Lower School Admission

Our Lower School students cultivate growth mindsets by embracing difficult tasks, overcoming challenges, collaborating, and reflecting on progress.

Key's Lower School offers:

• Small classes and a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio
• Caring, experienced teachers who receive ongoing professional development in neuroscience research and child development
• Instruction by specialists in science, language arts, music, art, physical education, Social & Emotional Learning (SEL), MakerSpace, Spanish, technology, and libraries
• Hands-on projects and games encouraging visual reasoning and problem-solving

How to Apply
Application Deadline
December 15, 2025
Applications received after the deadline are reviewed on a rolling basis contingent on available space and waitlist depth. We recommend families contact our Lower School admission counselor to learn more about availability in your student’s grade. 

Tour Campus
We encourage all families interested in the Lower School to schedule a private tour of campus with your admission counselor.

Apply for Admission
Submit an application through the Admission Portal. All necessary forms and application checklist items can be accessed through your account. 

Lower School applicants are required to submit: 

• A teacher reference (homeroom teacher)
• School Administrator or Guidance Counselor Evaluation
• Transcript

A $60 application fee will be charged upon submitting the application.

Admission Testing
Key will conduct in-house testing for First Grade applicants. Applicants to grades 2, 3 & 4 must complete the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) or the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V).

• Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE)
  Hosted at Key on December 7, 2024 & January 11, 2025
  School Code: 210013
  The ISEE is an academic assessment and consists of four core competencies: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Mathematics Achievement.
• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V)
  The WISC-V is an aptitude test that assesses a student’s learning potential, not their mastery of concepts or recollection of content exposed to in school. The WISC-V measures a range of cognitive abilities, including verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, processing speed and fluid reasoning. This is an ideal test for all students, but particularly those that may struggle with traditional academic assessments.

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Important Dates
2025-2026 Academic Year

September 5, 2025	2026-2027 Applications Open Online
October 9, 2025	Lower School Information Session
October 14, 2025	Upper School Information Session
October 21, 2025	Middle School Information Session
October 30, 2025	Upper School Information Session
November 8, 2025	First School Open House
December 12, 2025	Upper School Shadow Day
December 15, 2025	First & Lower School Application Forms Due
January 10, 2026	Middle & Upper School Application Forms Due
January 10, 2026	Financial Aid Forms Due
January 13, 2026	Upper School Shadow Day
February 20, 2026	Admission Decisions Released