Secondary School Placement

The Secondary School Placement Office comes under the Admission Office umbrella and serves, on average, 40 families each year. We enjoy a deep connection with the Directors of Admission and their associates at numerous independent schools around the country.

We begin our process in the spring of a student's 8th grade year with individual counseling and advice on finding the "right fit." Our office oversees 400 plus applications to roughly 90 independent schools each year. We are responsible for gathering all recommendations and transcripts and guide our families through the completion of their applications. We coach our students on upcoming interviews and, each fall, provide a seven week SSAT review course complete with practice tests and analysis of individual scores. Hillside School is a test site for the SSAT's and we assist all families with their test registrations, including those requiring specific accommodations.

We kick off our secondary school placement each spring with an annual school fair, attracting over 40 independent high schools. In the fall, we invite over 50 school representatives to join our 9th graders for lunch so that they may learn a little more about each individual school.


Please see our timeline listed below and click here to review our list of secondary schools for the Class of 2019.

Our son attended Hillside for two years (8th and 9th grade), and I can unequivocally say that he had a distinct advantage applying to secondary schools as a result. Hillside's placement team (Bill, Sean, and Matt) were constant guides and provided invaluable advice every step along the way. I cannot provide a higher recommendation for Hillside School. Simply put, the best of the best."
– A Future Groton Parent

2018–2019 Secondary School Placement Timeline

April of 8th Grade Year:Students take the SSAT
May of 8th Grade Year:Secondary School Fair
May/June of 8th Grade Year:Parent Meetings
Summer before 9th Grade Year:Research schools
Summer before 9th Grade Year:SSAT/TOEFL Tutoring
August before 9th Grade Year:Parents schedule School Interviews and Tours for October 6–13
September of 9th Grade Year:

Students begin their 7-week tutoring program through Test Innovators (previous sign up is required). International Students begin their weekend TOEFL classes

Fall of 9th Grade Year:Lunch visits
October 6–13:School Visits
October 20: Registration for November 10 SSAT
November:

SAO (Standard Applications Online) Applications have begun.

November 10: SSAT
November 17:Registration for December 8 SSAT
November/December:

9th Grade Essays. Parents upload Essays to applications once completed.

December 8:SSAT
December 15:Registration for January 5 SSAT
January 5, 2019:SSAT*
January 10:Teacher Recommendations and Transcripts are uploaded by the placement office.
March 10:Letters of Notification
March 10–April 10:Revisit Days
April 10:Enrollment Deadline