6th Grade
Matriculation Information
Choosing the Right Fit for Your Child and Family
Compiling a list of schools to look at for your child can seem like a daunting process at first because of how many options there are to choose from, but the range of choices can also be reassuring. There are many to choose from in and around Pasadena, as well as in the San Fernando Valley and beyond. When it comes to choosing a school at any level, finding a good fit is the ultimate goal. Try to remain open throughout the process. There is no best school, but there are certainly schools that will fit your child and family well.
Below are five things to think about as you put your list of schools together:
Reflect carefully on who your child is as a learner. What type of environment will be most conducive to growth and success? A traditional environment with lots of structure? A less structured environment with more choice and fewer restrictions? Are you looking for an extremely rigorous academic program or one that is more balanced? A smaller school with opportunities for more teacher attention or a school with a larger student body and wider social pool?
Assess your child’s strengths and needs.
What are your child’s greatest strengths and interests? Will the school nurture those interests and help your child make the most of his or her strengths? What are your child’s needs? Will a school address those needs?
Make a list of things you and your child want to see in a middle school.
Consider academics, extra-curricular activities, physical environment, the school’s mission and educational philosophy, emphasis on character building, attention to socialemotional learning, size, and geography (such as the distance you are willing to commute to.) You and your child can each make a list. These two lists will likely differ, but this is a family decision, so having this conversation will help you in the process immensely.
Know what you do not want, but try to remain open to different possibilities. You may rule out a certain school or type of school, but if you remain open to more options, at least in the beginning, you may later find that they offer other things that are appealing and what was once a deal-breaker is less of an issue for you.
What type of school is a good fit for your family a nd your values?
The school your child attends will become a place where you spend significant time. Look for schools at which you will all feel comfortable and that support the values you hold as a family.
Young Alumni Panel
Each year, Walden invites recent graduates to return and speak about their middle school experience. It is a great opportunity on an evening in the fall for students and parents to hear about the experiences of recent grads and also get the inside scoop of some of the schools you may be looking at for your child.
Release of Records Requests (Transcripts)
All schools will ask for a transcript as part of their application, which typically includes their progress reports and standardized test scores from 4th and 5th grade as well as your child's fall 6th grade progress report. Though test scores are a standard request for most schools, they do not weigh them heavily if they even look at them at all. Most schools that are interested in test scores prefer to see how students do on the ISEE and only refer to other standardized tests sparingly.
All Release of Records requests should come directly to the Walden front office by November 14, 2025. Many Walden 6th graders will apply to a given school. It is most convenient and well-received by the schools that all applicant transcripts be sent together. Walden will process all transcripts after that November 14th date but before the deadline for application materials. Once they are sent, Walden will confirm with the school that they have been received. Please be aware that due to the number of applications that some schools receive, they may not keep their admission portals up to date and their automated system may send you a reminder to submit a transcript when it has already been received.
Teacher and Administrator Recommendations
It is very important to submit these recommendations on or before November 14th because of the high volume of requests and the time required of teachers and admin to complete the recs. Some schools still provide online forms that can be printed out and completed, but if they also have an online form, that is usually preferable. All paper teacher recommendation requests must go directly to the Walden front office. For recommendations submitted within an online portal, input the recommender’s email.
Walden’s 5th and 6th grade teachers will write a letter on behalf of your child and there is no need to make a request of them, but if you would like a specialty teacher to write one, please ask them in advance. In addition to completing a recommendation form, Terra will write a letter on behalf of every family. Most schools will specify whom they would like you to get recommendations from and do not allow additional recommendations. Often you will see a request for a 6 grade English and 6 grade Math recommendation, and while some schools may prefer a 6 grade teacher to complete both forms, for our Walden students, most schools prefer a 6 grade and 5 grade recommendation.
Matriculation Process: Important Points and Dates
School List
During the initial phase of the process, which often begins over the summer and continues from September to mid-October, you will be compiling a list of schools you want to visit and perhaps apply to. Some will only look at independent schools, while others will also look at charter or public schools.
Ways to Visit Schools
School websites are usually quite clear about the ways you can visit. Most schools have weekday tours for adults only to visit classrooms during the school day and listen to administrators speak about the school. An Open House is most often held on a Saturday and is open to adults and children, giving you an opportunity to speak with administrators, teachers, parents, and students. Outside of an Open House, students typically visit the school as part of the application process in the form of an interview and shadow day. They will get a tour of the school, see classrooms, perhaps chat with some teachers and students, and then have an interview with admissions office staff. Most schools will also give some form of assessment on a visit such as writing an essay. See below regarding interviews.
