At The Elisabeth Morrow School, we believe that the goal of secondary school placement isn’t just to get into a top school — it’s to find the best possible fit for each student. Our comprehensive secondary school placement process is designed to empower your child, helping them find a high school where they will truly thrive.
This journey is built on a foundation of growth and self-awareness. Our students are guided to understand their own strengths and interests, learning to evaluate what they want and need in a learning environment.
A cornerstone of this preparation is our Leadership Lab, a two-year signature program beginning in seventh grade. This program helps students build a portfolio of real-world experiences that showcase the creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication skills that top secondary schools seek.
The process at EMS is comprehensive and includes everything from standardized testing to scheduling to how families should manage the family interview when they’re on campus to what to look for when they do a school tour. Here are just a few of the highlights:
- 1:1 Counseling Sessions for Families
- Interview and Application Essay Workshops in Grade 8
- High-Quality, Free Standardized Test Prep in Grade 7
- Leadership Lab in Grades 7 and 8
- Middle School Portfolio Development
- On-Campus School Visits from Secondary School Representatives
- Data-Driven Placement Strategies
By the time an EMS student walks into a highly selective independent school for an interview, they have a strong sense of who they are and what they care about. This confidence, combined with a track record of strong academic performance, gives them a significant advantage. Our graduates are prepared not just for high school, but for a lifetime of confident, successful transitions.
True to our mission statement, we foster curious scholars, ethical leaders, and global citizens. We want them to be self-aware. We want them to be resilient. We want them to have emotional intelligence. Strong critical thinkers. Strong collaborators. Strong problem solvers. And because of our intentional program, by the time they get to eighth grade, they’re comfortable in their own skin. They know how to ask the right questions. They’re ready to take risks, and they know what it means to find a just-right school.
Marek Beck, Ph.D., Head of School
Our students are accepted to the most selective secondary day and boarding schools in the country!
Below is a list of schools where our students have been accepted from 2022–2025. An asterisk (*) denotes matriculation.
- Abraham Joshua Heschel School*
- Academy of the Holy Angels*
- Avenues*
- Bergen Catholic*
- Bergen County Academies*
- Bergen Tech*
- Blair Academy*
- Calhoun School*
- Choate Rosemary Hall*
- Columbia Grammar & Preparatory*
- Concord Academy
- Culver Academies*
- Don Bosco Prep*
- Dwight School
- Dwight-Englewood School*
- Emma Willard School*
- Ethical Culture Fieldston School*
- Fordham Preparatory School*
- The Frederick Gunn School*
- Grace Church School*
- Groton School*
- Hackley School*
- The Hewitt School
- Horace Mann School*
- The Hotchkiss School*
- The Hun School
- Immaculate Heart Academy*
- Kent Place School
- Laguardia High School
- The Lawrenceville School*
- The Leffell School*
- Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin School*
- Loomis Chaffee School
- Loyola School*
- The Masters School*
- Mercersburg Academy*
- Millbrook School*
- Montclair Kimberley Academy
- Morristown Beard School
- Mother Seton Regional High School*
- Newark Academy*
- Northern Valley Demarest
- Northfield Mount Hermon*
- Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child
- Paramus Catholic High School
- The Peddie School*
- Pennington School
- Perkiomen School
- Phillips Academy Andover*
- Phillips Exeter Academy*
- Pomfret School*
- Ramaz School
- Regis High School*
- Riverdale Country School*
- Saddle River Day School*
- Saint Peter’s Prep*
- Seton Hall Prep
- The Spence School*
- Solebury School
- St. Andrew’s School*
- St. Joseph’s Regional High School
- St. Paul’s School*
- St. Peter’s Prep*
- Trevor Day School*
- Trinity School*
- The Ursuline School*
- Wilbraham & Monson Academy
- Winston Preparatory School*
- Woodberry Forest School
- Xavier High School
Connect with us to learn how The Elisabeth Morrow School can offer your child some of the most powerful and transformative years in their educational journey, preparing them to be confident, capable, and ready to thrive in the most demanding secondary school environments and beyond.
