St. Mark’s School of Texas Admissions Consulting
Expert Guidance for Families Applying to Dallas’s Leading Nonsectarian, College-Preparatory Day School for Boys, Grades 1 Through 12
Cardinal Education is an independent educational consulting company. We are not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with any private or public school, including St. Mark’s School of Texas.
As Seen On
About the School
About St. Mark’s School of Texas
St. Mark’s School of Texas is a nonsectarian, college-preparatory, independent day school for boys in Grades 1 through 12, located on a 42-acre campus at 10600 Preston Road in Dallas. Founded in 1906 as the Terrill School for Boys, it now enrolls 923 students across three divisions and holds an 8:1 student-teacher ratio. The School’s charter commits it to giving students well-rounded physical, intellectual, moral, and religious training. Its stated aim is to prepare young men to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world. The motto, Courage and Honor, runs through everything from the Pecos Wilderness Trip to the senior exhibition.
St. Mark’s Fast Facts
Location
10600 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75230
School Type
Nonsectarian, College-Preparatory, Independent Day School for Boys
Grades Served
Lower School 1–4, Middle School 5–8, Upper School 9–12
Enrollment
923 boys (156 Lower School, 331 Middle School, 436 Upper School)
Student-Teacher Ratio
8:1, with an average class size of 15
Application Opens
September 2026 for the 2027–2028 school year
Decisions Released
March 12, 2027
College Outcomes
100% of graduates enroll in four-year colleges; 60% of the Class of 2026 earned National Merit recognition
Athletics
16 sports across 45 varsity teams, competing in the SPC
Memberships
International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC); Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS)
Transportation
No school transport provided
Academic Snapshot
These are the figures families ask about most often when they are sizing up academic rigor.
Advanced Coursework
25 AP courses; 873 AP exams taken in 2026–2027, with 99% scoring 3 or higher
SAT (Mid-50%)
Reading & Writing 695–770 · Math 710–800
ACT (Mid-50%)
Composite 34–35
Faculty Credentials
63 hold master’s degrees and 15 hold doctorates, out of 97 full-time teachers
College Counseling
A team of 4 counselors
Typical Homework
Grades 5–6: 20–30 minutes · Grades 7–8: 30–40 minutes
Student Demographics
53% students of color
Retention and Yield
99% student retention; 90% yield on offers of admission
For a full walkthrough of requirements, deadlines, student life, and what the committee actually weighs, see our complete St. Mark’s School of Texas admissions guide.
St. Mark’s Admissions Timeline and Events
St. Mark’s is accepting applications for the 2027–2028 school year. Deadlines differ by grade band, so check the row that matches the grade your son is entering.
Grade 1
Application Dec 14, 2026 · Supporting Materials Jan 29, 2027 (CATS, ATS, observation, records, teacher evaluation)
Grades 2–3
Application Nov 9, 2026 · Supporting Materials Dec 14, 2026 (ISEE Primary, observation, records, parent response)
Grade 4
Application Nov 9, 2026 · Supporting Materials Dec 14, 2026 (CATS, ISEE Primary, observation, records)
Grades 5–8
Application Jan 8, 2027 · Supporting Materials Jan 29, 2027 (ISEE, interview, responses, records, teacher evaluations)
Grades 9–11
Application Jan 8, 2027 · Supporting Materials Jan 29, 2027 (ISEE, interview, responses, records, teacher evaluations)
Admission Parent Coffee: Character & Leadership
Tuesday, September 22, 10:00 a.m. (Parents only; includes a campus tour)
Lower School Open House, Grades 1–4
Wednesday, October 14, 5:00 p.m. (Families encouraged to bring their son)
Middle & Upper School Open House, Grades 5–11
Wednesday, October 28, 5:00 p.m. (Families encouraged to bring their son)
Admission Parent Coffee: Faculty Panel
Tuesday, November 10, 10:00 a.m. (Parents only; includes a campus tour)
Campus Tours
Ongoing, beginning 12:00 p.m. (Approximately one hour; registration required)
If you are still building a school list, our guide to what to ask and observe at private school open houses will make these visits far more useful than a walk-through alone.
What Makes St. Mark’s Admissions Process Unique?
