Harker Admissions Overview
Harker admissions, step by step.
Start with the Grade 9 entry point and the Ravenna account. Then see what goes into the file.
Checked against Harker's published admissions pages on November 5, 2026.
The application
What the application includes.
Every family applies through a Ravenna account. This guide covers entry to Grade 9 in the Upper School.
- Applications open
- Applications and admission event registration open September 1.
- Entry grade
- The main entry point in the Upper School is Grade 9, with 50 to 55 spaces available.
- Platform
- Families apply through Ravenna, the application and event registration system. Create an account first, then choose Explore or Apply to School.
- Application fee
- Every applicant completes a preliminary application and pays a $100 nonrefundable application fee. A fee waiver is available for families applying for financial aid.
- Student contribution
- For Grade 9, the student contribution includes an essay, a list of activities and interests, an interview and an activity session.
- Parent video
- A parent or guardian contributes through an asynchronous virtual video interview on Kira Talent.
- Teacher recommendations
- Harker requires recommendation forms from the current English teacher, math teacher and principal or counselor. These are the only three it accepts.
- School records
- Records must come directly from the school through Ravenna: a first-semester or trimester grade report from 2026-27 and full-year transcripts from 2025-26.
- Testing
- Harker accepts scores from the ISEE or SSAT. Every application is read first without looking at test scores, and Harker welcomes a range of scores.
- Other grades
- Harker accepts inquiries for Grades 10 and 11 and invites an application only if a space opens in the spring, which it calls rare.
- Grade 12
- Harker does not admit students into Grade 12.
- Homeschool
- Harker welcomes homeschooled applicants and asks them to contact the admission office about what the application needs.
SSAT and ISEE practice
Admissions test practice.
Practice is shared across our private school sites.