Application Process

Bryn Mawr offers two distinctive Pre-Kindergarten options. Our Lower School Pre-Kindergarten is for families interested in an early start to their daughter's Lower School experience. To further explore the options for your child, please visit our Pre-K page. 

Bryn Mawr will offer in-person visiting opportunities beginning in October each year. More information and registration is available on our Visit Bryn Mawr page. 

Bryn Mawr’s Fall Visiting Days are a great opportunity for you to see Bryn Mawr during a real school day and to meet and speak with the director of the academic division to which your daughter will apply. Visitors enjoy a campus tour, classroom visits, hearing from our students and seeing firsthand the value and power of a girls' education. There is also plenty of time to get your questions about applications and financial aid answered.

To see a list of all dates available and to register, please refer to our Visit Bryn Mawr page.

Fall Visiting Days are designed for prospective parents and guardians. Prospective students to grades 6–12 are invited to attend the Middle and Upper School Fall Visiting Days with their parents or guardians. After receipt of an application, all applicants to grades 2-12 will have an opportunity to attend classes with a Bryn Mawr hostess on their "Shadow Day."

Not a problem! We also offer Group Tours throughout the fall. Registration can be found on our Visit page. 

The Little School offers their own individual tours, which are separate from the PK-12 Visiting Days. You can register by calling the Little School directly at 410-323-8826 or emailing littleschool@brynmawrschool.org.

If your daughter is applying to grades 2-12, she will spend a morning visiting classes with a Bryn Mawr hostess. This will provide an opportunity for her to gain an "inside look" at Bryn Mawr. She will also have an opportunity to meet individually with a member of the Admissions team during her visit.

Yes, applicants to grades 2-12 will have an opportunity to spend a morning shadowing a current Bryn Mawr student this fall. Shadow Days are scheduled upon receipt of the student’s admission application. If a student is unable to shadow in-person, she will meet virtually with a member of the Admissions team so that we can get to know her better and answer any questions.

A student's Shadow Day will be scheduled upon receipt of her application and the application fee. For applicants to grades 6-12, the required student essay and student questionnaire may be submitted after the shadow day, prior to the application deadline.

A typical day at Bryn Mawr is active; she will move around campus and spend time both indoors and out-of-doors. We suggest that she wear comfortable school clothing, sneakers or other comfortable shoes, and bring outerwear appropriate to the weather.

The student should plan to arrive at the Admission Cottage at 7:45 a.m.*, where she will meet her Bryn Mawr hostess (designated Admissions parking is available in front of the building). They then will be off for their first period class. Students will also end their Shadow Day in the Admissions Cottage.
*On Wednesdays, Upper School (9-12) Shadow Days begin at 8:45 a.m.

Absolutely not. She should just come and enjoy being a Mawrtian for a day!

If your daughter has a friend in her grade at Bryn Mawr, please let us know. We will do our best to accommodate your request. Sometimes visiting girls like to shadow with someone they already know, but others prefer to be paired with someone new. We keep your daughter's interests in mind when assigning hostesses, as well as the schedules of our students. If everything works out, we will assign her friend to be her escort. If not, she will be matched with another hostess. In either case, we think she will have a great morning.

Absolutely! We can't tell you what the girls will be studying on a particular day, but if your daughter feels comfortable participating in the discussion, please tell her to join the conversation. If she would rather sit quietly and listen, that's OK too. Our teachers and students are very excited to have your daughter visiting Bryn Mawr!

Not on her shadow day! Please read the application steps above to view the testing requirements for your daughter’s entry grade. Applicants to grades 5-12 will meet individually with a member of the Admissions Team as part of their Shadow Day experience. Encourage your daughter to bring her questions!

Not a problem! If she has other things she want to discuss, or questions she forgot to ask while she was on campus, just give us a call at 410-323-8800. For the most part, Ms. Canestraro (ext. 1330) works with Middle School applicants and Ms. Jackson (ext. 1237) works with Upper School applicants, but anyone in the Admission Office would be happy to talk with you or your daughter.

Bryn Mawr partners with Kangaroo Coach, an independent transportation contractor, to provide motor coach service to and from school. With nearby morning pickup and evening drop off locations, Kanagroo Coach offers safe and convenient daily transportation options for families. The service currently provides transportation for Bryn Mawr students living in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford, and Howard Counties. Find more information on our Transportation page. 

Bryn Mawr is always looking for curious, motivated and engaged students to join our PK-12 grade community. While there are many ways to be successful at Bryn Mawr, a common characteristic that our students share is a love of learning. If you think that your daughter would benefit from a joyful environment where it's "cool to be smart," we would encourage you to apply. 

Every class grows as they enter a new division. The most common entry points for new students are pre-kindergarten/kindergarten, 6th grade and 9th grade, but spaces may be available in other years as well. Please contact admissions for more information on current availability in the grade to which you wish to apply for your daughter.

As our understanding of gender continues to expand beyond the binary definitions of girl and boy to a more inclusive spectrum of gender identities and expressions, we would welcome a conversation with your family about whether a girls’ school environment would best support the emotional, social and academic needs of your non-binary child.

Read Bryn Mawr’s statement on Gender Diversity:

“The Bryn Mawr School opened its doors in 1885 with a bold vision to educate girls and young women at a time when such opportunities were often available only to boys and men. In keeping with the mission of the school, Bryn Mawr is dedicated to nurturing the full potential of all young women in mind, body and spirit. As our understanding of gender continues to expand beyond the binary definitions of girl and boy to a more inclusive spectrum of gender identities and expressions, Bryn Mawr considers for admission all students who identify as girls and would benefit from an educational environment focused on girls. Should a current student no longer identify as a girl, the school will continue to support the child and the family as they navigate any challenges that may arise from being a transgender or non-binary student in a girls’ school, assuming the student shares in the school's mission. Bryn Mawr will remain current on best practices and will provide support based on the emotional, social, and academic needs of each student.”