Admission FAQs
► What is Nobles looking for in an applicant?
► Is one piece of the application more important than another?
► What is the visit to Nobles and interview like?
► Given that an interview is a required part of Nobles application process, is it better to interview early in the admission cycle or later?
► What about repeat applicants? Does it work against me in any way if I was previously denied admission to Nobles or placed on the wait list and then decide to apply again?
► What are the standardized testing requirements for a Nobles application?
► Where do Nobles students come from?
► How many available spots are there in each incoming class?
► Where do Nobles students go to college?
► What is the Dress Code at Nobles?
► What is the current tuition at Noble and Greenough School?
What is Nobles looking for in an applicant?
As Nobles is an academically rigorous institution, we are looking for evidence of strong academic performance and achievement in school. It is also important for us to see that an applicant has pursued their interests outside of their academic life as a way to become a more well-rounded person. We care very deeply that an applicant is eager to join our school and be an active part of our school community. There is no one “mold" of a student that we are looking for. We are looking to build a community that represents diversity in the broadest sense.
Is one piece of the application more important than another?
First and foremost, we want to be certain that an applicant has the academic ability to be able to be successful in our classrooms. Therefore, a student’s school performance and what their teachers have to say about them is of the utmost importance to us. Beyond that, literally all pieces of the application help us to make a final decision on a candidate for admission.
What is the visit to Nobles and interview like?
When you visit Nobles you will spend the first part of your visit on a student led tour of our campus. You will have the opportunity to ask questions to your tour guide about all aspects of life at Nobles—the workload, student activities, the afternoon program. After the tour, if you are applying to the Upper School, you will return to the admission office and meet with a faculty member in an interview. The interview itself consists of three parts. There is time with the interviewer for the entire family, with the student alone and finally with the parents alone. The interviewer will ask questions about the student’s life inside and outside of school as a way to get to know the student and the things that are important to him or her. Please consider the interview to be as much a time for you as a visiting family to have more questions answered as it is a time for the interviewer to get to know you better.
If you are applying to the Middle School, grades 7 and 8, you will be participating in a group activity session. Group activity sessions run from 4:30 p.m. until 5:30 pm on select days. You are welcome to return and visit at another time, during the school day, to tour the school with a Nobles student. There will be an opportunity for your parents and you to meet briefly with an admission officer should you have any questions.
Given that an interview is a required part of Nobles application process, is it better to interview early in the admission cycle or later?
The timing that you choose for when to interview has absolutely no bearing on how your application might then be reviewed. Some people have the misconception that an interviewer might better recall a student they interviewed closer to the application deadline, than one who interviewed earlier in the process. This is absolutely untrue. Our interviewers spend countless hours writing comments about the candidate that they spent time with so that the information is available to application reviewers no matter when the candidate interviewed. Interview time slots do fill up quickly. In order to visit when it is best for you, please schedule early in the season. Information regarding scheduling an interview online will be emailed to parents.
What about repeat applicants? Does it work against me in any way if I was previously denied admission to Nobles or placed on the wait list and then decide to apply again?
Every year we have a number of candidates that are repeat applicants. In the process of admission, we consider the qualifications of the student at the time of their current application. If you have applied to Nobles previously, we consider only the credentials of the current application. Having been a previous applicant doesn’t harm you or help you in our process.
What are the standardized testing requirements for a Nobles application?
The standardized testing requirements are different depending upon the grade level that you are applying to. If you are applying to either our seventh or eighth grade, we ask that you submit scores from the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination). If you are applying to the ninth, tenth or eleventh grade, we ask that you submit scores from the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test). For our admission purposes, these tests should be taken in the fall or winter of the year in which you apply to Nobles. For more information about registering for the tests, please visit the test association websites. For the ISEE visit: ISEE. For the SSAT visit: SSAT. Students applying to the eleventh grade are also given the option to submit scores from the PSAT (Preliminary SAT).
Every application to Nobles is reviewed in its entirety by our application review committees no matter what the submitted test scores happen to be. It is true that we receive a number of applications every year from students with test scores in the top percentile ranges. Even though that is the case, please know that in every accepted class to Nobles there are students with a range of submitted standardized test scores.
Where do Nobles students come from?
We currently have more than 95 different towns represented in our student body. This includes students who reside in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut.
How many available spots are there in each incoming class?
Every year, exact space availability in individual grades changes depending upon the current enrollment at the school. On average, we have fifty spots available to fill for seventh grade, approximately five spaces (though this does vary widely from year to year) in eighth grade, forty spaces in ninth grade, no more than ten spaces available in tenth grade and fewer than five spaces available in eleventh grade. Nobles does not enroll new students into twelfth grade.
Where do Nobles students go to college?
Nobles takes pride in finding the right college match for each graduating student.
For more information about college counseling, click here.
For the most recent college matriculation list, click here.
What is the Dress Code at Nobles?
All students and faculty are expected to adhere to the letter and spirit of the school's Dress Code.
Click here for a description of the Dress Code, including details of daily standards, special occasions and seasonal exceptions.
What is the current tuition at Noble and Greenough School?
Tuition for 2013-14 academic year:
Day Tuition: $40,900
Five-Day Boarding Tuition: $46,700
