Frequently Asked Questions

The Admissions Office is located in the Upper School STEM building, on the ground floor, directly across from the Dining Hall. Visitor parking is reserved in front of the STEM Building.

HIES begins with Pre-K3 (3-year-old program) and continues through 12th grade.

We have several grade level expansion points: Pre-K3, Pre-K4, Kindergarten, 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th grades. Admission opportunities are available in all other grades based on attrition. 

We have 1,400 students enrolled in grades Pre-K3 through 12. 
Primary School: 130
Lower School: 350
Middle School: 350
Upper School: 570

No.  All are welcome at HIES.

HIES is a Christian community that serves students, faculty and staff of all faiths. Here, we believe that God is present in every person. We strive to respect the dignity of every human being and value multiple voices and perspectives around all of life's questions, no matter what your family traditions. This intentional welcome is a hallmark of our Episcopal Mission.  Read more.

HIES is committed to fostering a community that honors and is respectful of the diverse faiths, diversity of experiences and values in our community. We are guided by both our Episcopal identity and our school’s mission to have respect for self and others, as well as to respect the varied beliefs in our diverse educational and spiritual community. 

Twenty-three percent of our students are self-identified students of color. We have a diverse religious community. Students live in 70 different zip codes in the Metro Atlanta area. Eighteen percent of our students qualify to receive financial assistance. As a Round Square international school, we are committed to global education and offer many opportunities for global experiences. 

Our aim is that through students' educational experiences they are ever mindful of their call to be globally minded, loving, responsible citizens who value the dignity and infinite worth of those in their community. Read more. 

For our Primary and Lower School students, we offer a fun and creative after-school care program known as Bears After-School Experience (BASE) as well as weekly After-Class Enrichment (ACE) courses in the areas of athletics, fine arts and STEAM.

For our Middle School students, we offer a supervised study hall known as Middle School Bear Den. Click here for program details.

HIES currently has morning and afternoon bus routes in three locations: Decatur, Brookhaven and Buckhead. Read more about our bus service here.

Parent involvement is critical to the success and development of HIES. HIES is fortunate to enjoy the dedication and hard work of so many active and involved parents in an array of events throughout the year, including fundraisers, classroom celebrations, parenting workshops, and community service opportunities, in addition to three formal and vibrant parent organizations: the Parents' Association, the Fine Arts Alliance, and Bears Athletic Club. Read more about our parent organizations here.

Yes. All HIES students, Pre-K3 - 12th grades, wear a required school uniform. 

Our uniform provider is Flynn O'Hara Uniform, located in Cornerstone Square, in Sandy Springs. You may also visit their website.  Our code is GA055.

The HIES Campus Shop, located in the Upper School Humanities Building, sells all HIES spirit and outerwear. The BearWearhouse, located in Alumni Hall, has a selection of gently worn uniform pieces and logo items at a discounted price.

Uniform requirements and purchasing details can be found here.

* We strongly encourage families applying to grades K - 5th to register for the JATP as soon as possible. The JATP brochure encourages early fall testing because it ensures the availability of a testing time for your child and more flexibility in scheduling.

*There is no advantage to waiting until later in the school year (i.e., January or February) for testing because the norms of the standardized tests used in JATP compare children within a narrow age range. Psychologists begin providing testing appointments in September.

HIES JATP Score Report deadline- February 15, 2025 * Please scheduled accordingly.

JATP information and registration can be found here:
http://www.jatp.org

It is important that your child be familiar with the SSAT format before entering a testing situation. We recommend utilizing the SSAT practice booklet to help familiarize your student with the testing materials and scoring process. Please visit www.ssat.org to register for the admissions test and to access information and tools about the test.

* The final admissible SSAT testing date for application to the 2025-26 academic year is February 2, 2025. * Please schedule accordingly.

* Please request that SSAT release your student's scores to HIES by using our school code: 3970.

3970

* The final admissible SSAT testing date is February 2, 2025.

Student Admission Evaluation registration will open in November for those who have submitted the Shared Applicant Form. Registration takes place through Ravenna, and the evaluation is a required step in the application process. 

- All Primary and Lower School Admission Evaluations take place on campus. We feel there is no better way to assess a child's academic readiness than by allowing them to spend time in a classroom setting.

- Each student will complete a language/literacy and math assessment, followed by a small group activity with other same age applicants. 

- We encourage parents to tell their child that they will be meeting and working with a teacher. They will be asked to demonstrate age-appropriate academic and social-emotional skills. Please encourage your child to listen carefully, give their best effort and enjoy themselves.

All 6th - 8th Grade Admission Evaluations take place on campus. We feel there is no better way to assess a student's academic readiness than by allowing them to spend time in a classroom setting.

• Evaluations are comprised of both a Language/Literacy & Math Assessment. They will be asked to demonstrate age-appropriate academic and social/emotional skills.
• All Evaluations are administered by Middle School faculty and will take place on a Saturday in January or February.

All 9th-12th Grade Admission Evaluations take place on campus in January and February. 

More information to come!

Each year, there are often more qualified applicants than we have available spaces. Some very qualified applicants may be placed on a waitlist. If your child is placed on the waitlist, you will have the option to remain on or be removed from the list in your waitlist letter. The waitlist is not ranked; rather, if space does become available, the Admissions Committee will meet and decide to whom the space will be offered. The waitlist expires on the first day of school, thus beginning the new admissions season.

Admissions decisions are made based on a student's application for a specific year. We recognize that students grow and develop each year. Depending on why a student was not accepted, his or her chances may be different in a subsequent year.

HIES values keeping families together and honoring children of alumni; however, all students must qualify for admission based on our requirements and standards. All applications are taken to the Admissions Committee for a decision. Once the Committee has identified qualified candidates, they do attempt to offer space to siblings of current students and children of alumni first.

We would love to speak with you too!

Please connect with any of our Admission Team members here.