Delbarton School admissions for 7th and 9th grade center on one Saturday sitting: the Entrance Exam on December 5, 2026, paired with a Writing Sample. The Morristown, New Jersey school also closes applications in the last days of November, and its own pages give two different dates. I've seen families plan around the test and miss the application date.
Delbarton School Admissions at a Glance
- Entrance Exam: Saturday, December 5, 2026, with a Writing Sample. The earlier sitting, October 24, has passed.
- Test content: Reading, Language and Mathematics, taken on campus.
- Last day to apply: November 30 on the admissions calendar and December 1 on the inquiry page.
- Interviews with the Admissions Committee: Saturday mornings on November 14 and 21, or during the school day.
- Admissions and financial aid notifications: Friday, January 15, 2027 at 4:00 p.m.
- Application fee: $55, with a waiver available for financial aid applicants.
Delbarton School Admissions Steps for 7th and 9th Grade
Delbarton says a candidacy is considered only after three steps are complete, in any order. Each step has a separate owner, so line them up early.
- Apply through the online application. It holds applicant information, teacher recommendations, school transcripts and testing.
- Complete an on-campus interview with a member of the Admissions Committee. The applicant and his parents attend together.
- Take the Entrance Exam, with its Writing Sample.
Delbarton decides on the whole file: the transcript, teacher recommendations, standardized test results, the personal interview and the formal application. No single piece decides it.
The Delbarton Entrance Exam on December 5
The Entrance Exam is an on-campus standardized test in Reading, Language and Mathematics. It runs on a Saturday morning. Delbarton offered two sittings this year, and the second is December 5, 2026, so that is the one still open.
The school does not publish a cutoff or a score range, so you cannot work backward from a target. What you can do is protect the test day itself. In my experience, students lose points to pacing more often than to content, especially on timed language items.
The testing mornings also include a Q&A presentation for parents, so plan to stay and bring your questions.
The Delbarton Writing Sample and Why It Matters
The Writing Sample is taken along with the Entrance Exam on campus. The page does not say how long it is, how it is timed or what the prompt will be.
A rushed sample usually fails in the same way. It states an opinion in the first line, then spends four paragraphs repeating it. A stronger sample commits to one claim and supports it with one specific example.
Students rarely see that pattern in their own writing, because they remember what they meant, not what they wrote.
Writing a sample on test day and answering reading and math questions at pace are both hard to judge on your own, because you remember what you meant, not what you wrote. Start the combo plan for timed STEM Critical Thinking test simulations and detailed Essay Writing feedback.
The Delbarton Application Deadline and Timeline
The deadline needs a careful read. The admissions calendar lists November 30 as the last day to apply and as the Clarity financial aid deadline. The inquiry page says Tuesday, December 1. Treat November 30 as the safe date and confirm with the admissions office.
Applications for 2027-28 opened on August 17. Interviews run on Saturday mornings on November 14 and 21. The December 5 exam follows, and notifications arrive on January 15, 2027 at 4:00 p.m.
The admission season runs from September to January. Families who arrive in November should treat the next three weeks as a checklist, not a decision window.
Delbarton Fees, Financial Aid and Next Steps
The application fee is $55. Students applying for financial aid may contact the Admissions Office to request a waiver of that fee. The Clarity financial aid application shares the November 30 deadline.
I've worked with students who treated the interview as a formality and gave short answers. It is a place to be specific. Help your son pick two or three things he can describe in his own words, such as a book, a team or a project.
Delbarton School Admissions FAQ
Q: Which grades does Delbarton admit students into?
A: Students typically apply for 7th or 9th grade. Transfer openings may be available in grades 8, 10 and 11 on a space-available basis. Delbarton does not admit students entering 12th grade, postgraduate students or mid-year applicants.
Q: Is the entrance exam the same for 7th and 9th grade applicants?
A: The page describes one on-campus standardized test in Reading, Language and Mathematics, along with a Writing Sample. It does not list separate versions by grade, so ask the admissions office what level your son will take.
Q: What happens on the testing mornings besides the exam?
A: Parents are invited to attend a student Q&A information presentation while their sons test. The exam is held on Saturday mornings at Delbarton, and the school offered one on October 24 before the December 5 sitting.
Q: How do the interviews work?
A: A member of the Admissions Committee interviews the applicant and his parents. Interviews are offered during the school day and on five Saturday mornings in October and November, including November 14 and 21 on the admissions calendar.
Q: Can the application fee be waived?
A: Yes. The application fee is $55, and students applying for financial aid may contact the Admissions Office to request a waiver. The Clarity financial aid application is due on the same date as the application.
Q: When do decisions arrive?
A: Admissions and financial aid notifications are emailed on Friday, January 15, 2027 at 4:00 p.m. The admission season runs from September to January, and applications for 2027-28 opened on August 17.
Q: What are the transfer rules?
A: Transfer applicants for grades 8, 10 and 11 follow a separate process during the school year before the September they want to enroll. Delbarton will not accept applicants into 12th grade or students seeking to reclass after entering high school.
Scored Practice for the Delbarton Exam and Writing Sample
Delbarton pairs a timed exam with a Writing Sample, so both skills show up in the file. Use STEM Critical Thinking Practice Tests for timed test simulations with progress tracking and Essay Writing Practice Tests for practice essay prompts with detailed grading and feedback. The combo plan covers both, or compare all plans and pricing first.
