FAQ

List of 40 frequently asked questions.

• Q. What supporting information do I have to provide for my application?

  Please refer to our admission division pages by application: 

  Kindergarten

  Class 1

  Classes 2-4

  Class 5

  Classes 6-8

  Classes 9-11
  
  You can view the admission checklist for more details.

• Q. Can I send in my child's report card or do I need to have the school send a transcript?

  You must scan and upload your child’s report card. We do not need a transcript sent directly from your current school.
  

• Q. How do I sign up for the ISEE?

  After an application is submitted and processedyou will find the ISEE registration link in your child's checklist.
  

• Q. Will I receive a report with my child's group testing results from St. John's?

  We do not provide feedback on group testing. Results from tests taken at CATS will be sent to you directly from CATS.

• Q. St. John’s is our first choice. Should we apply to other schools?

  We strongly recommend that you apply your child to other schools in your area as well as explore your public school options. With a limited number of available spotsadmission is not guaranteed at St. John’s. Sadlyeach yearwe have to say no to many highly qualified candidates.

• Q. How diverse is St. John's?

  St. John’s prides itself on the diversity of our student body. Each yearwe seek to enroll students from a variety of ethnicsocio-economicand religious backgrounds. Currently50% of our families self-identify as a family of color. 

• Q. Is St. John's a Christian school? Is it affiliated with St. John the Divine?

  St. John’s is a non-denominational school with no official ties to St. John the Divine; howeverSt. John the Divine graciously offers use of its sanctuary for our Chapel program. If you would like more information on our Chapel programplease visit here.

• Q. Do you have a pre-k program?

  No. Our program begins in Kindergarten. 

• Q. When will I find out if my child will receive a testing spot for Kindergarten?

  Information about our Kindergarten process can be found here. We notify families mid-September about their status regarding Kindergarten testing.

• Q. My child is very active in multiple activities.  Can we submit more than one Extracurricular Recommendation?

  Yeshoweverwe suggest limiting the number to two. Please note that most applicants do not have more than one.

• Q. What are you looking for in a candidate?

  St. John’s School seeks students who possess strong abilityenthusiasm for learningand strength of character to thrive in an academically challenging college preparatory program. It is important to note that there is no formula for gaining admission to St. John’s. The School charges the Admission Committee to select brightmotivated students who will throw themselves wholeheartedly into the life of the School in a variety of areas including the artsathleticsleadershipand service. While the School does acknowledge demonstrated academic achievementit is equally important to admit students who are committed to investing in the life of the School.

   

  At the heart of the admission processabove all elseis a commitment to make decisions that are sensitive to children’s best interests and ensure an appropriate match between the School and a student. To that endthe Committee carefully considers students’ readiness for our program. Various assessmentssuch as testingobservationsacademic recordsinterviewsand recommendations from teachersare used to provide information in the evaluation of admission candidates. In addition to academic readinesssocial and behavioral maturitymotivationand special talents in the arts and/or athletics are also considered. The composition of a given class and the School as a whole influences the decisions of individual student selection throughout the entire admission process. Other criteria considered:

   

  ·   Affiliation with the School -- consideration for available space is given to qualified children of alumnisiblings of current students or graduatesand children of current faculty and staff who fit within the range of students best served by St. John’s

  ·   Gender and diversity in raceethnicityreligionand socio-economic background

  ·   Good character and leadership potential

  ·   Exceptional talents in the arts/and athletics

  ·   Appropriateness of match between family and the School - including a parental commitment to establish a supportive and constructive partnership with the St. John’s community

   

  In all casesthe School retains the right to determineat its sole discretionwhether or not to select a student for admission or to re-enroll a student. Admission decisions are made under the overall supervision of the Head of School.

• Q. What are the feeder schools for St. John's?

  St. John’s seeks to enroll students from a wide variety of schools and backgrounds. During this past admission seasonwe offered places to students from 68 different schools.

• Q. How can I prepare my child for the K and Class 1 group testing?

  Preparing for group testing is not necessary as what they are doing in school daily is sufficient. Dress your child in comfortable clothingand we suggest avoiding language like testing or observing. You can tell your child that they are coming to spend time in kindergarten or Class 1 at St. John’s and it will resemble a day at school. We find that children are more relaxed when their parents are relaxed. Please note that specific exposure to our group testing material will disqualify your child from the process.

• Q. Where can I have my child tested?

  Kindergarten & Class 1

  - Cognitive ability testing (WPPSI) must be administered by Collaborative Academic Testing (CATS)

  - Group testing will be held at St. John’s

  
  

  Classes 2 - 4

  - Cognitive ability testing (WISC) must be administered by Collaborative Academic Testing (CATS)

  - ISEEnot offered at St. John’s

  
  

  Classes 5 - 11

  - ISEEoffered at St. John’s

  
  

  Please visit the link under the WPPSIWISCor ISEE checklist item on your child's admission application for more details including registration.
  
  
  

• Q. What test scores does my child need to have to be accepted to St. John's?

  Test scores are only one aspect of a student’s file. A broad range of test scores exists among those students accepted by St. John’sand we do not have a cutoff score for admission.

• Q. If my child is on the waitlistwhen will we find out if they will be offered a space or not?

  We will contact families if we are able to offer a spot from the waitlist. The waitlist stays open until the first day of schooland we will go to the waitlist over the summer if needed. Families do not need to check on their waitlist status as they will receive communication from our office should a spot become available.

• Q. How many students are admitted to each class at non-entry points?

