Admissions

Admissions Process

Applying to Vistamar

Vistamar uses the Standard Application Online (SAO)— to learn more about using the SAO and begin your application, click here.

 Supporting Materials: All supporting materials must be received shortly after the application deadline on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.

 Testing: Vistamar School is test optional. Any family that would like to take the ISEE or SSAT may submit those scores for consideration. Families that choose not to have standardized test scores considered will be asked to sit for Vistamar’s Virtual Writing Assessment (VWA) at a cost of $60. Should this present a significant financial burden for your family, reach out to the admissions team directly to request a fee waiver. 

 Please feel free to contact us throughout the admission season if you have any questions about applying.

Email: admissions@vistamarschool.org or  Phone: 310-643-7377

 

Rolling Admissions

Vistamar considers transfer applications for the current school year on a case-by case basis. Students applying for 2023-2024 during our Rolling Admissions phase (after the application deadline of January 17, 2023) are also considered on a case-by-case basis. Unfortunately, Moderated Tuition, our version of Financial Aid, is not available to families applying during this phase. Please email us for additional details.

List of 2 items.

  • Timeline for Fall 2023 Application Season

    The application season runs from September 2022 - March 2023. 

    Application Deadline: January 17, 2023
    Admission Notification: March 10, 2023
    Admission Response: March 17, 2023

  • Decision Dates

    Decision notification letters for the 2023-24 school year will be mailed and emailed on March 10, 2023 to each candidate who has a complete file. 

    Should you apply after the January 17, 2023 deadline, the Admission Committee will make decisions on a rolling basis depending on space availability.

Step - By - Step Instructions

List of 6 items.

  • STEP ONE: SUBMIT THE INQUIRY FORM

    Future Applicants: Please fill out the online inquiry form. By doing this, you and your family will be added to our admissions database. This step lets us know of your interests and ensures you receive important communications from the Admissions Office. 

    Please note: If you have already completed the inquiry form, you are in our database and do not need to fill out the form again. 
     

  • STEP TWO: COME VISIT

    The best way to get to know Vistamar School is to visit our innovative campus and see for yourself what we are all about.

    We offer in person and virtual options to attend an Open House or specific areas of interest such as STEM, Athletics or the Arts during the fall admissions season. These events provide prospective students and parents the opportunity to learn more about Vistamar’s curriculum, faculty, administration, student life, college acceptances, athletics, extracurricular activities, and more. Information on these sessions will be listed on our website soon. 

    Until you can get to campus, our Virtual Campus Tour is live! See what it's like to learn, play, and create at Vistamar School.
     
     

  • STEP THREE: APPLY ONLINE

    Vistamar School uses the Standard Application Online (SAO) To begin your application, click here. Make sure to select "Vistamar School" from the school list. 

    The deadline to submit an application for the 2023-24 academic year is January 17, 2023. Vistamar School will consider applications beyond the deadline in Rolling Admissions. 

    *There is a one-time application fee of $125. If you would like to request a fee waiver, more information is included below.

    The Character Skills Snapshot is not required as part of the application process. We will accept the report if a family chooses to submit it. Click here to submit the snapshot.

  • STEP FOUR: SCHEDULE YOUR VWA OR STANDARDIZED TEST

    Vistamar School is test optional for students applying for fall 2023-2024 consideration. Applicant families are welcome to submit the ISEE, SSAT, or HSPT but are not required to do so. If you do elect to submit standardized test scores, all test results must come to Vistamar School directly from the testing company. We will not accept scores from an applicant’s family or consultant. 

    If a student elects to forgo taking any of the listed exams, they will be asked to sit for the Vistamar Writing Assessment (VWA). The cost for the VWA is $60 and fee waivers will be provided. The VWA is can be administered either online or in person.

  • STEP FIVE: SUPPLEMENTAL FORMS

    In addition to the application, each student is required to submit transcripts and three letters of recommendation -- one from an Administrator, one from an English teacher, and one from a Math teacher. The standard recommendation forms that all members of the LAIS (Los Angeles Independent Schools) Consortium use are available below. 

    We will also accept the forms requested through your SAO portal. 

    These forms can be submitted between December 2022 and mid-January 2023.

  • STEP SIX: SCHEDULE YOUR INTERVIEW

    After you have submitted your Student Profile, Parent Statement, and Student Essays on the SAO, we will contact you to set up an in-person or virtual interview with a member of the Vistamar Admissions Committee.

    We will interview you and your parent(s) or guardian(s) on the same day. At least one parent or guardian is expected to attend the interview with you. Interviews typically last 45 minutes to an hour at Vistamar.
     
ADMISSIONS FEE WAIVERS:  To request fee waivers for the Admissions Application or Admissions Testing, please email admissions@vistamarschool.org. Please include your student's first and last name and fee waiver type you are requesting.
 
MODERATED TUITION FEE WAIVER: Schools and Student Services (SSS) will use the Federal poverty guidelines to consider family size, income and asset information in the Parents Financial Statement (PFS) to assess the family's situation, and automatically apply a waiver if the family qualifies. Our school code is "4027."

PLEASE NOTE: Unfortunately, due to budget limitations, Moderated Tuition is only offered to returning families and new 9th grade families who apply by the priority deadline.

Admissions FAQs

List of 6 frequently asked questions.

  • How do I sign up for a Vista-Visit (Shadow) Day?

    Vista-Visits are held on select dates throughout the Admissions Season. Please make sure to complete the inquiry form to receive updates on dates/times for these events. 
     

