APPLICATION PROCESS

To connect with us and receive a color brochure and our curriculum guide, please introduce yourself on our Request Information form.

Once you inquire you will be invited to create an account to access the Catalina Admission Portal. Your invitation will be sent to the email address provided in our Request Information form. In the Catalina Admission Portal you can see all the steps to apply, learn about upcoming events, manage your application checklist, and stay in touch with us throughout the application process.

Make sure to choose Upper School once logged in.

Santa Catalina uses a common admission application for independent schools called the Standard Application Online (SAO), found at ssat.org.

Congratulations on setting up your accounts for the Catalina Admission Portal and the SAO (Steps 1 and 2)! You can now manage your application.

Catalina Admission Portal: This account houses important admission information and is also where you will monitor the status of your application checklist. In your account you can:

• Sign up for admission events 
• Keep track of missing and completed application components

SAO Application Portal: This account is where you will submit a variety of required forms via the Standard Application Online (SAO). Once a form is submitted in the SAO it will automatically upload to the Catalina Admission Portal, updating your application checklist. The following are the required components for SAO: 

• Student Essays
• Parent Statement
• English Recommendation (current year teacher)
• Math Recommendation (current year teacher)
• Principal/Guidance Counselor Recommendation (current year)
• Official School Reports/Transcript Form Release (current year, plus two previous years)
• Application Fee
  • Domestic students: $75.00
  • International students: $150.00

Note for 2022 applicants: SSAT/ISEE results are not required for the 2021-2022 admission cycle. The TOEFL is still required for international students.

International students
In addition to submitting the optional standardized testing listed above, nonnative English speakers are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT). Note that due to COVID-19, there is an online option available called TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition (not available in all countries). The TOEFL iBT is our preferred test; however, if this option is not available in your country, please submit the Duolingo English Test (DET).

School Testing Codes
Please use the following codes when registering for a test in order to have your results sent directly to Santa Catalina:

SSAT: 7132
ISEE: 054087
PSAT: 052045
SAT: 052045
TOEFL: 8102

Note: Santa Catalina accepts the submission of multiple tests taken in the same academic year and will consider the highest composite score.
 

Regular Admission: October 1–February 1

We can’t wait to meet you and introduce you to all things Catalina! A tour and interview are required components of the application process for students applying for the fall of 2022. A parent or guardian should accompany their daughter for both.

This year, Catalina is offering interviews and student-led tours in person and virtually, with tours guided by our student tour guides. Contact your representative at least a week in advance to schedule your interview and tour(s), choosing one of the following:

Interviews

The interview is a required part of Santa Catalina’s application and can be scheduled to follow the tour or at a separate time. Applicants can interview in person following an on-campus tour, or virtually via Zoom.

• Applicants and their parents/guardians should participate in the tour and interview.
• At the end of the interview, students will complete a 15-minute writing sample.

Requirements for on-campus tours and interviews

If you live outside of the Monterey Peninsula, you will be required to provide documentation of one of the following in advance of arrival:

• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Individuals must be fully vaccinated as defined by the CDC, with at least 14 days elapsed from completion of the vaccine.
• A negative PCR test obtained within 72 hours before arriving at Santa Catalina School.
   

Rolling Admission: March 10–mid-August

Rolling admission is dependent upon space availability. Requirements are the same as the regular admission process.

Contact the admission office at admission@santacatalina.org or 831.655.9356 to schedule your in-person or virtual visit.

Your application progress

You can track your application progress in the Catalina Admission Portal. Once you have completed the following application requirements your application will be complete:

• Student tour
• Interview and writing sample
• Assessment — SSAT or other approved assessment and, for international students, TOEFL iBT or the Duolingo English Test (when approved). Note: SSAT/ISEE results are optional for the 2020-2021 admission cycle. The TOEFL is still required for international students.
• Standard Application Online (SAO) components:
  • Student essay
  • Parent statement
  • English recommendation (current year teacher)
  • Math recommendation (current year teacher)
  • Principal recommendation (current school head or counselor)
  • Official school report transcript
  • Application fee
  • Note: A personal recommendation is available but not required

Your admission decision

Applicants who have a complete application by February 1 can view their admission decision on March 10 in their Catalina Admission Portal account. (Admission decisions are not available in the SAO.) Admission decisions are also sent to your home.

Rolling admission decisions

Applications are welcomed during our rolling admission process after our February 1 deadline. Rolling admission runs from March 10 to mid-August, and admission decisions will typically be available within 7 days of a completed application. Applications will be considered depending on space available. The application requirements for rolling admission are the same as regular admission. Please call the admission office at 831.655.9356 for more information.