Lakeside Admissions Consulting for Asian American Middle School Families

Grades 6 through 8 may submit either exam for 2027–2028, which is new. Only one score set will be accepted, taken between September 1, 2026 and January 28, 2027, and Lakeside publishes no minimum. Send SSAT results using code 4462 and ISEE results using code 481120. Because the choice is now real, the sensible first step is to work out which format suits your child before you register. We break that down in our comparison of the two exams. A diagnostic sitting of each usually settles the question faster than debating it.

Two PSIS forms are due January 14: a set of essay responses chosen from several prompts, and an interests and activities form covering how your child spends time outside class. Both live in Aryval, both carry word limits, and both are shared with every PSIS school your family applies to. That last point trips people up. The writing cannot be tuned to Lakeside specifically, so it has to be honestly and specifically about your child. Our personal statement coaching focuses on helping students find their own register rather than an adult one.

Due January 14 and limited by word count, this asks what your child does well and where they still have room to grow. The second half is the part that carries information. A statement that describes an entirely finished child tells an admissions reader very little, and it can read as guarded. Naming a real growth area, and what you and your child are doing about it, does more work.

By January 28, Lakeside needs two teacher evaluations, one from a humanities teacher and one from a math or science teacher, with at least one from a current teacher. Where a single teacher covers all three subjects, send a current-year math evaluation and a prior-year humanities one. A personal reference form goes to an adult who has watched your child in a group setting within the past two years, such as a coach or administrator. Transcripts come directly from school through Aryval and must cover the first report card of 2026–2027 and the whole of 2025–2026. A school administrator completes the PSIS attendance form. Extra evaluations and references are not read.

This replaces the interview. Students work in a small group on a hands-on task while faculty observe, then visit a classroom and meet teachers. Parents attend a parallel session with the admissions team. There is nothing to prepare, and preparing visibly tends to backfire, because what the session surfaces is how a child behaves when they do not know the answer yet. Sessions run after school at the Middle School campus from early October through January, with a Zoom option for families living outside Island, King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.