Admission

Application Process

How to apply

Please call the Admission Office at 305 250 6875 or visit this web page in late August if you are interested in applying for the 2026-27 school year. We are happy to assist you and thank you for your interest in Ransom Everglades School; we look forward to meeting you and your family!

Apply to Ransom Everglades School

List of 3 items.

  • Step 1: Submit an inquiry to begin the admission process

    Inquiries for the 2026-27 school year will be available in August. At that time, you will be able to sign up for a middle school or upper school campus tour or a middle school open house (which includes a campus tour).

  • Step 2: Submit your admission application

    If you are interested in applying for the 2025-26 school year at this late date, please call the Admission Office for assistance. Applications for the 2026-27 school year will be available on September 10, 2025.

  • Step 3: Entrance Exams and Character Skills Snapshot

    Entrance Exams

    All applicants applying to Ransom Everglades School for the 2025-26 school year are required to take either the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) or the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). Either test is acceptable.

    We take pride in a comprehensive and holistic evaluation of each candidate that is not reliant on any one factor. A completed admission file includes the student's academic record for this year and the previous school year, previous standardized test scores (if available from the current school), the personal interview, various writing samples, the SSAT or ISEE and Character Skills Snapshot, two teacher recommendations (math and English), one administrator recommendation, attendance records and behavior reports. Entrance exam scores play a helpful role in our evaluations, but they represent merely one piece of a complex analysis.

    SSAT

    Register here for the SSAT. Only test scores received directly from SSAT will be accepted. Registration for this admission cycle begins on August 1. When you register, please identify Ransom Everglades as a score recipient. Our school code is 6004. There are three ways to take the SSAT; all modes are acceptable.

    ISEE

    Students can take the ISEE one time per testing season, either Fall (August through November) or Winter (December and January), to meet our deadlines. It is available in paper or online test formats. To register for a test, go to https://iseeonline.erblearn.org and create a new parent account. Select “Create Account” and provide the requested parent information. Select “Add Student” and provide the requested student information. Select “New Registration” for available tests. You can find available testing using the date and school code (101056). Identify Ransom Everglades School as a score recipient. Our school code is 101056. Only test scores received directly from ERB will be accepted. There are a variety of locations at which your child can take the ISEE: At-Home, At-School, Testing Offices or Prometric Test Centers. Testing fees, options, and test format availability will vary by location. https://www.erblearn.org/families/isee-registration

    The Character Skills Snapshot

    We care about our students and their growth. We are interested not only in their academic and cognitive development, but also their growth in citizenship and character, traits that will carry them forward into a successful life. Grades and test scores alone do not tell us the whole story of an applicant. The Character Skills Snapshot gives us richer holistic information. It offers a way for us to get to know applicants better, while also helping to direct our efforts to develop the intellectual curiosity, teamwork, initiative, responsibility, resilience, self-control, open-mindedness, and social awareness of all of our students.

    All applicants to Ransom Everglades School are required to take The Character Skills Snapshot. The Snapshot is independent of the SSAT and ISEE. We strongly recommend taking the snapshot by January 15. It is an online assessment that applicants can take at home. The assessment is untimed, but takes approximately 25 minutes to complete.

    Register here for the Character Skills Snapshot. If you choose to have your child take the SSAT, you will be able to register for The Snapshot at a reduced fee when registering for the SSAT. You will see a Snapshot button on the homepage of the student SSAT account. The fee for The Snapshot is $30 when purchased at the same time as an SSAT. For students taking the ISEE or registering for The Snapshot separately, the fee for The Snapshot is $60. Please designate Ransom Everglades School as a result recipient. Only results provided directly from The Enrollment Management Association to schools are considered official results.

 

Amy Sayfie Zichella '93, Director of Admission and Enrollment Management

"While past academic performance, standardized test scores, and recommendations from a candidate’s current school and teachers are important, they are not the only factors we evaluate in the admission process. We also seek personal qualities that suggest a candidate will both positively contribute to our community and benefit from the full Ransom Everglades experience."

Frequently Asked Questions

List of 9 frequently asked questions.

  • How much does it cost to apply?

    Each application must be submitted with a non-refundable $100 application fee.

  • What do I need to include with my application?

    Please refer to the "Apply to Ransom Everglades School" steps on this web page.

  • What are your school codes for the SSAT and ISEE?

    Our school code for SSAT is 6004.
    Our school code for ISEE is 101056.

  • How are students selected for admission?

    The role of the Admission Committee is to choose candidates with qualities indicative of success in the demanding academic program of the school. Evaluation is based upon entrance exams scores, past and current academic records, recommendations from the applicant’s teacher or principal, and an applicant's interview. We seek students who demonstrate above-average ability and interest in a broad and challenging educational program. Good grades and high test scores alone do not guarantee admission to Ransom Everglades.

  • When will we receive our admission decision?

    Admission decisions are emailed on February 28.

  • Are siblings and legacies given special consideration?

    We recognize the desire to enroll brothers and sisters in the same school. However, the right school for one child may not be the right school for a sibling. Siblings will only be admitted if they have demonstrated qualities likely to lead to their success at Ransom Everglades. Siblings of current students and children of alumni and legacy families who have sustained a relationship with the school since graduating will be given preference when all other factors are equal. It is recommended that all families apply to other schools because admission cannot be guaranteed.

  • Ransom Everglades School is our first choice. Do we have to apply to another school?

    Yes, we recommend that you have at least two alternatives should your child not be admitted to Ransom Everglades.   

  • Does my child need to be fluent in English to attend Ransom Everglades School?

    Yes. Ransom Everglades School does not offer an ESL program.

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

    We are unable to accommodate new students once a school year begins. Even though current families may move away, we will not accept any new students until the following school year.

Middle School

2045 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
Phone: 305 250 6850

Upper School

3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
Phone: 305 460 8800
Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.