How to Apply

You will begin the application process by completing the initial application form and creating an Applicant Portal account HERE. We also accept the Standard Application Online (SAO).

Pre-Kindergarten: Children must be 4 years old on or before September 1 of the year they enter The Bolles School.

Kindergarten: Children must be 5 years old on or before September 1 of the year they enter The Bolles School and must have successfully completed a full year of Pre-Kindergarten prior to enrollment.

• $100 for Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and 1^st Grade*
• $50 for Grades 2 through 12

*The Lower School Pre-K through 1st grade application fee of $100 includes the cost of in-house testing.

Upload a recent picture of your student in the application parent portal.

The Parent/Guardian Questionnaire is an important part of the admission process and gives you the opportunity to introduce us to your child beyond grades and test scores. We encourage you to share your child's interests, strengths, personality, learning style and any unique experiences that have shaped who they are. Your responses also help us better understand your family's educational priorities, your expectations, and how we can best support your child.

The applicant questionnaire is required for students in grade 6 and above. It should be completed by the student in his or her own words.  This questionnaire helps us to know more about your child more as a student and a person.

Lower school students are asked to upload a short video instead of completing a questionnaire. Pre-K and Kindergarten students should share a video showcasing their favorite toy. Students in grades 1 through 5 are required to provide a review of their favorite book in their video.

Getting to know your child is one of the most important parts of our admission process. Because there is no substitute for experiencing The Bolles School firsthand, all Lower School applicants participate in an on-campus classroom visit. These visits help us understand each child's unique strengths, interests and readiness while giving children the opportunity to make new friends, meet our teachers and experience the joy of learning at Bolles.

Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Grade 1 applicants participate in two campus visits. The first is an individual developmental readiness assessment, and the second is a small group classroom observation where we learn more about each child's social, developmental and classroom readiness.

Applicants to Grades 2 through 5 participate in a full-day classroom visit, allowing them to experience a typical day as a Bolles student.

The classroom visit is the final step in the Lower School admission process.

A student shadow day is a great way for your child to experience what it is like to be a Bolles student.  Your child will be hosted by a current Bolles student and follow that student's schedule for the day. 

The meeting helps us get to know your child and provides them an opportunity to tell us about themselves. They may dress casually and they do not need to prepare for the meeting, which usually lasts about twenty minutes. Encourage them to relax and just be themself – that is who we want to get to know!

Meetings are required for students applying for Middle and Upper School. Lower School students participate in a classroom visit.

Teacher Observations provide valuable insight into each applicant's learning style, classroom engagement and interactions with teachers and classmates. Completed by the applicant's current teacher(s), these evaluations help us better understand each student's strengths, readiness and overall school experience.

Lower School applicants submit one Teacher Observation completed by their current teacher. Middle and Upper School applicants submit two Teacher Observations: one completed by their current English teacher and one by their current Math teacher.

Applicants to Grades 2 and above are required to submit a Character Reference. This reference provides additional insight into each applicant's character, integrity and relationships beyond the classroom, helping us gain a more complete understanding of the individual.

As part of the application, you will provide the name and email address of an adult who knows the applicant well. A secure online form will be sent directly to the reference, and the requirement will be marked complete in your Applicant Portal once it has been received by The Bolles School.

Applicants for Pre-K, Kindergarten and 1st grade will complete testing as part of their campus visit.

Applicants for grades 2 through 11 are required to take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE).

Upper School applicants for grades 12 or Post Graduate year are required to provide scores from the SAT or ACT.

To register for the ISEE, please go to iseeonline.erblearn.org. If a testing center or online, at-home test is not available, you may register for the ISEE at a Prometric Test Center. ISEE Test Registration for the following school year opens on August 1. Grades 2, 3 and 4 required an event code to register. These event codes are available to current applicants in the Parent Portal. Be sure to select to send scores to The Bolles School. Our school code is 100745

Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) scores may be accepted as a substitute for ISEE scores for Middle School and Upper School applicants. To register for the SSAT, please go to ssat.org . When registering for the test, please list that you are applying to The Bolles School. Our school code is 1750.

Transcripts from your student’s previous two years of school are required. You will also be asked for your student's most recent grades.

You are able to request these be sent to Bolles through the application Parent Portal or you may upload a copy yourself.

Applications include a requirement to upload a copy of the student's birth certificate. If it is not in English, you will be asked to also provide a translation

Please note the child must be 4 by September 1 of year entering Bolles to attend Pre-K or 5 by September 1 of year entering Bolles to attend Kindergarten.

While a campus visit is optional, we encourage all families to schedule a campus tour here.

For international students, meetings are conducted in person or through Zoom after the student’s application has been submitted.

International students will be required to upload a copy of their passport.

If English is not your student’s first language, an English Proficiency Test score from IELTS (IELTS English Language Test), TOEFL (The TOEFL ets.org) or Duolingo (Duolingo English Test) are required. Scores can be sent directly to The Bolles School or you can upload a copy through your Parent Portal.

Bolles will provide an I-20 form to new international students, once enrolled. To attend Bolles, all international students must obtain an F1 visa (Student Process Steps: How to Navigate the U.S. Immigration System | ICE).  The following documents must be on file at Bolles before an I-20 can be issued.

• Copy of Birth Certificate
• Copy of Passport
• Complete a Promise of Cash Support (provided by Bolles)
• Monthly financial statement showing periodic deposits, or a consistent balance, to support the student’s education at Bolles.

To ensure your student has access to the doctors and health services used by Bolles, families of international students are required to purchase the health insurance provided by Bolles.

To attend Bolles as a day student, one or both parents, an aunt, an uncle or grandparent must live in the Jacksonville area. If living with an aunt, uncle or grandparent, that family member must be a Court Appointed Guardian.  Students with immediate family members living outside of the Jacksonville area are required to attend Bolles as a boarding student.

International students are not permitted to live with a host family.

One semester- and one year-only applicants are considered for enrollment only when space is available.