Admissions

How to Apply

Annie Wright Schools offer internationally-recognized programs in an inquiry-based, nurturing environment for boys and girls aged 3 to Grade 12. 
See below to follow the process specific to your child's division and grade level. Questions? Please contact Chelsea Thompson for Preschool-Grade 5, Sahara Jones for Grades 6-8, Maddy Mancuso for Grades 9-12 (Day & domestic boarding) or Rex Bates for Grades 9-12 (international boarding). 

Please note that the full application includes several steps, all of which can be accessed through our online admissions portal, myAW. Once you have registered with myAW (via a questionnaire, inquiry or preview registration), you will be able to access and complete all the necessary steps. Read below for more information.

Ready to apply? Start your application here. We can't wait to meet you!
The application deadline was January 20, 2024. Financial aid applications were due February 1, 2024.

While some grades are full and there are very limited spots available in other grades, we are still accepting applications for the 2024-2025 school year. In some cases, these applications will be for spots on the Grade-level waitpool. Your Admissions representative will let you know the status of your specific grade.
Virtual previews allow you to connect with us remotely, hear from school leaders and learn about our programs for students exploring Preschool (age 3+) to Grade 12.

While there are no more 2023-2024 School Year Previews scheduled, we invite you to connect with our Admissions Team to learn more. See information below.

Stay tuned for 2024-2025 School Year previews in the Fall!

Preschool - Grade 8 Admissions

Preschool

Preschool Admission Process

List of 6 items.

  • 1. Submit an Inquiry Form

    Students and families interested in Annie Wright Schools may initiate the admission process by submitting an inquiry form here. Once we receive the form, a member of our admissions team will be in touch about next steps. We look forward to hearing from you!

  • 2. Attend a Virtual Preview

    Join us to learn more about our school and program via a Virtual Preview. Check out our preview schedule, register, and bring any questions you might have.

  • 3. Schedule a Campus Tour (Highly Recommended)

    There is nothing we enjoy more than sharing our campus and classrooms with prospective families. Campus tours can be scheduled via the online application checklist. Please click here to create an application account and schedule a tour. If you have any questions, please contact Chelsea Thompson at 253.284.8602 or chelsea_thompson@aw.org.

  • 4. Complete the Online Family Questionnaire

    Though several grades in the Lower School are currently full, we are still accepting inquiries and applications for some grades and for wait pool spots for the 2024-2025 school year. Our online application can be found here. 
    • Our application deadline for the 2024-2025 school year was January 20, 2024.
    •  A completed online family questionnaire, accompanied by the non-refundable $80 application fee is required to initiate the formal application process.

  • 5. Teacher Recommendations

    A Classroom teacher online recommendation form must be completed by the applicant’s current teacher. The Teacher Recommendation Requests are included in the online application and require the student's teacher’s email address. Recommendations are submitted electronically to the admissions team upon completion by the teacher and are confidential.

  • 6. Schedule a Group Play

    Applicants participate in a group play session during which we observe candidates interacting with other children and assess school readiness. Group Play happens each February. We will contact you to schedule once your student's application is complete.
Please be aware that students must be three years of age by the start of the school year to be considered for Preschool 3-4 admission. They must also be able to use the toilet independently and come to school wearing underwear.

K - Grade 5

Kindergarten Admission Process

List of 6 items.

  • 1. Submit an Inquiry Form

    Students and families interested in Annie Wright Schools may initiate the admission process by submitting an inquiry form here. Once we receive the form, a member of our admissions team will be in touch about next steps. We look forward to hearing from you!

  • 2. Attend a Virtual Preview

    Join us to learn more about our school and program via a Virtual Preview. Check out our preview schedule, register, and bring any questions you might have.

  • 3. Schedule a Campus Tour (Highly Recommended)

    There is nothing we enjoy more than sharing our campus and classrooms with prospective families. Campus tours can be scheduled via the online application checklist. Please click here to create an application account and schedule a tour. If you have any questions, please contact Chelsea Thompson at 253.284.8602 or chelsea_thompson@aw.org.

