FAQ

List of 12 frequently asked questions.

• Do I need to submit a completed application before I visit the School?

  We are happy to give a tour to anyone who inquires about admission to Fay. If you are interested in proceeding further with the process and booking an interview (for Upper School applicants) or a parent interview or applicant screening (for Primary and Lower School applicants), we ask that you submit the Family and Student Profile section of the application form (or the equivalent, initial demographics and parent statement sections if you are using a standard application form) before your visit.

• Do I need to submit a completed application by the deadline, or just the first part?

  Meeting the application deadline means that we have received your entire application by the deadline. Sometimes we may need to schedule a student interview after the deadline, or a current school won't be able to provide a transcript (report card) for the current year by the deadline. In situations like these, as long as everything else has been submitted on time we can usually work with you to complete everything in order for you to receive an admission decision on time. But it is not sufficient to simply submit the first part of an application on or very close to the deadline; in that situation we may not be able to consider your application until the second round.

• I just found out about Fay and I want to apply but it is after the application deadline. Do I have to wait until next year?

  The deadline for day students to apply to Fay is January 15; however, we often save a handful of spaces in select grades for late applicants. We encourage you to contact the Office of Admission at admission@fayschool.org to find out which grades are still accepting applications.
  
  The priority deadline for international boarding students is December 15, and it is very important to submit your completed application by this deadline in order to receive first consideration. 
  
  Domestic boarding applicants submit applications on a rolling basis, which means we accept applications throughout the year until all of the spaces have been filled.

• How do I pay the application fee?

  There are three options for paying the application fee:

   

  • Use our fee free peer transfer account. Log on to flywire.com/pay/fayschool and create an account. The entire process will take less than 5 minutes.

   

  • Send a wire transfer. Please contact the Business Office at dbyrne@fayschool.org or 508-490-8213 for our account number.

   

  • Write a check payable to Fay School and send it to Fay School Office of Admission, 48 Main Street, Southborough, MA 01772

• Two days after my child submitted the application to Fay, he won an award. Can I call the Admission Office to add it to the file, or is it too late?

  If you have any new information you would like to include with your child’s application, please email the details to the admission officer who interviewed your child. We will be happy to add supplemental materials to his or her file.

• I was accepted to Fay but can't attend. May I defer my admission to next year?

  Because many considerations go into each admission decision, including the number of spaces available and the strength of the applicant pool for a particular grade level, we are not able to defer offers of admission to the following school year. However, we do welcome students to re-apply to Fay. As a re-applicant, you do not need to fill out the application again unless you are applying for a different division (i.e. last year you were an applicant to grade two in Primary School, and this year you will be an applicant to grade three in Lower School). Nor do you need to re-take any standardized tests if you submitted a current test last year. However, we do ask for updated school reports, including transcripts and teacher recommendations. Applicants to grades four and higher may submit a one-page written statement from the student updating us on the past year since he or she applied, both academically and personally. Please note we may also require another campus visit for an updated assessment, screening, or interview (depending on grade level.) If you have questions about what else you may submit to support your re-application, please contact the Office of Admission at admission@fayschool.org.

• I have already applied to Fay once. May I re-apply?

  Because many considerations go into each admission decision, including the number of spaces available and the strength of the applicant pool for a particular grade level, we welcome students to re-apply to Fay. You do not need to fill out the application again unless you are applying for a different division (i.e. last year you were an applicant to grade two in Primary School, and this year you will be an applicant to grade three in Lower School). However, we do ask for updated school reports, including transcripts and teacher recommendations. Applicants to grades four and higher may submit a one-page written statement from the student updating us on the past year since he or she applied, both academically and personally. We may also require another campus visit for an updated assessment, screening, or interview (depending on grade level.) If you have questions about what else you may submit to support your re-application, please contact the Office of Admission at admission@fayschool.org.

• My child is a good student, but I have heard that there are many benefits to repeating a grade when starting at an independent school. How do I decide which grade my child should apply for?

  While it is true that several students each year elect to repeat a grade when they enter Fay, we find that the decision is a personal one that is best made on a case-by-case basis. Many families apply for their preferred grade but include a letter with their application saying that they would be willing to receive an acceptance for the other grade if the Admission Committee feels it is the best fit. We encourage you to discuss your child’s particular situation with your Admission Officer. Please know that admission to Fay School is selective, and students who wish to repeat because of very poor scholastic achievement in the past year are not strong candidates.

• I live far away. May I interview virtually?

  We do offer Zoom interviews (for Upper School applicants only); you may arrange one through the Office of Admission at admission@fayschool.org. Alternatively, you may opt for an in-person interview near your home if we have an admission officer traveling to your area. We change our travel schedule every year in order to reach many places in the United States and around the world. Please check the Admission Events page of our website for the latest information on our travel plans. All Primary and Lower School applicants (for Kindergarten through grade 6) are required to attend in-person screening events.

• In my country, the school year runs from January to November. Can I apply to begin 7th grade at Fay in September if I haven’t fully completed 6th grade in my country?

  No. We require all students to successfully complete the previous grade level before entering Fay.

• I study at an international school. Do I still need to submit a TOEFL or TOEFL Jr. test score?

  Yes, we require all students whose native language is not English to submit a TOEFL or TOEFL Jr., test score regardless of where they attend school.

• I’ve heard the TOEFL, Jr. is an easier test than the TOEFL, but it’s not offered in my country. Will getting a low score on the TOEFL hurt my chances of getting accepted?

  We understand that the TOEFL, Jr. is a test written for middle school students, and the TOEFL is a test written for applicants to college, and we take this into consideration when we review a student’s test scores. Applicants from Mainland China should carefully review our instructions regarding these tests.