  • Does Vistamar have support for students with Learning Profiles?

    Applicants currently receiving or anticipate to receive educational support from Vistamar School need to email current (within the last 3 - 5 years) pertinent educational or neuropsychological testing to admissions@vistamarschool.org. The testing should document a diagnosis with corresponding  accommodations. 

    We do offer the accommodations of 50% extended time as well as use of a laptop for notes and in-class essays based on a documented diagnosis with designated accommodations.

  • Can I submit my application and supplemental forms early?

    Yes. We encourage students and families to submit their application as early as September 2022 prior to the mid-January 2023 priority deadline.  

    Supplemental Forms from the student’s current school, however, are not due until January 31, 2023. We will accept those forms as early as December 1, 2022. 

    We recommend these forms be submitted to us as close to January 31st as possible so we can have the most recent and up-to-date information regarding the student. Once we have received all the pieces of an application can we begin the evaluation process.

  • How do I apply for Moderated Tuition (Financial Aid)?

    We at Vistamar are deeply committed to working with qualified students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to assist with tuition costs. To do this, we’ve developed a robust, need-based program we call Moderated Tuition. Many schools refer to these programs as financial aid, but Vistamar’s program is preferable because it serves a wider variety of family circumstances including families who have moderate need. Click here to read more...

  • Is an Admission Interview Required?

    Yes.  After your online application has been submitted, we will contact you to set up an interview with a member of the Vistamar Admissions Committee.

    Interviews will be held from October through Mid- February. You and your parent(s) or guardian(s) will be interviewed individually on the same day. At least one parent or guardian is expected to attend the interview with you and you can plan on spending no more than one hour at Vistamar.

  • Does Vistamar School have a bus or transportation service?

    YES.  
    Here are the key details about our transportation service:
     
    • Our program serves families who come from areas such as Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, West LA, Palms, Torrance/Palos Verdes, Inglewood, Fox Hills, and Long Beach. 
    • Families are responsible for covering the cost of transportation one-way or round trip.
    • Vistamar partners with families who are participating in Moderated Tuition on an individual basis to help make the program affordable.
    For more information about the transportation service, click here

Transfer Applicant Deadlines

Vistamar School will accept transfer applications for the 2023-2024 school year. We have spaces in grades 9 and 10, with limited spaces in grade 11 and 12. The application deadline listed above for incoming 9th graders are the same for transfer students. Transfer students interest in Moderated Tuition will need to apply using the SSS. See details above.

Vistamar runs on a trimester system and students considering a mid-year entry should check with their school registrar to make sure they can receive quarter or trimester credit. 

Rolling Admissions for Transfer Applicants

Please review the entry point dates and deadlines below. The steps to apply are in the center column. 
 
Entry Point 1 - 2nd Trimester start, first week of December 2022
  • All applications and supplemental materials must be in no later than the first week in November.
  • Decisions rendered by mid-November.
Entry Point 2 - Midyear start, first week of January 2023
  • All applications and supplemental materials must be in no later than the first week of December.
  • Decisions rendered by mid-December.
Entry Point 3 - 3rd Trimester start, mid-March 2023
  • All applications and supplemental materials must be in no later than mid-February.
  • Decisions rendered late-February.


Admission Testing Information

With COVID-19 continuing to impact education, we want to reduce the stress families may experience during the application process. To that end, we are extending our current test optional policy to applicants for fall 2023. Any family that would like to take the ISEE, SSAT, or HSPT may submit those scores for consideration. Families that choose not to have standardized test scores considered can sit for Vistamar’s Virtual Writing Assessment at no additional cost.

If students wish to have standardized test scores considered, applicants for grade 9 and 10 can submit either the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) or SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test). For students taking the HSPT, we will accept those scores as well. Applicants to grade 11 can submit their the PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) results.

Fees associated with each test (aside from Vistamar's Virtual Writing Assessment) are directly determined by the test administrator. If you need assistance paying for a test please email admissions@vistamarschool.org

All test results, should you choose to sit for a test, must come to Vistamar School directly from the testing company. We will not accept scores from an applicant’s family or consultant. 

The standardized test results are just one factor we consider in gaining a clear academic picture of each applicant. If your student takes the test more than once, we hope you will send us all of the results as more data helps us make an even more informed admissions decision.

Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE)
When registering online to take the exam, make sure to list our  school code, “054327.”  You can register with Educational Records Bureau (ERB) online at www.iseetest.org .
 
Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT)
When registering online to take the exam, make sure to list our  school code, “7976.”  You can register with the Enrollment Management Association (EMA) online at www.ssat.org .
  
Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)
Vistamar requires that each 10th and 11th grade applicant who has taken the PSAT report their scores to Vistamar. If a student has not taken the PSAT, they can submit the ISEE, SSAT, or sit for Vistamar’s Written Assessment.

Supplemental Forms

In addition to the application, each applicant is required to submit their transcripts and letters of recommendation. Recommendations can be returned via:
  • EMAIL: (preferred): As a PDF file ONLY to admissions@vistamarschool.org
  • MAIL: Vistamar School, "Attention Admissions, " 737 Hawaii Street, El Segundo, CA 90245
  • FAX: 310-643-7371

Supplemental Form FAQs

List of 3 frequently asked questions.

Vistamar School admits students of any race, color, religion, gender, gender orientation or expression, sexual orientation, ancestry, or national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, disability, color, religion, gender, gender orientation or expression, sexual orientation, ancestry, or national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial access programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.
Vistamar School is a private independent high school in the South Bay region of Los Angeles.

Vistamar School