  We admit 42 in Kindergarten22 in Class 1 and approximately 50-55 in Class 6and 60-65 in Class 9. 
  
  For non-entry pointswe generally admit between 0-2 students and is based upon attrition.

• Q. Do you have an after school program for Lower School students?

  St. John's offers onsite after-school programming until 6 p.m. for Lower School students through iKids.
  

• Q. How can I find out the status of my child's application?

  Once all items on your checklist have been marked completeyour child’s file will be complete.

• Q. What is the best way to send information (e.g. report cardsrecommendationsor the applicant questionnaire) to St. John's?

  All recommendations (including the Administrator recommendation) must be uploaded to your child's checklist directly by the recommender. 
  
  

  Current and previous report cardsas well asthe Applicant Questionnaire must be scanned and uploaded by the applicant or applicant's parent directly to the checklist in PDF form. 

• Q. Can I submit first quarter grades for the current school year?

  No. We will only accept grades from the full semester or first trimester of the current school year. Any other grades will be deleted.

• Q. My child worked very closely with a teacher from last year.  Can that teacher submit the recommendation instead of this year's teacher?

  No. The teacher recommendation must come from your child’s current teacher.

• Q. My child is homeschooled.  Do I still have to submit teacher recommendations?

  Yes. If you are your child’s primary instructorthen you should fill out the recommendation. If your child attends a homeschool cooperativeplease have an instructor from that program complete the recommendation.

• Q. What age does my child need to be to enroll in Kindergarten and Class 1?

  Please click here to review our age limitations for Kindergarten and Class 1.

• Q. How will I know when all of my child's required admission documents have been received by St. John's?

  Once we have received a required documentit will be marked completed on your online checklist. We encourage families to log in frequently to ensure all documents have been received. We will inform you of missing items.

• Q. How can I sign up to tour the St. John's campus? Do I need to submit an application before my family can tour St. John's?

  An application does not need to be on file to attend a tour; howeveryour child needs to be in the current admission cycle.

   

  All families are welcome to our Open Houses. Please check our Open Houses & Tours page regularly for up-to-date information on our Open House events and tour registration. In the meanwhileplease enjoy a virtual tour of our campus.

• Q. When will we receive our admissions decision?

  St. John’s decisions are typically released on the Friday before spring break.

• Q. When will you know if you have a non-entry spot available?

  As these spots are filled through attritionthere is unfortunately no way to predict when a spot might open up in a non-entry class. To be considered for a non-entry classyou must complete the application by our stated deadlines. 
  

• Q. How many applications do you receive?

  We receive approximately 1,300 K - 11 applications.

• Q. Do you accept new students in the middle of the year?

  St. John's does not accept mid-year transfers.

• Q. Who needs a parent/guardian meeting?

  Parent/Guardian meetings are for families new to the admission process for KindergartenClass 1and Classes 6 - 11. Current families or families who recently completed the process will not receive a meeting.
  

• Q. What information do you have for international families and out-of-town applicants?

  We look forward to working with families moving to Houston from other areas of the United States and other countries. We understand that the admission process may present some challenges given your circumstances. We encourage you to submit an application as soon as possible so that we may assist you with the admission process. All applications must be received by our published deadlines.
  
  

  Out of town families applying for Classes 2–11 can complete the process without coming to campus. All testing can be done out of stateand we can help facilitate. Additionallyinterviews and parent meetings can be completed over Zoom.
  
  

  Out of town families applying for Kindergarten and Class 1 need to be on campus for the group evaluation. Those dates are listed on our website far in advance so that travel arrangements can be made. Since applicants are required to come to Houston for their group evaluationwe encourage families to schedule their WPPSI appointment with CATS during their visit.
  
  

  As a day schoolSt. John's policy requires that students reside with a parentstepparentor legal guardian. We do not offer a program for international students and do not issue I-20 visas.

• Q. Does my child need to retake the ISEE if we are re-applying?

  Yesyour child will need to complete the entire admission process againincluding taking the ISEE.

• Q. When is the deadline to apply for the 2026-2027 school year?

  The application deadline for Kindergarten is August 292025 at 4:00 p.m. The application deadline for Classes 1-4 is October 242025 at 4:00 p.m. The application deadline for Classes 5-11 is December 52025 at 4:00 p.m.

• Q. Can prospective students visit a class or spend a day at St. John's?

  We look forward to getting to know your child if they visit our campus for a tour or interview. Howeverdue to the large number of applicantsonly students who are offered admission are given the opportunity to visit classes at St. John’s.  

• Q. If we choose to re-apply for admissiondo we need to submit a new application this year?

  Yes. Students must apply each year that they wish to be considered for admission to St. John’s. Please keep in mind that our natural entry points occur in KindergartenClass 1Class 6and Class 9. Openings in all other classes occur only through attrition.

• Q. How does having multiple children applying to different classes affect the admission process?

  Each candidate is considered for admission based on his or her own application and appropriateness of fit for St. John’sregardless of siblings or relatives going through the process at the same time.

• Q. Does St. John's offer financial aid or scholarships?

  St. John’s has a generous need-based financial aid budget. Please refer to Affording St. John's in our Tuition Information section for details on our financial aid offerings.

• Q. If we live outside of Houstonhow do we handle the admission process?

  Individual arrangements for interviews and testing can be made for those who live out of town. Please contact Jennifer Bowen to coordinate the timing of your visit.

• Q. Where can I find information on the neighborhoods in which St. John's families live?

  Our students come from many different neighborhoods in and around Houston. We currently have families from over 42 different zip codes. Click here to view St. John's School families by zip code.