  • 4. Complete the Online Family Questionnaire

    Though Kindergarten is currently full, we are still accepting inquiries for wait pool spots for the 2024-2025 school year. Our online application can be found here. 
    • Our application deadline for the 2024-2025 school year is January 20, 2024.
    • A completed online family questionnaire, accompanied by the non-refundable $80 application fee is required to initiate the formal application process.

  • 5. Teacher Recommendations

    A Classroom teacher online recommendation form must be completed by the applicant’s current teacher. The Teacher Recommendation Requests are included in the online application and require the student's teacher’s email address. Recommendations are submitted electronically to the admissions team upon completion by the teacher and are confidential.

  • 6. Schedule a Group Play

    Applicants participate in a group play session during which we observe candidates interacting with other children and assess school readiness. Group Play happens each February. We will contact you to schedule once your student's application is complete.

Grades 1-5 Admission Process

List of 7 items.

  • 1. Submit an Inquiry Form

    Students and families interested in Annie Wright Schools may initiate the admission process by submitting an inquiry form here. Once we receive the form, a member of our admissions team will be in touch about next steps. We look forward to hearing from you!

  • 2. Attend a Virtual Preview

    Join us to learn more about our school and program via a Virtual Preview. Check out our preview schedule, register, and bring any questions you might have.

  • 3. Schedule a Campus Tour (Highly Recommended)

    There is nothing we enjoy more than sharing our campus and classrooms with prospective families. Campus tours can be scheduled via the online application checklist. Please click here to create an application account and schedule a tour. If you have any questions, please contact Chelsea Thompson at 253.284.8602 or chelsea_thompson@aw.org.

  • 4. Complete the Online Family Questionnaire

    Though several grades in the Lower School are currently full, we are still accepting inquiries and applications for some grades and for wait pool spots for the 2024-2025 school year. Our online application can be found here. 
    • Our application deadline for the 2024-2025 school year was January 20, 2024.
    • A completed online family questionnaire, accompanied by the non-refundable $80 application fee is required to initiate the formal application process.
    • Report cards can be uploaded by parents/guardians via the online application checklist. We require last year’s and this school year’s transcript (to date).  

  • 5. Teacher Recommendations

    A Classroom teacher online recommendation form must be completed by the applicant’s current teacher. The Teacher Recommendation Requests are included in the online application and require the student's teacher’s email address. Recommendations are submitted electronically to the admissions team upon completion by the teacher and are confidential.

  • 6. Schedule a Class Visit Day

    An important part of the admission process is your student's class visit. Whether an applicant has toured or visited prior to applying, they will spend a morning at school paired with a peer buddy. This allows applicants to get acquainted with Annie Wright Schools and serves as an important step in the admission process. 

    You may schedule a Class Visit by contacting Chelsea Thompson at 253.284.8602 or chelsea_thompson@aw.org.

  • 7. Complete Admission Testing

    Academic assessments typically occur during the class visit.

Grades 6 - 8

Middle School Admission Process

List of 8 items.

  • 1. Submit an Inquiry Form

    Students and families interested in Annie Wright Schools may initiate the admission process by submitting an inquiry form here. Once we receive the form, a member of our admissions team will be in touch about next steps. We look forward to hearing from you!

  • 2. Attend a Virtual Preview

    Join us to learn more about our school and program via a Virtual Preview. Check out our preview schedule, register, and bring any questions you might have.

  • 3. Schedule a Campus Tour (Highly Recommended)

    There is nothing we enjoy more than sharing our campus and classrooms with prospective families. Campus tours can be scheduled via the online application checklist. Please click here to create an application account and schedule a tour. If you have any questions, please contact Sahara Jones at 253.284.8601 or sahara_jones@aw.org.

  • 4. Complete the Online Family Questionnaire

    A completed online family questionnaire, accompanied by the non-refundable application fee is required to initiate the formal application process.

    While most grades are full, we do have a wait pool and we are still accepting inquiries for the wait pool spots for the 2024-2025 school year. For Grade 8, the wait pool is also full at this time.

    Our online questionnaire can be found here, please make sure to select the appropriate year, grade, and school level when submitting the questionnaire. 

