Visitation School admissions for ninth grade begin with a December 12, 2026 initial application and an entrance evaluation held at the school on December 12 or January 9. The Mendota Heights, Minnesota girls' school also ties its merit scholarships to that test and to a required essay. I've seen families register for the test and miss that the scholarship essay is a separate task.
Visitation School Admissions at a Glance
- Entrance evaluation: Saturday, December 12, 2026 or Saturday, January 9, 2027, both at 8:30 a.m. at Visitation.
- Initial application: due Saturday, December 12, 2026. Application fee: $25.
- Supplemental items, including teacher evaluations, transcripts and student and parent essays: due January 9, 2027.
- Merit scholarships: apply by January 9, 2027, and test at Visitation on one of the two dates.
- Need-based financial grants: due Monday, January 11, 2027.
- Admissions decision: mid-February 2027, with rolling admissions after that.
Visitation School Admissions Checklist for Grade 9
The grade 9 checklist has a short list of parts. Several are handled by other people, so send those requests as soon as you submit the initial form.
- The online application and the $25 fee.
- Transcripts, requested electronically from your child's school through the parent portal.
- Two teacher evaluations, from the English teacher and the math teacher.
- A student visit day, which the school typically requires of students entering grades one through eleven.
- The entrance evaluation.
- Student and parent essays.
Rolling admissions continue until classes fill, but the school prioritizes applications that arrive by the December 12 initial deadline.
The Visitation Entrance Evaluation: December 12 or January 9
Ninth grade applicants register online for either testing date. Both start at 8:30 a.m. at Visitation. The page calls it an entrance evaluation and an entrance exam but does not describe its sections.
Choosing the date is a strategy question. The December 12 sitting matches the initial application deadline, so a family that tests then has a complete first-round file. The January 9 sitting matches the supplemental deadline, so those families send everything in one weekend.
In my experience, the families who pick January 9 for the extra time rarely use it. They spend the holidays on other things and arrive at the test less prepared than they planned.
Merit Scholarships: Saint Elizabeth and Mother Mary
Visitation links two merit awards to the entrance exam. To be considered for any merit-based scholarship, the applicant must test at Visitation on one of the two listed dates.
- The Saint Elizabeth Scholarship goes to the top five composite test scorers among ninth grade applicants who test at Visitation.
- The Mother Mary Scholarship requires the entrance test and the required essay by January 9, 2027. The school considers the complete application file.
A scholarship tied to the top five composite scores is a different kind of test day from an ordinary admission test. The margin is small, and a single weak section moves a composite.
A composite score and a required essay are both hard to judge on your own, because an untimed attempt hides the pacing problem and a familiar reader hides the gaps. Start the combo plan for timed STEM Critical Thinking test simulations and detailed Essay Writing feedback.
The Visitation Essays and Supplemental Items
The supplemental deadline of January 9, 2027 covers teacher evaluations, transcripts and the student and parent essays. The student essay is the one the Mother Mary Scholarship uses, and its link appears in the parent portal after you submit the application form.
The page does not publish the essay prompt or length. A student who treats it as a list of achievements gives the reader nothing new, because the transcript already lists them.
The parent essay is a separate piece of writing. Plan it separately, so the two voices do not sound alike.
Visitation Dates, Aid and Decisions
Need-based financial grants are due Monday, January 11, 2027. Admissions decisions are listed for mid-February 2027, and rolling admissions continue until classes fill.
I've worked with students who finished testing and then waited on teachers for weeks. Send both evaluation requests the day you submit the initial application, because teachers need time to write them.
Visitation School Admissions FAQ
Q: Do all applicants take the entrance evaluation?
A: Applicants to grade 9 do. There is no entrance evaluation for applications to grades 10 and 11. Ninth graders choose the December 12, 2026 or January 9, 2027 sitting, both at 8:30 a.m. at Visitation.
Q: Can my daughter test somewhere else?
A: The page says applicants must test at Visitation on one of the two listed dates to be considered for merit scholarships. It does not say whether outside testing is accepted for admission, so ask the enrollment team.
Q: Who is considered for the Saint Elizabeth Scholarship?
A: All 9th grade applicants who register and take the entrance exam at Visitation on December 12 or January 9. The scholarship is awarded to the top five composite test scorers.
Q: What does the Mother Mary Scholarship require?
A: The entrance test at Visitation and the required essay, both by January 9, 2027. The link to the essay appears in your Finalsite Enrollment parent portal after you submit the application form. The school considers the complete file.
Q: Who writes the teacher evaluations?
A: Two teachers complete online forms: your daughter's English teacher and her math teacher. After you submit the initial application, you send the requests from the checklist in the enrollment portal.
Q: What does the transcript request include?
A: The school is asked to upload grades from the current school year and the two previous years, standardized test scores and attendance records. You send the electronic request through your parent portal.
Q: When do decisions arrive?
A: The page lists a mid-February 2027 admissions decision. Because the school prioritizes applications received by the December 12 initial deadline, a family that completes the file later may not hear until late February or after.
Scored Practice for the Visitation Entrance Evaluation and Essay
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