Cardigan Mountain School A boarding and day school for boys in grades 6 through 9

Secondary School Counseling

Secondary School logos

The Secondary School Counseling Office assists ninth graders and their parents in the process of selecting a secondary school to attend following graduation from Cardigan.

Working with information gathered from students, parents, teachers, advisors, coaches, and dorm parents, a list of suggested appropriate schools is compiled by the placement director and international student placement director and sent to you in the summer preceding your son’s ninth-grade year. During the fall, representatives from approximately 80 secondary schools visit Cardigan to talk with interested students.

Families should plan to visit and interview at a series of schools before applying to a limited number—usually no more than six to eight schools. The counseling office is also responsible for assembling and mailing a placement packet for each student which includes recommendation letters from teachers, a transcript showing all term grades earned at Cardigan (including the ninth grade fall term), SSAT scores from the ninth grade, a graded writing sample (if required by the secondary school), and a general recommendation letter drafted jointly by the head of school and the director of counseling or director of international student counseling.  

Seniors should conduct their visits to schools on Columbus Day/Indigenous People's Day (also known as Sandwich Fair Day at Cardigan, there are no classes), during the Fall Term Long Weekend, and if necessary, the week following Thanksgiving Recess. During these visits, students should interview with prospective secondary schools, as interviews are required for admission. All arrangements for these visits are to be made with permission of the dean of student life and the director of placement.

Boys and their families should plan on completing their portion of the application process by January 1.

Testing

The Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) is administered to the ninth grade on October 13, November 10, and is optional on December 8. Cardigan’s Secondary School Counseling office registers students for these test dates. Any requests for special accommodations should be forwarded to the director of secondary school placement and the director of studies.

Class of 2022 Matriculation

Members of Cardigan’s Class of 2022 will attend 39 different secondary schools in the United States and Canada.

Avon Old Farms (CT) (5)
Blair Academy (NJ)
Brooks School (MA) (3)
Canterbury School (CT)
Choate Rosemary Hall (CT)
Cranbrook School (MI)
Episcopal High School (VA)
Groton School (MA)
The Hill School (PA)
Holderness School (NH)
The Hotchkiss School (CT) (2)
Kent School (CT) (3)
Kimball Union Academy (NH)(4)
The Loomis Chaffee School (CT)
Mercersburg Academy (PA)(3)
Middlesex School (MA) (3)
Moses Brown School (RI)
Northfield Mount Hermon School (MA)
The Pennington School (NJ)
Phillips Academy Andover (MA)
Phillips Exeter Academy (NH) (2)

Pomfret School (CT)
Proctor Academy (NH) (3)
St. Andrew's School (DE)
St. George's School (RI)
St. John's Preparatory School (MA) (2)
St. Mark's School (MA) (3)
St. Paul's School (Concord, NH) (4)
Salisbury School (CT)
Stanstead College School (QC)
Stevenson School (CA)
The Taft School (CT)
The Thacher School (2)
Virginia Episcopal School (VA)
The Webb Schools (CA)
Westminster School (CT) (2)
Westtown School (PA)
Wilbraham & Monson Academy (MA)
Williston Northampton School (MA)

Class of 2021 Matriculation

Members of Cardigan’s Class of 2021 will attend 33 different secondary schools in eight different states, one excellent public school and one other country.

Berkshire School (MA)
Blair Academy (NJ)
Brooks School (MA)
Concord Academy (MA)
Cushing Academy (MA)
Deerfield Academy (MA)
Groton School (MA)
Holderness School (NH)
Kent School (CT)
Landmark School (MA)
Middlesex School (MA)
Milton Academy (MA)
Peddie School (NJ)
Phillips Exeter Academy (NH)
Pomfret School (CT)
Portsmouth Abbey School (RI)
Proctor Academy (NH)

Salisbury School (CT)
St. Andrew's School (DE)
St. Andrew's School (TX)
St. George's School (RI)
St. John's Preparatory School (MA)
St. Mark's School (MA)
St. Mark's School (TX)
St. Paul's School (NH)
Suffield Academy (CT)
The Governor's Academy (MA)
The Hill School (PA)
The Hotchkiss School (CT)
The Lawrenceville School (NJ)
The Taft School (CT)
Tilton School (NH)
Universidad de Celaya (Mexico)
Winchester High School (MA)

Matriculation History

Over the past five years, Cardigan graduates have most commonly attended these secondary schools.

Learn More

Click below to read our helpful Guide to the Secondary School Process.

Read the Guide