Everything You Need to Know to Get Into Forest Ridge

Overview of Forest Ridge School

Founded in 1907, Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart is a private all-girls Catholic boarding school that is located on 20 acres of peaceful land in Bellevue. The school is open to girls from 5th to 12th grade and offers an integrated global curriculum focused on teaching students critical thinking and resilience. In particular, Forest Ridge programs are developed with an emphasis on the following: embracing challenges, confronting injustice, seeking equality, and leading globally. 

Forest Ridge students also learn outside of the classroom through leadership opportunities. The school deeply values community-building as a cornerstone of dynamic learning environments, allowing girls to not only collaborate but also develop skills that can be applied to real-world careers and industries. There are several groups open to the student body, including but not limited to: the Student Council, Sacred Heart Goal Ambassadors, Admission Ambassadors, Forest Ridge Student Alumnae Association, Link Crew, and Peer Educators.

Forest Ridge Application Process

To begin applying to Forest Ridge, families must create a Ravenna account and fill out all necessary information. Here is the complete, step-by-step guide to the application:

1. Register on Ravenna and complete the application form.
2. Complete the student and parent essays.
3. Request transcripts from the past two years and the current year.
4. Delegate teacher recommendations.
5. Submit standardized test scores.
6. Schedule a student visit day.
7. Attend the family admissions interview.

Forest Ridge Admissions

Student Essay

The Student Essay is a section of the application that covers a student’s personality, character, interests, and experiences. Most importantly, admissions officers keep an eye out for compelling insights that show strong skills, especially in the context of overcoming challenges.

Although sharing your story might seem like a simple thing to do, it can actually be quite difficult to craft a compelling narrative. In particular, students often struggle to align their experiences with the school’s values without sounding too generic. 

Our private school admissions consultants can guide you on how to best answer the questions in an interesting, intellectual way that highlights the best sides of yourself. From your funniest stories to your most sincere passions, you can emphasize traits that catch the attention of an admissions team with our help.

Parent Essay

In addition to the student essay, parents must also write anecdotes about their child to supplement a new point of view to admissions officers. The admissions team knows that parents can offer insights about a child’s character outside of the classroom, and oftentimes their stories can reveal a side of the student that cannot be seen in academic or extracurricular activities.

While most parents mistakenly provide unimpressive details about their children, we are here to help you better understand what admissions officers would like to know. At the same time, we prioritize integrity and putting your truth forward.

Transcripts

Applicants are required to submit official transcripts from the past two years and the current school year through Ravenna.

Forest Ridge will review your transcripts from multiple-year levels to thoroughly assess how prepared you are for their curriculum and coursework. While other materials in your application give context behind impressive grades, transcripts are the baseline of your performance. If your school records are less than remarkable, we highly advise that you seek out admissions consulting.

Our academic advisors and tutors are experts in elevating a student’s performance on all fronts, especially boosting one’s grades. We provide online and in-person diagnostic testing, tutoring, and academic coaching for various subjects. Furthermore, we take a holistic approach to instilling fundamental skills among students since we know a high GPA is not the sole indicator of readiness. We hope that every child’s success can go far beyond the classroom and apply to future endeavors.

Teacher Recommendations

When applying to Forest Ridge, students must submit two teacher recommendations that will provide admissions counselors with unique and personalized insights from teachers who have worked with their children. To accomplish this, we highly recommend you reach out to one STEM teacher and one Humanities teacher. This will create a more well-rounded impression of who you are to admissions officers and demonstrate your skills in a wider range of subject areas.

Teacher recommendations are some of the most important materials in an application, as they come from mentors who can make unbiased and professional observations about a student. Anecdotes given by teachers can go far beyond grades and instead show a student’s character, personality, and context behind their academic aptitude. If you want strong recommendations that support other application materials, you will need to build strong relationships with your teachers.

Standardized Tests

Forest Ridge accepts MAP, SBA, SSAT, ISEE, or HSPT scores from the past 12 months. Ideally, the tests should have been completed by January 5th of the application cycle. MAP and SBA tests are commonly administered in schools. SSAT and ISEE offer at-home or in-person options. Early SSAT/ISEE registration is advised due to limited availability. The HSPT is for upper-school applicants through local Catholic schools. 

