How to Get Into The Hockaday School: Navigating the Admissions Process

Overview

The Hockaday School is an esteemed all-girls private day and boarding school that focuses on students’ character, courtesy, scholarship, and athletics. As an all-girls boarding school, it allows your daughter to grow independently in a structured and supportive community while staying focused on her studies. This Texas school’s unique approach to education allows its students to grow into independent and responsible leaders with the ability to change the world. With a 9:1 student-to-teacher ratio, The Hockaday School boasts quite a large student body, earning it the title of one of the largest Texas private schools. Accepting all races, ages, and abilities gives all girls the opportunity to gain an outstanding education, an appreciation for excellence, and an understanding of who they are and the ethical principles they can use to guide them throughout life. 

Hockaday School Admissions

Hockaday admission is selective and competitive with only a few slots opening each year. To begin applying, you will need to create an account on the school application portal and fill out the necessary personal and background information. Here are the steps in the admissions process: 

• Delegate teachers who will write recommendation letters. 
• Request recommendation letters from the counselor or principal. 
• Request transcript from current school.
• Sign up for admission events, information sessions, and preview days to learn more about the school and to demonstrate your interest in applying. 
• Register and schedule to take the ISEE or SSAT.
• Schedule an admissions interview.

Hockaday School Application Requirements

Recommendation Letters

After submitting the online application, you need to input the email addresses of your child’s current math and English teachers. Evaluation forms will be sent to them which they have to accomplish and send back. An additional recommendation letter may also be requested from the principal, head of school, or advisor. 

Teacher evaluations or recommendation letters contain important information about your daughter which includes her achievements, positive attributes, special skills, and overall academic performance. Our educational consultants have strategies in place to ensure you get strong recommendations that will make your child stand out in front of admissions officers. 

Transcript

Once you have submitted your application, you will need to locate the transcript release form on the application portal and request a copy of your child’s grades, transcripts, or progress reports from the past year and the current semester.

Hockaday is looking for motivated students who display the potential to succeed in its challenging curriculum. The higher your daughter’s grades, the better your chances are that admissions officers will consider your application. If your child’s grades are not impressive, our tutors and academic coaches can help. We offer onsite and online tutoring on various subjects. Our holistic approach goes beyond getting good grades and also focuses on developing executive function skills. Through academic coaching, your child will learn time management, organizational skills, test-taking strategies, note-taking, study skills, and writing and reading strategies. 

Standardized Testing

All applicants are required to take either the ISEE or SSAT. You may register at their respective websites–ISEE and SSAT. 

Cardinal Education is the recipient of the Award for Excellence in Test Preparation from LUXLife, a prestigious magazine that recognizes the achievements of elite and luxurious industries. We are also recognized as having the best test prep program in the Bay Area. Our ISEE tutors and SSAT tutors are experts and use our company-designed training materials together with previous tests, SSAT practice tests, and ISEE practice tests to make sure we cover all the bases. More importantly, aside from skills, we teach test-taking strategies and develop confidence to make sure your child gets the best possible scores.

Admissions Interview

For younger students in Grades 4 and under, a parent interview is required during the admissions process. For Grades 5-11 applicants, the school requires a student interview. Students applying to Grades 9-11 may choose to do either an in-person or virtual interview. 

An admissions interview can be a stressful experience if you are not prepared and unfamiliar with the questions that will be asked. Our admissions consultants know what admissions officers are looking for in applicants and what questions they will ask. Through interview preparation, we will do mock interviews to help you craft honest and authentic answers that align with the school’s vision so you may present yourself as a positive addition to the community.  

Hockaday Alumnae

• Barbara Bush – an American activist and the daughter of former president George W. Bush; she co-founded the nonprofit organization Global Health Corps 
• Pamela Willeford – represented the United States as ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein from 2003 to 2006
• Anne W. Patterson – former US ambassador to Pakistan from 2007 to 2010 and Egypt in 2013 
• Jenna Bush Hager – a well-known author, writer, and news presenter;  she is the twin sister of Barbara Bush and the daughter of former President George W. Bush
• Amy Talkington – Multi-awarded filmmaker, screenwriter, and author known for her works, such as Number One Fan, Second Skin, and The New Arrival, among others
• Nasreen Pervin Huq – a prominent women’s rights and social justice activist from Bangladesh who was sent by her parents to the US to study
• Lisa Loeb – famous American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and actress
• Holland Roden – American actress known for her role in Teen Wolf
• Patricia Richardson – a known actress nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy for her part in Home Improvement
• Dixie Carter – former president of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA); a professional wrestler and businesswoman
• Victoria Clark – winner of the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for The Light in the Piazza; an actor, singer, and director
• June Hunt- found and CSO of Hope for the Heart, a nonprofit Christian ministry
• Amanda Havard – young adult fiction writer and songwriter known for her book series, The Survivors

Student Life at Hockaday

As one of the best boarding schools in America, this all-girls boarding school in Dallas, Texas fosters a sense of community, encouraging students to engage in various extracurricular activities. Hockaday offers a diverse range of options for students to explore their interests beyond the classroom and provides a nurturing environment that prepares students for both academic and personal success. 

Hockaday Academics

The curriculum at Hockaday is research-based to encourage students to think critically and independently. Each student must enroll in a minimum of five academic solids and Physical Education/Health every semester. An academic solid could be one of the following:  1) a course in English, Math, Language, Science, or History departments; 2) AP Studio Art/AP 2-D Art and Design/AP 3-D Art and Design; 3) History of Art and Music; or 4) AP Computer Science. Students who want to pursue a special interest may engage in independent studies such as discipline-focused studies, social impact studies, off-campus semesters, and laboratory research.

Hockaday Activities

The Hockaday School offers many in-school and after-school activities for the girls to get involved in including spelling bees, Spirit Rallies, summer programs, and internships for the older students. It offers a hands-on learning opportunity that inspires a passion for scholarship, creativity, and change.

Hockaday Athletics

The Hockaday School offers sixteen different sports, including field hockey, golf, lacrosse, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, basketball, cheering, crew, cross country, dancing, diving, fencing, and field hockey. 

Hockaday Arts

The Hockaday School is aware that a child’s development depends heavily on their creativity. Participation in student-organized orchestras, Broadway musicals, and art exhibitions is encouraged. This gives students the ability to direct, choreograph, and organize visually captivating artistic expressions while also developing their leadership, team-building, and entrepreneurial skills.