The Results Are In! Celebrating Our 2026 Independent School Admissions Season
Every spring, independent school admissions decisions come in, and we get to be part of what happens next. This year, we worked with 49 families and 53 students across nursery through high school. Here’s a look at the results — and how we approach the work.
“This admissions cycle asked a lot of students and families, not just academically, but emotionally. I am so proud of the way my clients showed up: thoughtful in their essays, reflective in their storytelling, and genuinely themselves in interviews. It was a competitive year, and we approached it with clarity, strategy, and integrity. Most importantly, students learned how to articulate who they are and how they learn, a skill that will serve them far beyond admissions. I’m deeply proud of both their outcomes and their growth through the process.” –Mary Miele, Evolved Founder and CEO
This year’s applications and acceptances
This year, we helped 53 children from 49 families submit 234 applications across:
- 47 K–8 or K–12 schools
- 33 nursery programs
- 15 boarding schools
Placements we supported, Nursery / Pre-K
Brownstone · Columbus Pre-School · Montclare · Park Children’s · West Side Montessori · St. Hilda’s · Reade Street · Brick Church · Christ Church · Garden House · First Presbyterian · Chelsea Day · Dwight-Englewood
Placements we supported, K-12
Allen-Stevenson · Brearley · Browning · Brooklyn Friends · Calhoun · Cathedral · Chapin · Dalton · Ethical Culture Fieldston · Friends Seminary · Grace Church · Greenwich Country Day · Hewitt · Heschel · Horace Mann · LREI · Marymount · Masters · Poly Prep · Riverdale · Rodeph Sholom · Sacred Heart of New York · Sacred Heart of Greenwich · Speyer Legacy · St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s · Town · Trevor Day · York Preparatory
“This admission season was incredibly strong for my families! The success reflects not just strong outcomes, but careful planning, authentic positioning, and deep understanding of school fit.” –Becky Reback, Evolved School Placement Advisor and Director of Assessment
How we do it
At Evolved, school placement begins with truly understanding your child. We start with a comprehensive academic assessment process that looks beyond grades and test scores to examine how a student learns, where they feel confident, and where they may need support. From there, we build a thoughtful, strategic plan that aligns your student’s strengths, challenges, and personality with each school’s academic program, culture, extracurricular offerings, and support systems.
We don’t generate generic school lists. Instead, we work from deep knowledge of the schools and our relationships with them. That experience shapes not just which schools we recommend, but how we position each child throughout the process. We partner closely with families on every element of the application — communication strategy, essays, parent statements, interviews, and for younger students, mock playgroups and assessments — so that the final choice is not just a good school, but the right one for that child and that family.
“It was a competitive year, and we had so many successes. Beyond the outcomes, what stood out most to me was our students’ growth. Through our work, they strengthened their writing, interview skills, and their confidence in meaningful ways. The results reflected their preparation, and these skills will stay with them through their next placement.” –Julia Calantone, Evolved School Placement Advisor
Free Download:
Getting Into Your Top-Choice School: 4 Lessons From The 2026 Admissions Cycle And Your Roadmap For Next Year
Julia Calantone breaks down what separated successful applicants this season — and how to set your child up for next year, step by step.
What families are saying
“We are so appreciative of all of Evolved’s expertise, care, and patience with us throughout this process. We loved working with Evolved and felt like we were in the best hands. We know we couldn’t have done it without you, thank you!!”
“Dalton, here we come!!!”
“Officially in at BFS, which is our first choice. So happy! Thank you!!!”
“I’ve been anticipating this notification date for so many months, and now we have THREE of our top schools. I didn’t expect to have more work to do to figure out where to go, but I am very, very glad we are here. It’s really pretty amazing. Thank you!”