Secondary School Placement
Click here to review the Class of 2023's secondary schools.
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 offer an SSAT overview class 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.
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 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
2021–2022 Secondary School Placement Timeline
May/June of 8th Grade Year: | Individual family meetings |
Summer before 9th Grade Year: | Families research secondary |
August before 9th Grade Year: | Parents schedule school |
Fall of 9th Grade Year: | Students invited for |
October 9-16: | Secondary school interviews (no classes for 9th Grade) |
October 16: | SSAT administered at Hillside |
November: | Families make progress on |
November 13: | SSAT administered at Hillside |
December 1: | Families notify SSP Office of |
December 3: | Deadline to request supplemental recommendations and notify the SSP office |
December 11: | SSAT administered at Hillside |
During Winter Break: | Students finish short answers and essays for uploading |
January 8, 2022: | SSAT administered at Hillside |
January 15, 2022: | First wave of application |
March 10: | Families notified of decisions by secondary schools |
Late March and early April 2022: | Revisit Days at secondary schools |
April 10: | Enrollment Deadline |