The Harvard-Westlake application for the 2026-27 cycle has six parts: the online admission application with its fee, a Student Questionnaire, an interview (for 7th and 9th grade applicants), ISEE scores, three recommendations, and a transcript release. Families applying for aid add a separate financial aid application. Everything is due by January 15, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. PT, and decisions come March 12, 2027.
This guide walks through each part as the school describes it, then covers how to prepare. Where the school has not published a detail, such as the questionnaire prompts or the fee amount, the guide says so instead of guessing.
What you are applying to
Harvard-Westlake is an independent, co-educational college preparatory day school for grades 7–12 in Los Angeles, with a Middle School campus in Los Angeles and an Upper School campus in Studio City. The school's FAQ says the main entry points are the seventh and ninth grades. This cycle is for entry in fall 2027.
Part 1: the online application and fee
Families apply online at hw.com/apply. The school's checklist describes the application as your child's personal information, with an optional photo and optional pronunciation of the name, plus the application fee. The fee is waived if you apply for financial aid. The pages we reviewed do not state the fee amount, so check the application itself.
The school encourages you to submit early. Submitting the Application Form by November 13, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PT guarantees an invitation to interview for 7th and 9th grade applicants.
Part 2: the Student Questionnaire
The school asks applicants to respond to some short-answer questions that help it learn about the student and their interests. The responses are due at least two days before the interview.
The prompts and length limits are not published on the pages we reviewed. They appear inside the online application, so read them there before the interview date is set. The school describes the purpose plainly: to learn about the student and the student's interests. That is a prompt to write in your child's own voice, about what they actually do and enjoy.
Part 3: the parent statement
The checklist and the application pages we reviewed do not list a parent statement. Do not write one unless the online application asks for it. If the application adds a parent question, treat it as part of the file and answer it directly.
Part 4: recommendations
The school learns about a student's progress by reviewing standard recommendation forms completed by the current school. You enter the recommenders' email addresses on the application and the forms are emailed to them. The three recommenders are:
- Your child's current English teacher
- Your child's current math teacher
- A current administrator
The school asks that recommendations be completed between November 1 and the application deadline.
How to prepare: ask the teachers early and in person, tell them the date range, and thank them. Choose the English and math teachers who currently teach your child, because the school asks for current teachers. Make sure the administrator is someone at your child's current school who can complete the form.
Part 5: transcripts
The checklist's transcript step is the Authorization for Release of Applicant's Record and Transcript form. You email that form to the registrar or an administrator at your child's current school. Do this once the application is open and confirm with the registrar that the records were sent.
Part 6: testing, the ISEE
Harvard-Westlake's FAQ states that all applicants for entry in fall 2027 must take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). The pages we reviewed do not mention the SSAT, so plan around the ISEE.
- Register on the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) website and list Harvard-Westlake as a score recipient with school code 052135.
- Timing: submit results from a single test taken between August 1 and January 15, 2027.
- Format: the FAQ says applicants may test in any format (paper or online), at any site, or online through ISEE At-Home.
- Level: the test owner assigns the level by the grade your child is applying to. Middle Level is for grades 7–8 and Upper Level is for grades 9–12.
The ISEE Middle and Upper Levels have the same structure. They include Verbal Reasoning (40 questions, 20 minutes), Quantitative Reasoning (37 questions, 35 minutes), Reading Comprehension (36 questions, 35 minutes), Mathematics Achievement (47 questions, 40 minutes), and an unscored essay (one prompt, 30 minutes). The test owner lists a total of 2 hours 40 minutes plus two breaks.
The test owner allows one ISEE attempt per testing season (Fall, Winter, Spring/Summer), up to three times a school year. For Harvard-Westlake, plan on one chosen administration, because the school asks for results from a single test.
Part 7: the interview and campus visits
Interviews for 7th and 9th grade applicants are scheduled on weekdays during school hours, either in person or via Zoom. The school says to make every effort to accept the appointed time, and that it cannot guarantee an interview if you decline an offer or reschedule. The pages we reviewed describe interviews only for 7th and 9th grade applicants.
The school also invites applicant families to optional events, including arts performances, athletics competitions, and community events, and to optional parent and guardian information sessions, which you register for at hw.com/visit. Optional means optional. They are useful for learning what the school is like, and the school does not list them as application requirements.
Financial aid, step by step
The financial aid application is separate from the admission application and runs on the same deadline. The steps the school states:
- Follow the instructions at hw.com/financialaid.
- Financial aid applications open August 24, 2026.
- The financial aid application is due January 15, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. PT, the same date as the admission application.
- Aid decisions are released with admission decisions on March 12, 2027 at 5:00 p.m. PT.
- The application fee is waived for families applying for aid.
- For questions, the Financial Aid Office is at 818.487.6562 or financialaid@hw.com.
The school lists 2026-27 tuition of $54,900 and a $2,500 new student fee for new students. It states that every grant is need-based and customized to each family's circumstances. Apply for aid when you apply for admission, because the school's pages tie the process to the admission cycle.
How to prepare
- Work backward from November 13. If you want the interview guarantee, finish the Application Form first, then the rest.
- Book one ISEE date. The school asks for a single test, so choose a date after August 1 that leaves room for the score report to reach the school before January 15.
- Let your child write the questionnaire. The school wants to learn about the student and their interests, so the answers should sound like them.
- Brief the recommenders. Give the English teacher, math teacher, and administrator the November 1 to January 15 window.
- Confirm the transcript went out. Ask the registrar.
- Prepare for a conversation, not a script. Interviews are weekday sessions in person or by Zoom. Practice talking about school, interests, and why Harvard-Westlake.
Common mistakes
- Testing before August 1.
- Registering for the ISEE without listing code 052135.
- Declining or rescheduling the assigned interview.
- Leaving the questionnaire until the day before the interview.
- Assuming a parent statement is required without checking the application.
- Treating the optional visit events as a requirement, or skipping the interview time the school assigned.
FAQ
Is there an essay?
The school asks for a Student Questionnaire of short-answer questions. The prompts are inside the online application. The ISEE also includes an unscored essay.
Does the school accept the SSAT?
The FAQ says all fall 2027 applicants must take the ISEE. The pages we reviewed do not mention the SSAT.
What is the application fee?
The pages we reviewed state that there is a fee and that it is waived for financial aid applicants, but not the amount.
Are interviews required?
The school schedules interviews for 7th and 9th grade applicants. The guarantee of an interview invitation requires submitting the Application Form by November 13, 2026.
When is the aid deadline?
January 15, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. PT, the same as the admission deadline.
Next step
For help organizing the interview, questionnaire, and testing plan for your child, see the programs page. The admissions overview, the timeline page, and the FAQ cover related questions.
Sources
- Harvard-Westlake 2026-2027 Application Checklist (PDF)
- Harvard-Westlake How to Apply
- Harvard-Westlake Frequently Asked Questions
- Harvard-Westlake Tuition and Financial Aid
- About the ISEE (Admission.org)
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