Cardinal Education offers comprehensive test prep classes for standardized tests, such as SSAT, ISEE, and HSPT. Our tutors help students gain familiarity with the test formats and content while developing test-taking strategies. One-on-one sessions provide targeted practice, personalized feedback, and a review of key concepts, boosting both skills and confidence. 

Student Visit Day & Interview

Forest Ridge applicants are required to attend one Student Visit Day. For this, students will spend one entire day at Forest Ridge to attend classes, speak with other students, and tour different areas around campus. Parents are also welcome to tour the campus and have their questions answered by Enrollment Ambassadors.

Only middle school applicants are required to also undergo an interview. This will involve both the student and parents meeting with Forest Ridge faculty to ask questions and learn more about the school. In this case, at least one parent or guardian is required to partake in the interview.

Forest Ridge Alumni

1. Kaliswa Brewster – New York actress, producer, and educator
2. Alexia Vernon – creator of Step into Your Moxie, featured by President Obama’s White House Office of Public Engagement, motivational speaker and coach for women
3. Lori Dauphiny – head coach of women’s open crew for Princeton University
4. Julie Peterson Genjac – named one of Financial Planning Magazine’s Top Women in Asset Management, Certified Wealth Strategist, Accredited Asset Management Specialist, and Registered Corporate Coach
5. Jenny Durkan – an American attorney, former Mayor of Seattle, appointed United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington by former President Barack Obama in 2009
6. Kriss Turner – an American Hollywood screenwriter and producer for film and television
7. Yvonne Ochoa Rosellini – professional independent Board Director, co-founder and owner of the consulting firm Consultores Convixión
8. Ann Ojemann Jarris – Physician, Co-founder/Chief Executive Officer for Discovery Health MD
9. Melissa Rice – Member of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Science Team, Associate Professor of Planetary Science at Western Washington University
10. Emily Lapp – Human Resources Officer on the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon

Student Life at Forest Ridge

At Forst Ridge, girls are welcomed into a community that is not just for learning, but also for building genuine bonds. Oftentimes students find their lifelong friendships through the school—whether they gradually get to know one another in class or make unforgettable memories around campus, every girl is bound to find her place. The main campus offerings are focused on three areas of interest: Arts, Athletics, and Clubs.

Forest Ridge Academics

Forest Ridge has established a curriculum that is not only rigorous, but also multidisciplinary by nature. Classes across subject areas all prioritize curiosity and inquiry, as students are encouraged to engage in dynamic collaboration. 

The school offers comprehensive coverage through integrated classes and hands-on learning for courses in The Arts, English, International Languages, Math, Social Studies, Science, Religious Studies, Technology, and Advanced Integrated Studies.

In addition to these classes, students are also given access to the school’s three innovation studios. Such facilities allow students to do everything from programming a robot, learning how to code, experimenting with a 3D printer, or even creating a high-fidelity digital rendering. 

Forest Ridge Athletics

Forest Ridge is a part of the Emerald City League, where girls can apply the skills they have learned in their sports. The school offers 15 sports, namely the following:

• Badminton
• Ballet
• Basketball
• Climbing
• Cross Country
• Cross Country Running
• Dance
• Golf
• Orienteering
• Rock Climbing
• Soccer
• Tennis 
• Track
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Volleyball

Forest Ridge Arts

Students are able to express themselves through courses in Music, Performing Arts, Digital Art, and Studio Art. The curriculum is designed to teach students fundamental skills and values in line with their preferred discipline, inspiring them to find confidence in their craft. 

Furthermore, the school’s Lee Theatre, which offers 300 seats for performances such as dance, choir, and theater. The After-School Theater Program also gives students the opportunity to explore their creative side, whether it be front and center or backstage controlling the technical aspects of performing arts. 

Activities at Forest Ridge

The school highly values learning and growth outside of the classroom. As such, there are numerous extracurricular opportunities open to all Forest Ridge students. These are divided into leadership opportunities and clubs, and groups are divided into options for middle school versus upper school students.

As for the leadership opportunities, these are only open to upper school students. While there are countless clubs to choose from for extracurricular interests, leadership positions are within the following:

• Student Council
• Sacred Heart Goal Ambassadors
• Admission Ambassadors
• Forest Ridge Student Alumnae Association
• Link Crew
• Peer Educators
• Interact