Student Interviews
The interview can be a very important part of the admissions process. Admission officers may get some information about families through mee ting them at events and tours, and others will schedule time to get to your child. It will be short, but admissions staff can learn a lot in that short time. Ultimately, they want students to be able to speak articulately and passionately about themselves and ask questions that reflect their interests. It could be a group interview or interactive activity, or it could be one-on-one, sitting down in a formal setting or done casually while walking around the school. The matriculation team will be working with students throughout the fall to prepare them for this experience.
Parent Interviews
Not all schools have parent interviews, but for some schools, it is an important part of the process. Welcoming a child into their community means welcoming a whole family, so getting a sense of who the child’s parents are is important. They expect you to say many positive things about your child, so take the opportunity to do that and offer some insight into who your child is. They are also trying to get a sense of how you would work with teachers and administrators. Ask insightful questions that go beyond what can be found on the website and highlight some things that your child can bring to the school and not just what you love about the school for your child. They want you to be open to a partnership in which you trust the school to do what’s right for your child. Admissions committees inevitably discuss how the parents were. A great parent interview isn’t going to get a child admitted, but a poor one could lessen a child’s chances.
Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE)
While the ISEE has previously been required for admission to most independent schools, many of those schools have transitioned to be "Test Optional" or "Test Blind," as they all were this year. Schools that are test-optional may not require the ISEE for admission, but they will include the scores for those who choose to submit them. Schools that are "blind" will not accept scores into the files that are used to admit students, though they may accept them should your child attend their school in the future. This trend began during the covid pandemic and recently has started to be required again by a few schools. The testing requirements has typically changed year to year so always make sure website information is up to date for this school year and inquire with the admissions office of each school you are interested in applying to.
Some schools are making it optional to submit either the ISEE or take their own in-house test they have developed for their admissions process, some will require only the ISEE, some may require both, and some may only use their in-house test. These tests usually mimic sections of the ISEE such as the testing essay and a math section. Since this kind of essay writing is also commonly used in secondary education, an introduction to the testing essay is taught to all 6th grade students in class in the fall.
If your child will be taking the ISEE, please ensure they also take a practice test so they are familiar with the format on the actual exam day. November or December is a good time to schedule an exam, as it gives the student time to prep but testing anxiety won’t spill over into winter break. Anyone can access free online practice test provided by Test Innovators at www.iseepracticetest.com. For questions about what would be the best test preparation for your child, get in touch with Danica Hamilton, Matriculation Specialist. Visit the ERB website at www.erblearn.org for more information and to register for a test date.
Please note: We encourage your child to take the ISEE only once if they take the test, but if you are concerned and would like your child to have the option to take it twice, be sure to sign up for the first test in November and not December. Most students now take the test from home.
If your child should receive accommodations for the ISEE, make sure to contact Amy Schroder Doss as soon as possible at aschroderdoss@waldenschool.net to get the proper paperwork signed so you can register. There are both in-person locations as well as athome accommodations available.
Independent
School Entrance Exam (ISEE) - Resources
The ISEE may no longer be required by many independent schools in the Pasadena and Los Angeles areas, but schools that require it or make it optional are using it as an assessment tool in their admissions process. For most students, it is to their advantage to take the test to submit scores if that option is available. Preparation will depend on the individual child, and many families get private or group tutoring for their children.
Below are some resources to help you as you choose the type of preparation you find the most appropriate. Please consult with Danica, Terra, Kelli Dawn (or Amy, if needed) if you are unsure of how to proceed.
Educational Records Bureau (ERB)
ERB administers the ISEE. Their website has information about the exam and a registration portal. Visit www.erblearn.org for information. More test prep information from the ERB is available here: https://www.erblearn.org/families/isee-preparation/
Unlocking Potential
Classes, and private tutoring using their unique curriculum and practice ISEE tests; www.uptestprep.com
Learning Encounters
This is a small, personalized group (maximum 8 students) offering test prep for both the ERB and the ISEE; http://www.learningencounters.com/workshops_erbstar.php
C2 Education of Pasadena
Offers test prep programs and private tutoring for students of all skill levels; https://www.c2educate.com/locations/pasadena-ca/
Huntington Learning Center
Individual tutoring and test prep for ISEE; www.huntingtonhelps.com
Compass Education Group
Offers practice tests and individual tutoring at your home; https://www.compassprep.com
ISEE Accommodations
Eligibility for ISEE Accommodations
A student with a documented disability may be eligible for accommodations such as extended time (50% extra time) on the ISEE.
The student must:
Have a disability or physical challenge that necessitates testing accommodations. Have complete and specific documentation that establishes a current need for the requested accommodations. Currently receive and utilize the requested accommodations, due to the disability, on a regular basis for school-based testing in the student’s present school environment.
Types of Supporting Documentation That May Be Submitted for ISEE Accommodations
Formal Testing - a complete psycho-educational evaluation dated within the last three years. (If it is not within the last three years, and you want to request accommodations for your child, consider a re-evaluation soon.)
An Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan from the current calendar year A School Accommodation Plan from the current calendar year
Physician Letter - a letter from a medical doctor is required if the accommodations are due to a medically-treated issue [such as a vision impairment, deafness, paralysis, ADHD (treated with prescriptions), etc.] or a physical disability.
Continued on next page.
ISEE Accommodations -
Accommodations Approval Process
Please note that there have been recent changes to this process.
Seek approval first and then select a test site and date.
Approval stays with the student for 15 months from the date of that approval (this means you can register now if you already have the documentation).
To register, you first create an online account at https://iseeonline.erblearn.org/ and then select “Yes” for accommodations.
When prompted, list the accommodations your student utilizes at Walden for standardized tests.
Give or email the Current School Statement Form, listing requested accommodations, to Amy Schroder Doss for a signature.
She will return it to you for your submission with your additional documentation. Once you have sent all the documentation, you will hear back from ISEE and can sign up for the testing date and site
IMPORTANT: Please note that approved accommodations do not guarantee an available test site location. ISEE test site locations offer only specific accommodations and most do not offer all accommodations. If the approved accommodation(s) for your student are not offered at any available test site location, you will need to arrange for an individual ISEE administration with the admission office of one of the ISEE test site schools to which your student applying.
Middle School Matriculation Calendar
Summer
Read through Walden's matriculation materials and do some preliminary research of schools that seem like a fit for your child and family.
Decide on a preparation strategy for the test prep if you are applying to a school that makes the ISEE optional or requires its own exam.
For taking the ISEE, select a testing season and test date.
https://www.erblearn.org/parents/isee-registration.
Email Amy to secure testing accommodations if needed.
Schedule a practice ISEE test for your child if taking the test.
Compile your initial list of schools to look further into. We recommend at least 6-8.
August: You will receive an email from the Walden Matriculation Team (Danica and Terra) to schedule your fall meeting. Please respond promptly.
September/October
Meet with the Matriculation Team to discuss your preliminary list of schools. Open Houses and tours begin; schedule a time to visit the schools of interest. Some schools require appointments for parent visits.
Register your child for the ISEE if you chose a later test date.
Written applications, registration forms, and viewbooks become available.
Gather documents needed for application and registration at many schools (birth certificate, social security number, proof of residence, etc.)
Attend Walden's Young Alumni Panel to hear from students about their matriculation experiences and ask questions.
Interview practice: Danica will host interview practice with parents and students on a Sunday (as all Saturdays in October and November will have Open Houses scheduled.)
Family and/or student interviews begin.
November
Open Houses and tours continue.
End of school research and finalize the list of schools you will apply to.
Complete our “School List” form and turn in all signed transcript release forms to Frank at frosamond@waldenschool.net and recommendation forms to their respective faculty by November 14th to assure timely processing of all documents.
The matriculation team will create a sign-up for student mock interviews during the day. Applications for some independent schools are due. Pay attention to deadlines. Some public/charter school initial registrations are due.
Register your child for the Character Skills Snapshot assessment if required.
Family and/or student interviews continue.
Middle School Matriculation Calendar
December-February
Independent school applications are due. Pay attention to deadlines.
Public/Charter school written applications and registrations are due.
Family and/or student interviews continue.
Once applications are submitted, most will schedule shadow days for your child. Your school research continues: choose your top three schools and email the Walden Matriculation Team your top choice schools by February 2, 2026.
Send thank you cards/emails after each visit and indicate your interest in attending. You can feel confident we will submit all transcripts and teacher recommendations on time. Remember that schools that use online portals have an automated system that will notify you if application materials are missing. This can be helpful for you to get parent materials in on time, but disregard reminders for transcripts and teacher recommendations and transcripts. We complete 6th grade progress reports early to ensure transcripts can be sent on time, and should we need additional time for a school with a particularly early due date, we arrange that in advance. Due to school requests and to be equitable, we submit all transcripts at the same time, and the online systems often take additional time to get updated after they have been sent.
March
Read and observe the 6th grade agreements about school choice and sharing in class. Admissions decisions are sent via email, snail mail, or posted on their online portal that you need to login to see. All schools use different approaches for acceptances and financial aid.
Pasadena and Los Angeles Consortium Schools: Early/Mid March 2026 (tentatively) If necessary, meet with teachers or members of Walden's Matriculation Team to discuss acceptance or waitlist decisions.
Run magnet and charter lotteries.
Accept admission, pay fees, and register!
Notify schools you were accepted to that your child will not be attending as soon as possible so other students on their waitlist can be notified of acceptance.
Graphic from The Picky Parent Guide: Choose Your Child's School with Confidence, by
Bryan C. Hassel,
Graphic from The Picky Parent Guide: Choose Your Child's School with Confidence, by
Bryan C. Hassel, Ph.D. and Ayscue Hassel
