Loyola Blakefield admissions for ninth grade have a December 11, 2026 application deadline. The Baltimore-area Jesuit school also asks for the High School Placement Test and a 250 to 500 word writing sample, both due by January 8. I've seen families finish the application on time and then realize the writing sample is still empty.
Loyola Blakefield Admissions at a Glance
- 9th grade test: the HSPT. Loyola hosts a sitting Saturday, November 21, 2026 and accepts scores from other Baltimore-area sites.
- Application and financial aid deadline: December 11, 2026.
- Writing sample: 250 to 500 words, with the prompt in the application, uploaded by January 8, 2027.
- HSPT results, school records and teacher referrals: due January 8, 2027.
- Decisions emailed: Thursday, February 18, 2027. Enrollment deadline: Friday, March 5.
- 6th grade candidates take the ISEE instead of the HSPT.
Loyola Blakefield Admissions Checklist for 9th Grade
The Upper School checklist has six items. Each has its own owner, and several depend on your son's current school.
- Complete the online application by December 11, 2026.
- Schedule a Don for a Day visit once the application is in.
- Register for and take the High School Placement Test.
- Submit the Request for Records form and the common teacher referral.
- Upload the writing sample.
- Apply for financial aid, which is optional, by December 11.
The application portal opened on August 19, and the financial aid portal opened on October 14. After you submit, you get access to an admissions checklist that tracks what is still missing.
The Loyola Blakefield HSPT: Where to Test and When Scores Are Due
The HSPT has five sections: verbal skills, quantitative skills, reading, mathematics and language. It is a multiple-choice test answered on a bubble sheet, and Scholastic Testing Service produces it.
Loyola hosts the test on Saturday, November 21, 2026, and the same test is offered at Baltimore-area schools through the fall. Candidates can take it at any of those locations and name Loyola Blakefield as a school to receive the scores. Results must be received by January 8, 2027.
That January date gives you room. In my experience, the families who feel least rushed are the ones who choose a sitting after the application is in and keep the writing sample on a separate evening.
The Loyola Blakefield Writing Sample
Applicants write 250 to 500 words in response to a prompt inside the application. The sample is uploaded there, and the school's page lists the same January 8 date as the records. The prompt is not published on the public pages, so you will see it when you open the application.
The common weak sample is a tidy summary of achievements. "I play three sports and keep my grades up" tells the reader what is already on the transcript. The stronger sample picks one moment, shows what your son decided, and stays under the word limit without padding.
Boys at this age rarely hear their own writing the way a reader will. A parent can say it sounds fine, but only scored feedback on a timed attempt shows where a paragraph drifts or repeats itself.
Reasoning questions under the clock and a short writing sample are both hard to judge by yourself, because a familiar reader hides the gaps. Start the combo plan for timed STEM Critical Thinking test simulations and detailed Essay Writing feedback.
Records, Referrals and the Don for a Day Visit
School records and teacher referrals come from your son's school office, not from you. Applicants from Archdiocese of Baltimore schools have records sent by the school. All other students submit the Request for Records form, and the school office emails the records and referrals to the Loyola admissions office by January 8.
The Don for a Day is a day-long visit, scheduled after you submit the application. Families are invited to a brief reception before the day starts. It is a full day on campus, so he should prepare a few questions of his own.
Financial aid is separate. The aid application opened on October 14 and is due December 11, the same day as the admissions application.
Loyola Blakefield Decisions, Middle School and Transfers
Admissions decisions are emailed on Thursday, February 18, 2027, and the enrollment deadline is Friday, March 5. The committee reviews each file for academic preparation, character, interests and potential contributions to the school.
The middle school works differently. Sixth grade candidates take the ISEE, which Loyola administers on November 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Seventh and eighth grade enrollment is full for 2027-28, and the transfer application for 10th and 11th grade opens in February.
I've worked with students who assumed a full class meant a closed door. If your son is in grade 7 or 8 now, complete the inquiry form so the school can reach you when an opening appears.
Loyola Blakefield Admissions FAQ
Q: Do I have to take the HSPT at Loyola Blakefield?
A: No. The test is offered at Baltimore-area schools throughout the fall, and candidates may take it at any location and list Loyola Blakefield as a school to receive the scores. Loyola's own sitting is Saturday, November 21, 2026.
Q: What is the deadline for HSPT results?
A: Test results must be received no later than January 8, 2027. That is a month after the December 11 application deadline, so the test can be taken after you submit.
Q: How long is the writing sample and where is the prompt?
A: The writing sample is 250 to 500 words. The prompt is inside the Loyola Blakefield application, and the sample is uploaded there by January 8, 2027.
Q: Which test does a sixth grader take?
A: Candidates for the middle school take the ISEE. Loyola administers it on Saturday, November 21, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and there are other test sites and dates, including an online option.
Q: How do school records reach Loyola Blakefield?
A: Applicants from Archdiocese of Baltimore schools have records sent by their own school. Other families submit the Request for Records form to the school office, which emails records and referrals to admissions@loyolablakefield.org by January 8.
Q: What is a Don for a Day?
A: It is a day-long campus visit. After the online application is submitted, you receive access to schedule it. Each family is invited to a short reception first and can talk with members of the community.
Q: Can my son transfer in later?
A: Loyola is not accepting transfer applications for 2027-28 right now. The online transfer application for current 9th and 10th graders opens in February, and 12th grade transfers are considered case by case.
Scored Practice for the Loyola Blakefield HSPT and Writing Sample
Loyola Blakefield asks for a placement test and 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.
