Application Process

We offer in-person interviews and tours. To schedule, please contact our Admission office at 860-210-3832 or admission@cbury.org. We understand travel to campus may not be possible for all families, so in these cases, a Zoom interview can be scheduled.

We strongly recommend scheduling your tour and interview before January 15. Families are encouraged to schedule an appointment early to ensure the availability of a date and time that is most convenient for them. 

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Canterbury uses a common admission application for independent schools called the Standard Application Online (SAO), offered through ssat.org. We use this material to assess how well you would fit into our school community. 

Applications completed by the January 15 deadline are included in our first round of admission decisions, and students are notified of our decision by March 10. Applications submitted past the January 15 deadline are reviewed on a rolling basis. 

The application includes the following components:

• Applicant information

• Student essay questions

• Parent statement 

• Current and prior two years of transcripts (it is recommended to have your transcripts sent after the first marking period of the current academic year)
• Writing sample
• Recommendations (standardized forms can be sent directly to the teacher, principal, or guidance counselor via the SAO)
  • Current math teacher recommendation
  • Current English teacher recommendation
  • Current Principal or Guidance Counselor recommendation
• Standardized test results (strongly encouraged for domestic applicants and required for all international applicants)

Note: The information submitted to your SAO will be automatically sent to your Canterbury Admission Portal (created when you submitted the online inquiry form). As the information is received, the items in the checklist will be updated. As we near the January 15 application deadline, it is important for you to check your Admission Portal (not your SAO account) to monitor the completeness of your application.

All admissions decisions are released through the Admission Portal. 

Start YOUR APPLICATION

For the 2025-2026 application cycle, Canterbury strongly encourages domestic applicants to submit standardized testing scores. Standardized testing for the admission process depends on the grade you are applying to:

Grade 9, 10 (Third or Fourth Form)
SSAT

Grade 11 (Fifth Form)
PSAT, SAT, ACT, or SSAT

Postgraduate (PG)
SAT or ACT

The preferred time to schedule a standardized test is on the November or December dates. We encourage you to register for a test as soon as possible since registration deadlines come well in advance of the test administration dates.

When registering for the SSAT, please use Canterbury's school code (2050) to ensure the results will be sent directly to our Admission Office. 

REGISTER FOR THE SSAT

All other test scores (PSAT, SAT, ACT) can be provided to the Admission Office via email at admission@cbury.org.

International Applicants

All international applicants are required to submit standardized test scores as listed above. In addition, non-native English-speaking applicants are required to submit scores from one of the following tests:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) using Canterbury's school code: 7219
• Duolingo (a school code is not required)

Minimum Required Scores

• TOEFL: Minimum score of 90
• Duolingo: Minimum score of 120 

The minimum score requirements apply to students applying for the Third and Fourth Forms. Applicants to the Fifth Form and Postgraduate program are expected to exceed these scores.

The TOEFL or Duolingo test is not required for applicants who have attended a school where English is the primary mode of instruction for three years or more.

REGISTER FOR THE TOEFL

REGISTER FOR DUOLINGO

Due to the high number of applications, we have partnered with Vericant to provide an in-person interview opportunity for all Chinese applicants interested in Canterbury School. Vericant will conduct recorded interviews and collect short writing samples from our applicants. The videos will be reviewed as a component of the application. Further details can be found on the International Students section of our website.

international applicant faqs

Canterbury’s Postgraduate (PG) program is a valuable option for determined high school students who feel that an extra year of academic, athletic, artistic, and/or personal growth would benefit their future. Whether you want to spend more time getting ready for the rigors of college, raising your overall grade point average, or enhancing your college athletic recruitment profile, our PG program provides the ideal college preparatory experience for you.

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