score ranges or minimum scores.

This season's timeline (2026–27)

Deadline or decisionsOther step

1. Early fall 2026Inquiry form, then access to the Veracross admissions portal; interviews and tours are booked there.
2. October 24, 2026Lower School open houseLower School open house, 9 a.m.–noon, 10 Buckingham Street (passed).
3. November 17, 2026Virtual info sessionVirtual information session for Lower School families (Beginners–grade 6), 7–7:45 p.m.
4. Fall 2026 – January 2027Grade 6 applicants take the SSAT or ISEE in this academic year, before the January deadline.
5. January 10, 2027Application and aid dueApplication, supporting documents and financial aid application due.
6. January 22, 2027Classroom visit, grades 2–5Classroom visit for grade 2–5 applicants, Lower School campus (required).
7. March 10, 2027DecisionsDecisions released.

As listed on BB&N's Application Process, Admissions FAQ and Admissions Events pages on October 25, 2026. The school's pages are the authority.

How do the interview and visits work?

After the inquiry form, families get a Veracross admissions portal, where interviews and tours are booked. The school says slots fill quickly and encourages booking early.

Applicants for Beginners through grade 5 also attend a classroom activity on the Lower School campus; for grades 2–5 it is on January 22, 2027, and registration is confirmed once the application is complete. The events page lists no classroom visit for grade 6.

How to prepare

A grade 6 applicant takes one test this academic year: the ISEE Lower Level or the SSAT. BB&N's deadline is January 10, five days before Milton Academy's and Winsor's, so plan the test date for the fall. How often a child may sit the ISEE is covered in our ISEE guide.

Glentavo's practice tests follow the ISEE Lower Level format.

Common questions