    Our application deadline for the 2024-2025 school year was January 20, 2024.     The questionnaire includes a non-refundable $80 application fee.

  • 5. School Transcript/Report Cards

    Completed applications will include a copy of the applicant’s school transcript/report card for the past two years. School Transcripts/report cards can be uploaded by parents/guardians via the online application checklist. We require last year’s and this school year’s transcript (to date). Note: Schools often require as long as two weeks to complete transcript requests. 

  • 6. Teacher Recommendations

    A Math and English teacher online recommendation form must be completed by the applicant’s current teachers. The Teacher Recommendation Requests are included in the online application and require the student's teacher’s email address. Completed recommendations are submitted electronically to the admissions team upon completion by the teacher and are confidential.

  • 7. Schedule a Visit Day, Assessments & Interview

    A candidate will spend a day at school paired with a student guide. The visit day includes an interview. Students should also sign up for an assessment during one of our assessment windows. Links to schedule the visit day, assessments, and interview are included in the online application checklist. Please contact Sahara Jones at 253.284.8601 with any questions.

  • 8. Attend Ticket to Thrive

    Ticket to Thrive is the formal conclusion of the Middle School admission process. The event, which takes place each February, helps students and parents learn more about our campus and school culture. Participation in Ticket to Thrive ensures an early decision for the following school year. 

    Learn more about Ticket to Thrive or any part of the Middle School admission process by contacting Sahara Jones at sahara_jones@aw.org or 253.284.8601.

Grades 9 - 12 Admissions

Domestic Day and Boarding

Upper School Admission Process

List of 9 items.

  • 1. Submit an Inquiry Form

    Students and families interested in Annie Wright Schools may initiate the admission process by submitting an inquiry form here. Once we receive the form, a member of our admissions team will be in touch about next steps. We look forward to hearing from you!

  • 2. Join us for a Virtual Preview

    Join us to learn more about our school and program via a Virtual Preview. Check out our preview schedule, register, and bring any questions you might have.

  • 3. Schedule a Campus Tour (Highly Recommended)

    There is nothing we enjoy more than sharing our campus and classrooms with prospective families. Campus tours can be scheduled via the online application checklist. Please click here to create an application account and schedule a tour. If you have any questions, please contact Maddy Mancuso at maddy_mancuso@aw.org or 253.284.8603.

  • 4. Complete the Online Family Questionnaire

    A completed online family questionnaire, accompanied by the non-refundable application fee is required to initiate the formal application process.

    While several grades are full, we do have a wait pool and we are still accepting inquiries for our few open spots and the wait pool spots for the 2024-2025 school year. 

    Our online questionnaire can be found here, please make sure to select the appropriate year, grade and division when submitting the questionnaire. 

    Our application deadline for the 2024-2025 school year was January 20, 2024.     The questionnaire includes a non-refundable $80 application fee.

  • 5. School Transcript/Report Cards

    Completed applications will include a copy of the applicant’s school transcript/report card for the past two years. School Transcripts/report cards can be uploaded by parents/guardians via the online application checklist. We require last year’s and this school year’s transcript (to date). Note: Schools often require as long as two weeks to complete transcript requests. 

  • 6. Teacher Recommendations

    A Math and English teacher online recommendation form must be completed by the applicant’s current teachers. The Teacher Recommendation Requests are included in the online application and require the student's teacher’s email address. Completed recommendations are submitted electronically to the admissions team upon completion by the teacher and are confidential.

  • 7. Assessments and Visit Days

    Visit Day
    A candidate will spend a day at school paired with a student guide and will be able to experience daily life at Annie Wright Schools. Lunch is included.

    Assessments
    Students should sign up for an in-person assessment during one of our assessment windows. Our mathematics and English admissions assessments cover core Middle School concepts. We treat the results of the assessments as only one piece of data that contributes to our admissions decision.

    Course placement will be based on transcripts, letters of recommendation, scores and, where necessary, additional placement tests prior to starting at AWS.

    Scheduling
    Links to schedule the visit day and assessments are included in the online application checklist. 

  • 8. Attend Scholar Search

    Students applying for Grades 9-11 are invited to attend Scholar Search each February. This is your chance to get to know the Upper School Programs at Annie Wright Schools, and for us to learn about you, too. 

