In short: Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut enrolls 859 students in grades 9-12 and PG, does not require standardized testing, charges $74,530 in boarding tuition and fees for 2026-27, and closes applications on January 15.

Applying to Choate Rosemary Hall?

EDUBUS keeps the timeline and past cases for this school.

Not required (SSAT or ISEE may be submitted) prepBook a school consultation
Tuition$74,5302026-27
Grades9-12,PG
Enrollment859students
Entrance examNot required (SSAT or ISEE may be submitted)
Location
Wallingford, CT
Founded
1890
Official Website
www.choate.edu

Application timelineper school website

  1. Application and financial aid materials dueDeadline
  2. Decisions released

Verified 2026-09-22; schools refresh dates each fall, confirm on the official site before applying.

Overview

Choate Rosemary Hall is a coeducational boarding and day school at 333 Christian Street in Wallingford, Connecticut, on a 458-acre campus two blocks from the town center. It was formed from Rosemary Hall, founded in 1890, and The Choate School, founded in 1896, and enrolls grades 9 through 12 plus a PG (post-graduate) year. The 2025-26 school profile reports 859 students, 649 boarding and 210 day, drawn from 40 states and territories including the District of Columbia and from 30 countries and regions, with 57 countries of citizenship represented; about 18 percent of students are international.

Academics

The catalogue lists more than 300 courses across six departments: arts, English, HPRSS (history, philosophy, religion and social sciences), languages, mathematics and computer science, and science. The school runs on a trimester calendar, courses span one, two or three terms, and students carry five classes per term. Beginning in 2017-18 Choate stopped offering AP courses; what were previously AP designations are now Honors courses, and the college profile lists the Honors and post-AP offerings department by department. Students may still sit AP exams on their own. Eight signature programs give focused paths, among them the Advanced Robotics Concentration, Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies, the Capstone Program, the Environmental Immersion Program, the John F. Kennedy ’35 Program in Government and Public Service, and the Science Research Program. Average class size and student-teacher ratio are not published; ask on a visit.

Applying

Applications go through Gateway to Prep Schools and include the candidate profile, applicant essays, a parent or guardian statement, the principal or counselor recommendation with a transcript report, and recommendations from current English and mathematics teachers. An optional third teacher recommendation and a personal recommendation are accepted. An interview is strongly encouraged and must fall within the current cycle; interviews run from September through February. Standardized testing is not required. Applications and financial aid materials are due January 15, and decisions are released March 10. No acceptance rate is published.

Cost and aid

Published 2026-27 figures are $74,530 for boarding tuition and fees and $57,610 for day. These are the school’s posted rates for that year and do not include flights, insurance or personal expenses. Choate states that it meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need and that admission and financial aid decisions are made independently of each other.

What an Irvine family should think through

Optional testing cuts both ways: without a score to anchor the file, transcripts, recommendations, the interview and the essays carry more weight, and essays need specific experience rather than general enthusiasm. Beyond paperwork, be candid about the move. A 14-year-old will be three time zones away, your evening is their bedtime, travel from Orange County usually routes through New York or Boston, and dorm life means managing laundry, sleep and sick days alone. Arrange an adult in the Northeast who can reach campus on short notice. EDUBUS works from Irvine on school selection, SSAT preparation and private school planning, scheduled backward from the school’s published deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is standardized testing really optional?

Yes. The admission FAQ states that standardized testing is not required to apply, and that submitted scores are read holistically. If a family does submit, grade 9 and 10 applicants use the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) or ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam), grade 11 applicants may also use the PSAT, SAT or ACT, and PG (post-graduate year) applicants use the PSAT, SAT or ACT. Decide case by case rather than defaulting to withholding.

Does a non-native English speaker need a TOEFL or Duolingo score?

Choate strongly encourages applicants who are not native English speakers, or who have not attended a school where English is the primary language of instruction for at least two years, to submit a TOEFL, Duolingo or IELTS result. A student who has been in English-medium schooling in Irvine for years usually falls outside that group.

Does the school publish an acceptance rate?

No. Neither the admission pages nor the FAQ publishes an acceptance rate or applicant count. Numbers on ranking and review sites are not the school's own figures, and EDUBUS does not cite them.

Can a family living outside the United States apply for aid?

Yes. Choate states that it meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need and that families outside the U.S. complete the Clarity Application and submit tax documentation or an employer income statement. Financial aid materials share the January 15 deadline.

What does the timeline look like from Orange County?

Interviews run from September through February, so visit and interview in the fall, close out recommendations and essays by December, submit by January 15, expect decisions on March 10, and sign an enrollment contract in early April. EDUBUS, based in Irvine, builds the school-selection, testing and interview schedule backward from those dates.

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