Admission FAQ

The admission process for applicants begins the year prior to entry. While we encourage families to look ahead at SPA, we do not accept applications until September 1st of the year before a student will enroll.

The application deadline for the upcoming school year is February 1. Admission decisions will be released in March.

Applications are accepted on a rolling and space-available basis after February 1. Decisions are released in a timely manner once an application is complete.

Families will be notified of admission decisions on March 27, 2026. Applications completed after the deadline will be reviewed on a rolling basis. 

If your child is an applicant for admission:

1. Complete the application by February 1.  All parents/guardians must complete an application, and fill out all items fully and honestly.
2. As soon as possible, and no later than March 1, upload a photocopy of your most recent Federal Income Tax Return with W-2 forms and all the attached schedules.

If your child is a current student:

1. Complete the application by November 1.  All parents/guardians must complete an application, and fill out all items fully and honestly. Current families applying for aid for the first time should call the Enrollment office at 651-696-1334.

Applications received after the deadline are considered on a rolling basis. 

The first step is to indicate an intent to apply for financial aid on your admission application. Families then complete the financial aid application through the third-party vendor Clarity.  Tax forms and W-2s will be collected as indicated below. 

If your child is an applicant for admission:

1. Complete the application by February 1.  All parents/guardians must complete an application, and fill out all items fully and honestly.
2. As soon as possible, and no later than March 1, upload a photocopy of your most recent Federal Income Tax Return with W-2 forms and all the attached schedules.

If your child is a current student:

1. Complete the application by November 1.  All parents/guardians must complete an application, and fill out all items fully and honestly. Current families applying for aid for the first time should call the Enrollment office at 651-696-1339.

Awards are determined by the SPA Financial Aid Committee using Clarity Tuition. Clarity's financial analysis considers income, assets, liabilities, family size and the number of children attending tuition-charging institutions. After allowances for living necessities and taxes, discretionary income is considered available for education on a sliding scale. Families with larger earnings and assets are expected to make greater contributions.

All information required for the application process is kept in strictest confidence.

In 2024-25, 27% of our students (K-12) received financial aid. Awards are distributed proportionately among all grade levels.

We encourage every family in need of financial assistance to apply. A number of factors are used to determine financial need, so it is impossible to specify income levels or other criteria that would guarantee a student receive financial aid. Income, assets, taxes, family size, unusual expenses, parents' ages and number of family members in tuition-paying schools are just some of the factors used in the equation to determine financial need. There are many factors that affect award decisions, but SPA is committed to meeting the needs of a broad spectrum of families. 

No. Admission decisions are independent of financial aid decisions. It is possible that a student with financial need will be admitted, but not offered aid, or put on a financial aid waiting list.

Grade PK-12 Tuition Payment Plans

SPA offers the following payment plans for families:

Decisions are made after thoughtful deliberations, taking into account the individual candidate’s ability to be successful at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. The Admission Committee looks at the applicant in the context of students currently attending SPA and the other candidates who would like to join the same grade. Many factors are taken into consideration, including academic ability, developmental readiness, maturity, curiosity, and extracurricular interests. We use teacher evaluations, school records (if applicable), admission testing/assessment, and an admission interview as tools of assessment.

Applicants must be 4 years old on, or before, September 1st of their enrollment year for PreKindergarten, and 5 years old on, or before, September 1st of their enrollment year for Kindergarten.

Children applying for grades 1-12 whose birthdays fall outside of the cut-off date are evaluated on a case by case basis. Our attention to age is based on our experience that a child’s emotional maturity is often linked to age, and as children grow older, positive interaction with peers is facilitated when their emotional development is closely aligned.

There are two separate components of our PreKindergarten and Kindergarten assessment process: an individual assessment and a play group.

The purpose of the individual assessment is to discover a child’s learning strengths, emerging areas of development, and problem-solving strategies. Each applicant will take part in a one-on-one assessment with a member of our admission team. This assessment takes approximately 30 minutes.

The purpose of the play group is to observe children at play within our school setting. During the play group the children will visit one of our classrooms for circle time, activities with teachers, and free play.

Individual assessments and the play group take place in January and February.

Our Grade 1-5 applicants will complete an assessment that includes math and reading comprehension. 

Our Grade 6-12 applicants are required to take an admission test, specifically the ERB/CTP5, which consists of 3 multiple choice tests to assess a student’s level in verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and reading comprehension. Applicants will also complete an essay on the day of testing. In addition to testing, every applicant will also have a conversation with a member of the Enrollment team.