Parent FAQ
Start with the questions that change the plan
Check requirements, timing, fit, and affordability before investing in preparation work.
Checked against Harvard-Westlake's published admissions pages on October 6, 2026.
Before you enroll
Questions from parents.
Does Harvard-Westlake Prep Flex include essay feedback?
Yes. Instructor feedback on your Harvard-Westlake Student Questionnaire answers is included: 6 feedback credits, one for each response your student submits for review. An instructor returns line-by-line notes on what to keep, cut, and strengthen, usually within 7 business days.
Which grades can my student apply to?
The main entry points are grades 7 and 9.
Which test does my student take?
All applicants for fall 2027 entry must take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE).
Does Harvard-Westlake offer boarding?
Harvard-Westlake is a day school and offers no boarding or homestay arrangements.
Does applying for financial aid affect admission?
Harvard-Westlake says it strives for a need-blind admission process but is not yet at that goal, and that it can meet the full need of virtually all applicants it would like to admit.
Is HarvardWestlakePrep affiliated with Harvard-Westlake?
No. HarvardWestlakePrep by EduAvenues is an independent service, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Harvard-Westlake School. Check every requirement and date on the school's own website before you apply.
How current is the admissions information on this site?
The admissions facts on this site were last checked against the school's published pages on October 6, 2026. Schools can change requirements and dates at any time.
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The Harvard-Westlake Application Planner
A one-page plan for every part of the application, with a step-by-step checklist. Free, and it opens right on this page.
Your Harvard-Westlake application planner
The dates and requirements that shape the year, then a plan to work through in order.
- Interview invitation deadline
- 7th and 9th grade applicants who submit the Application Form by November 13, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PT are guaranteed an interview invitation.
- Application due
- The admission application and the financial aid application are both due January 15, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. PT.
- Testing
- All applicants for fall 2027 entry must take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE).
- Test 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.
- Questionnaire
- The Student Questionnaire responses are due at least two days before the applicant's interview.
- Recommendations
- Recommendations should be completed between November 1 and the application deadline.
- Decisions
- Admission and financial aid decisions are released March 12, 2027 at 5:00 p.m. PT.
- 01
If your student is applying for 7th or 9th grade, submit the Application Form by the interview invitation deadline above. Harvard-Westlake invites every 7th and 9th grade applicant who applies by then.
- 02
Register for one ISEE date in the window and list the school as a score recipient when you register.
- 03
Take one full timed practice test so test day holds no surprises about format or pacing.
- 04
Ask the three recommenders after November 1 and give them plenty of time before the deadline.
- 05
Draft the Student Questionnaire in the student’s own words, and finish it at least two days before the interview.
- 06
If you are applying for aid, apply at the same time as the application, since aid is not offered later.
- 07
Accept the assigned interview time if you can, and check that every piece shows as received before January 15.
Dates and rules can change. Check each one on the school's own admissions pages.