Exam Schools
Boston has three “examination schools” for grades 7–12 that admit students on a competitive basis: Boston Latin Academy, Boston Latin School and the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science.
Application process
All three schools accept new students for grades 7 and 9. The O’Bryant School also accepts a few new students for grade 10.
Students are admitted to the exam schools based on results of an entrance test and grade point average (GPA). Each of these accounts for 50% of a student’s score.
All exam school applicants -- Boston residents and non-Boston residents -- must take the Independent Schools Entrance Exam (ISEE) before December 31 of the school year in which they apply. Applicants may take the ISEE at a Boston test center or at another testing site. Click here for information about the 2008 ISEE, which will be administered in various sites throughout the city on Saturday, November 8, 2008. Test registration materials for students applying for the 2009–2010 school year are available now in all middle and high schools, Family Resource Centers, branch libraries, and Boys & Girls Clubs. The test is given in early November.
The grade point average is based on final marks in English and math from the previous school
year (grade 5 or 7) and from the first two marking periods of the current year. In January of each year, all applicants are sent Grade Point Average forms. The applicant's school of origin must complete the form and return it to the BPS Office of Enrollment Services by the first Friday in February.
Exam School Admissions Grade Point Average (GPA) form: current BPS students
Exam School Admissions Grade Point Average (GPA) form: current non-BPS students
Proof of residency
Students who are not currently enrolled in the BPS must prove that they are residents of Boston by the first Friday in February in order to be considered for invitation to an exam school. Information about where and when to prove residency is mailed to families in late December. To learn more about proof of residency, visit the Residency Policy page.
For more information
Contact the Office of Enrollment Services, 617-635-9512.