    You will be able to register to attend Scholar Search through the checklist in your myAW application. If you don't have a myAW application account, you can create one here. 

  • *Domestic Boarding Visits

    Students interested in Domestic Boarding can extend their visit day to an overnight stay, making sure they get the full experience of Dorm life!

    If you wish to schedule an overnight visit please reach out to Maddy Mancuso prior to scheduling your visit to ensure all arrangements can be made.

Tacoma Scholars - Grade 9 Only

Students eligible to apply for Tacoma Scholars must: 

  • Be a current eighth grader
  • Live in Tacoma
  • Attend a Tacoma public school or Chief Leschi
  • Identify as a Student of Color
  • See financing an AWS education as a significant obstacle
  • Have an adult who will support and advocate for them in partnership with AWS
  • Meet the AWS admissions requirements
  • Participate in a family interview in addition to the regular admissions student interview
  • Complete a financial aid application.

Tacoma Scholars Admission Process

List of 9 items.

  • 1. Submit an Inquiry Form

    Students and families interested in Annie Wright Schools may initiate the admission process by submitting an inquiry form here. Once we receive the form, a member of our admissions team will be in touch about next steps. We look forward to hearing from you!

  • 2. Join us for a Virtual Preview

    Join us to learn more about our school and program via a Virtual Preview. Check out our preview schedule, register, and bring any questions you might have.

  • 3. Schedule a Campus Tour (Highly Recommended)

    There is nothing we enjoy more than sharing our campus and classrooms with prospective families. Campus tours can be scheduled via the online application checklist. Please click here to create an application account and schedule a tour. If you have any questions, please contact Sahara Jones at sahara_jones@aw.org or 253.284.8601.

  • 4. Submit the Online Family Questionnaire

    A completed online AWS family questionnaire is required to initiate the formal application process. Please note that though applications for the 2024-2025 school year were due January 20, 2024, we are still accepting applications for Upper School for Girls Tacoma Scholars. Upper School for Boys Scholar spots have been filled for 2024-2025.

    To demonstrate need, families must complete an online financial aid application through Clarity. During the admissions process, Tacoma Scholar applicants can receive fee waiver codes for both the online AWS questionnaire and the financial aid application. If you have any questions about your code or the application process, email Sahara_Jones@aw.org, Admissions Associate, or call her at 253.284.8601.

  • 5. School Transcript/Report Cards

    Completed applications will include a copy of the applicant’s school transcript/report card for the past two years. School Transcripts/report cards can be uploaded by parents/guardians via the online application checklist. We require last year’s and this school year’s transcript (to date). Note: Schools often require as long as two weeks to complete transcript requests. 

  • 6. Teacher Recommendations

    A Math and English teacher online recommendation form must be completed by the applicant’s current teachers. The Teacher Recommendation Requests are included in the online application and require the student's teacher’s email address. Completed recommendations are submitted electronically to the admissions team upon completion by the teacher and are confidential.

  • 7. Assessments and Visit Days

    Visit Day
    A candidate will spend a day at school paired with a student guide and will be able to experience daily life at Annie Wright Schools. Lunch is included.

    Assessments
    Students should sign up for an in-person assessment during one of our assessment windows. Our mathematics and English admissions assessments cover core Middle School concepts. We treat the results of the assessments as only one piece of data that contributes to our admissions decision.

    Course placement will be based on transcripts, letters of recommendation, scores and, where necessary, additional placement tests prior to starting at AWS.

    Scheduling
    Links to schedule the visit day and assessments are included in the online application checklist. 

  • 8. Attend Scholar Search

    Students applying for Grades 9-11 are invited to attend Scholar Search each February. This is your chance to get to know the Upper School Programs at Annie Wright Schools, and for us to learn about you, too. 

    You will be able to register to attend Scholar Search through the checklist in your myAW application. If you don't have a myAW application account, you can create one here. 

  • 9. Tacoma Scholar Family Interview

    Eligible students who have completed the full application process, including all of the elements on the application checklist (accessible via myAW), and are admissible to AWS, will be invited to a final student and family/guardian interview.