Most schools run one testing track. St. Mark’s runs three. Grade 1 applicants complete both a CATS cognitive ability assessment and the ATS achievement assessment. Grades 2 through 4 take the ISEE Primary, with grade 4 adding CATS on top. Grades 5 through 11 take the standard ISEE. The youngest applicants sit for an on-campus observation rather than an interview, while boys applying to grades 5 and up must complete a real interview in one of three formats. That structure means the advice that works for a fourth-grade applicant is close to useless for a ninth-grade one, and families applying to more than one grade over time should expect to start fresh.
Top Tips for Applying
- Register for testing in the fall. Slots tighten as deadlines approach, and winter weather and illness routinely cost families their rescheduling window.
- Choose the in-person interview if you live in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The School openly encourages it.
- Ask math and English teachers for evaluations early, since both are required for grades 5 and up.
- Treat the Student Activities Form as real evidence of commitment, not a list of everything your son has ever tried.
- Attend an open house that matches your son’s division, not just any event on the calendar.
Best Practices for Families
- Start conversations about fit a full year before the application year, particularly for grade 9 entry.
- Visit while school is in session so your son sees the actual rhythm of the day.
- Be candid in the Parent Response about who your son is, including where he struggles.
- Prepare your son to talk about his own interests without a script.
- Confirm which assessment applies to his grade before you register for anything.
What the St. Mark’s School of Texas Application Requires
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01Admissions Testing
Boys applying to grades 5 through 11 take the ISEE, either in person or online at home. St. Mark’s ISEE school code is 441805, and parents are responsible for registering their son directly with ERB. Younger applicants take the ISEE Primary or, for grade 1, the CATS and ATS assessments. Because scores are evaluated against a narrow chronological age band, testing later in the season does not improve results. Structured ISEE preparation well ahead of the deadline is the single highest-leverage thing most families can do.
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02The Student Interview
Interviews are required for grades 5 through 11 and must be completed by January 29, 2027. Families choose among an on-campus afternoon interview, a shadow school visit that ends with an interview, or a virtual interview. There is no preferred format, though the School encourages in-person interviews for local families. The conversation involves both peers and a faculty member, which makes it different from a one-on-one admissions interview. Our interview preparation focuses on helping boys speak naturally about what genuinely interests them.
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03Parent and Student Responses
Grades 5 through 11 submit a Parent Response, a Student Response, and a Student Activities Form. These are not long personal essays in the college sense, but they are where the committee hears your family’s own voice. Our guidance on the parent statement applies directly here: specific, honest, and free of the polish that makes every applicant sound identical.
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04School Records and Teacher Evaluations
Applicants request current school records through the application checklist. Boys applying to grades 5 through 11 need evaluations from their current mathematics and English teachers specifically. Younger applicants submit a single current teacher evaluation. All of these are due January 29, 2027 for the upper grade bands.
How Cardinal Education Helps
We have worked with families across the Dallas area long enough to know that a St. Mark’s application is won or lost in the year before it is submitted, not in the weeks after the portal opens. Our work starts with understanding your son, then builds the academic record, testing preparation, and self-awareness that let him show up as himself. Families weighing St. Mark’s against The Hockaday School or other Dallas independents get an honest read on fit rather than a sales pitch. Asian American families can read our dedicated guidance on the St. Mark’s School of Texas Admissions for Asian American Families page.
“We started working with Cardinal Education in seventh grade in preparation for high school admissions. The tutors were incredibly patient and dedicated, and our whole family felt confident and prepared when it came time to start the application process. My son is now a happy and successful 10th-grade student at St. Mark’s.”— Parents of a 10th-Grade Student
St. Mark’s School of Texas Admissions FAQ
What is the St. Mark’s School of Texas acceptance rate?
Is St. Mark’s School of Texas a boarding school?
How big is the Asian American population at St. Mark’s?
What test does St. Mark’s require?
How is St. Mark’s ranked?
When will we hear back?
Considering St. Mark’s School of Texas?
St. Mark’s has been educating Dallas boys since 1906, and the families who thrive there are the ones who understood what they were choosing before they applied. We can help you figure out whether that is your family, and if it is, help your son get there as himself.