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Gill St. Bernard's School Entrance Exam Testing Notice 2021-2022

At Gill St. Bernard’s School, our highest priority is the health and safety of students and families. With this, for the 2021-2022 academic year, standardized testing is optional for application to grades five to eleven. Our admission officers will review applicant files based on essential components, including virtual interviews, student essays, teacher recommendations, grades, and parent statements. (If your child has taken a test, you may submit the results. If you decide not to submit them, it will not affect your child’s admission evaluation.)

Students applying to our Lower School in grades preschool to four will be assessed virtually by a member of our faculty. We will notify you of the process and arrange for a time that is convenient for your family, as this requirement can be completed from home.

Should you have questions about testing or any other components in the process, we invite you to contact our Admission Office at 908-234-1611 (ext. 245) or officeofadmission@gsbschool.org.

NOTE: These changes for 2021-22 supersede normal testing protocols, which will remain in effect for the 2022-2023 school year.

Application Instructions

GSB welcomes applications from students who demonstrate academic potential and who are deemed likely to benefit from and contribute to the GSB community. To be considered for admission, applicants must submit a complete application, which varies by grade level, and includes components such as transcripts, exam results, teacher recommendations, writing samples, and a campus visit. For information on how to complete the process, please refer to the appropriate grade-level instructions.

Completed application deadline is February 1, 2021

We look forward to speaking with you. Please reach out directly to Donna Orr, Admission Office Manager, at 908-234-1611, ext. 245 or dorr@gsbschool.org.

LOWER SCHOOL (PRESCHOOL - GRADE 4)

Arrange a parent/guardian interview with an Admission Officer. Please call the Admission Office at 908-234-1611, ext. 245 to schedule an appointment.
Submit a completed application with the $75 application fee. We accept the Standard Application Online (SAO).
Schedule a student visit. Upon receipt of the application, the Admission Office will contact you to arrange a student visit during a regular school day.
Submit an official school transcript and all standardized testing (when applicable). Items should be sent directly from the student’s current school after the completion of the first marking period..
Provide a recommendation from a current teacher (when applicable). Item should be sent directly from the teacher or the student’s current school after the completion of the first marking period.
Complete admission testing. Children will be evaluated for admission during their school day visit with the following assessments:
- ISEE: Applicants to Gill St. Bernard's Lower School for grades 3 and 4 are required to take The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) admission test. The test consists of three sections. Each section is designed to tap into the unique aspects of a student's development and preparation for academic work. The test lasts between 45-60 minutes, is administered online during the student's school visit and will be supervised by school personnel. Results may be shared with select participating schools. More information is available to parents through the ISEE website at isee.erblearn.org.
  
  Students entering grades one and two will be tested with an in-house assessment for reading and math along with the MEFS assessment.
- Minnesota Executive Function Skills (MEFS)/School Readiness Test (SRT): In a continued effort to support our applicants to Kindergarten through fourth grade as they demonstrate their individual strengths, we collaborate with expert researchers in the field of Early Childhood Assessment. We administer the School Readiness Test (SRT) developed by researchers at Reflection Sciences, Inc. The SRT is a brief (5-min) iPad-based assessment is administered to applicants during their admission visit. The SRT assesses general thinking skills rather than knowledge, so there is no need for advance preparation.
  
  Reflection Sciences retains the results of the SRT and will share these results with other participating independent schools to which your child is applying (confidentially), to insure that each applicant will take the SRT only once during the independent school application process. Given that this is only one aspect of a comprehensive admission process, applicants’ results will not be shared with parents. Please note that applicant families must complete a consent/registration form only once. Reflection Sciences may retain and use de-identified (names permanently deleted) SRT scores in subsequent research, in a manner consistent with all Federal and State regulations concerning data privacy.
  
  The following independent schools are administering the MEFS/SRT:
  
  New Jersey Schools
  - Gill St. Bernard's School
  - The Pingry School
  New York Schools
  - Berkeley Carroll School
  - Buckley School
  - The Chapin School
  - Marymount School of New York
  - Poly Prep Day School
  - Saint David's School

MIDDLE SCHOOL (GRADES 5 - 8)

Submit a completed application with the $75 application fee. We accept the Standard Application Online (SAO).
Schedule a student visit. Upon receipt of the initial application components and the application fee, the Admission Office will contact you to arrange a student visit during a regular school day. Only the Student Profile must be received to schedule a student visit.
Arrange a parent/guardian interview with an Admission Officer. Interviews are usually scheduled on the student’s visit date.
Submit an official school transcript and all standardized testing. This includes the two most recent completed year transcripts and the current academic year. Items should be sent directly from the student’s current school after the completion of the first marking period.
Provide recommendations from two current teachers, one mathematics and one English/language arts. An additional recommendation from a person of your choice is optional. Items should be sent directly from the teachers or the student’s current school after the completion of the first marking period.
Submit a graded writing assignment from the applicant’s current grade and school.
Complete admission testing. Applicants take the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) or the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam).
Complete the Character Skills Snapshot (applicants to grades 6-8). More information about this online assessment can be found at ssat.org/snapshot.

UPPER SCHOOL (GRADES 9 - 12)

Submit a completed application with the $75 application fee. We accept the Standard Application Online (SAO).
Schedule a student visit. Upon receipt of the initial application components and the application fee, the Admission Office will contact you to arrange a student visit during a regular school day. Only the Student Profile must be received to schedule a student visit.
Arrange a parent/guardian interview with an Admission Officer. Interviews are usually scheduled on the student’s visit date.
Submit an official school transcript and all standardized testing. This includes the two most recent completed year transcripts and the current academic year. Items should be sent directly from the student’s current school after the completion of the first marking period.
Provide recommendations from two current teachers, one mathematics and one English/language arts. An additional recommendation from a person of your choice is optional. Items should be sent directly from the teachers or the student’s current school after the completion of the first marking period.
Submit a graded writing assignment from the applicant’s current grade and school.
Complete admission testing. Applicants take the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) or the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam).
Complete the Character Skills Snapshot. More information about this online assessment can be found at ssat.org/snapshot.

ENTRANCE EXAM TESTING

Lower School students will take a test during their visit day. The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) is administered to third and fourth grades, and the Minnesota Executive Function Skills (MEFS) assessment is administered to our students in kindergarten through fourth grade by the Associate Director of Lower School Admission.

Please contact ISEE online at www.iseetest.org for testing dates, registration, and locations. (GSB school code: 310100.)

Applicants for fifth through twelfth grade take either the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) or the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam).

Please contact SSAT online at www.ssat.org for testing dates, registration, and locations. (GSB school code: 3406.)

STANDARD APPLICATION ONLINE

As a convenience to our families, Gill St. Bernard's accepts the
Standard Application Online (SAO).

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