Application Preparation
Prepare across every part of the application
Create a preparation cycle that strengthens evidence, reflection, communication, and academic readiness.
Checked against Harvard-Westlake's published admissions pages on October 6, 2026.
Testing
Testing.
- Testing
- All applicants for fall 2027 entry must take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE).
- ISEE level
- On the ISEE, students applying to grades 7-8 take the Middle Level and students applying to grades 9-12 take the Upper Level, based on the grade they are applying to.
- Testing window
- For the 2026-27 cycle, scores must come from a single ISEE taken between August 1 and the January 15, 2027 application deadline.
- One sitting
- Harvard-Westlake accepts results from one ISEE administration only and does not combine scores across tests; if the ISEE is taken more than once, families tell the admission office which results to use, or the most recent are used.
- School guidance
- Harvard-Westlake does not recommend taking the ISEE more than once and does not recommend tutoring or other special preparation.
- 01
Register for one ISEE date in the window and plan on a single sitting.
- 02
Use a timed practice test only to learn the format and pacing, then get back to normal schoolwork.
Essays
Essays that sound like your student.
- Essays
- Applicants complete a Student Questionnaire of short-answer questions about themselves and their interests.
- Questionnaire
- The Student Questionnaire responses are due at least two days before the applicant's interview.
- 01
Collect specific moments first: what happened, what your student decided, and what changed.
- 02
Draft for substance before style. Polish only after the reflection is clear.
Interview
An interview that feels like a conversation.
- Format
- Interviews for 7th and 9th grade applicants are held on weekdays during school hours, either in person or via Zoom.
- Scheduling
- The school asks families to accept their assigned interview time and says it cannot guarantee an interview if the family declines or reschedules.
- 01
Prepare two or three stories, not scripted answers.
- 02
Practice explaining an interest out loud, including what your student still wants to learn.
- 03
Bring one or two real questions about daily life at the school.
Preparation plan
A preparation plan that works backward from the deadline.
Adjust the pace to your student's schedule. The order matters more than the exact weeks.
Weeks 1-2
Map the application
List every part of the application and its due date from the school website, then decide who owns each piece.
Weeks 2-5
Draft the essays
Write honest first drafts in your student's own voice, then submit them for instructor feedback.
Weeks 3-6
Prepare for the ISEE
Harvard-Westlake requires the ISEE. Take one timed practice test, then work on the sections that cost the most points.
Weeks 5-8
Revise with feedback
Use the line-by-line notes to cut what is generic and strengthen what is specific.
Before the interview
Practice real conversation
Talk through interests, reading, and activities out loud so answers sound natural, not memorized.
Final two weeks
Check every piece
Proofread, confirm every requirement is complete, and submit before the deadline.