    The final determination of which students are named as Tacoma Scholars will come after all interviews of prospective Scholars are completed. Students may hear about admission to AWS prior to learning their status as Tacoma Scholars.

International Boarding

Upper School International Admissions Process

List of 8 items.

  • 1. Submit an Inquiry Form

    Students and families interested in Annie Wright Schools may initiate the admission process by submitting an inquiry form here. Once we receive the form, a member of our admissions team will be in touch about next steps. We look forward to hearing from you!

  • 2. Complete the Online Family Questionnaire

    A completed online family questionnaire, accompanied by the non-refundable application fee is required to initiate the formal application process.

    A few Boarding spots are still available in some grades for the 2024-2025 school year. Our online application can be found here, please make sure to select the appropriate grade, year, and division when submitting the application. We also accept the SAO Application for international boarding candidates.

    Our application deadline for the 2024-2025 school year was January 20, 2024.     Our application includes a non-refundable $80 application fee. Note that the SAO fee is $150.

  • 3. School Transcript/Report Cards

    Completed applications will include a copy of the applicant’s school transcript/report card for the past two years. School transcripts/ report cards can be uploaded by parents/guardians via the online application checklist. We require last year’s and this school year’s transcript (to date). Note: Schools often require as long as two weeks to complete transcript requests. 

  • 4. Official ETS TOEFL/IELTS Score Requirements & Report

    Our end goal is for every student to earn a 100 or higher on the Internet-Based TOEFL Exam (iBT) prior to graduation from Annie Wright Schools. This goal is driven by the American university admission process. When reviewing international student applications, colleges consider four main criteria:

    Rigor of course load | Grades earned | SAT or ACT score | Extracurricular Activities | iBT TOEFL score.

    GRADE PLACEMENT 
    TOEFL/IELTS score largely determines grade level placement. We do not accept SLEP, Duolingo or TOEFL Jr.

    Grade 9:  60+ to be considered, 70+ to be competitive 
    Grade 10: 70+ to be considered, 90+ to be competitive 
    Grade 11: 80+ to be considered, 100+ to be competitive 
    Grade 12: 90+ to be considered, 100+ to be competitive

    An official ETS TOEFL or IELTS score report should be uploaded via the application checklist.  Our ETS school code is 8624 if you would also like ETS to send the score report to us directly.

    If a student has been educated in an English curriculum for the last three years, an official ETS TOEFL / IELTS score is recommended but not required.

  • 5. Math Assessment

    Students are encouraged to submit SSAT or ISEE scores. 

    If those are not available, an online mathematics admissions assessment that covers core Middle School mathematics concepts will be requested. We treat the results of these assessments as only one piece of data that contributes to our admissions decision. 

    Course placement will be based on transcripts, letters of recommendation, scores and, where necessary, additional placement tests prior to starting at AWS.

  • 6. Teacher Recommendations

    A Math and English teacher online recommendation form must be completed by the applicant’s current teachers. The Teacher Recommendation Requests are included in the online application and require the student's teacher’s email address. Completed recommendations are submitted electronically to the admissions team upon completion by the teacher and are confidential.

  • 7. Bank Statement & Passport

    In order to process an I-20 for international students, the following documents are required as part of the admissions application:
    • Copy of the student's passport with photo and expiration date
    • Copy of a bank statement showing approximately one year's worth of tuition ($75,000 USD or equivalent for 2023-2024).
    These documents can be uploaded as part of the online application checklist.

  • Campus Visit

    If you will be in the Tacoma area and wish to schedule a campus tour, please reach out to the Admissions office at admissions@aw.org at least one week prior to your arrival. Someone from our office will reach out to schedule a time. We would love to give you a tour of our campus!

Prospective Gator Weekend Events

Join us in February for our Prospective Gator Weekend Events: Group Play (PS-K), Ticket to Thrive (6-8) and Scholar Search (9-12).

Registration for these events is the last of the items on the application checklists and should be done once all the other steps are completed. In some cases, the registration is not visible until all the prior steps are completed.
827 North Tacoma Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98403
253.272.2216