Admissions FAQ

In addition to our web site, we encourage you to request a view book. Once you complete an inquiry, we will mail you a view book. The very best way to learn about Bement is to visit with us in person! Please call to schedule a visit for a campus tour and interview.

While our campus remains closed for the 2020-2021 school year, we encourage you to attend one of our admission events via Zoom (information below) or one of our coffee hours with the admission office. You can use this link to join Kim Loughlin and Doc Potter from 8-9am ET every Thursday morning beginning September 10 and running through November 19.

While we prefer to welcome candidates and their families in person on campus, we currently are unable to have visitors on campus.  We are hopeful that the pandemic conditions will improve to the point that we will once again invite families to campus.  For the present time, however, we invite families to attend one of our virtual events.

• Wednesday, October 14, 2020 from 5-6 p.m. for prospective families interested in learning about the lower school
• Wednesday, October 21, 2020 from 5-6 p.m. for prospective families interested in learning about the upper school
• Monday, November 9, 2020 from 5-6 p.m. for prospective families interested in learning about the lower school
• Thursday, November 12, 2020 from 8-9 a.m. for prospective families interested in learning about boarding at Bement

• Monday, November 16, 2020 from 5-6 p.m. for prospective families interested in learning about the upper school

Classroom Visit Days are Bement's version of a day time Open House. Our Classroom Visit Days give prospective students and families the opportunity to see Bement at its best. Prospective families tour campus, talk with teachers and administrators, and observe students and faculty in action on a typical school day.

Most Classroom Visit Days begin in the admission office at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 10:30 or 11 a.m.

Classroom Visit Days for 2020-2021 are:

• Thursday, January 14, 2021 for prospective families with students applying grades 1 through 9 
• Wednesday, January 20, 2021  for prospective kindergarten families

We are offering an evening Open House on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 from 6-7 p.m. for prospective families and students interested in applying to any grade kindergarten through grade 9.

Walk-ins are always welcome, but if you would like to RSVP please contact the admission office at 413-774-4209 or admit@bement.org. Can't attend our Classroom Visit Day? Contact the admission office to schedule a personal visit to Bement.

We invite day students to spend part of or the entire day at Bement as part of their interview or screening date. Typically boarding students do not visit classes, but may request to do so if the schedule allows.

While our campus will remain closed for the fall of 2020, we hope to welcome visitors to campus again soon.

In order to maintain an effective and consistent classroom atmosphere, we invite prospective parents to visit classes on one of our Classroom Visit Days.

Classroom Visit Days for 2020-2021 are:

• Thursday, January 14, 2021 for prospective families with students applying grades 1 through 9 
• Wednesday, January 20, 2021  for prospective kindergarten families

Daily van transportation services are offered each year from the towns of Amherst, Bernardston, Greenfield, Hadley, and Northampton and pickup points and routes are determined based upon demand.

Morning routes are available and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis to all interested Bement families. Students ride in contracted seven-passenger school vans or school buses, and are scheduled to arrive at the school by 8:05 a.m.

The return service leaves Bement by 4:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday and by 3:45 p.m. on Fridays. Lower school students who sign up for the service will attend the after-school program at no charge. On early-dismissal days, vans depart at upper school early-dismissal time.

For more information, please contact the Bement business office at 413-774-7061.

Day students may arrive at 7:45 a.m. for daily breakfast supervised by dormitory parents until the regular arrival time at 8:00 a.m.. After-school care is offered from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For lower schoolers, after-school care until 4:30 p.m. is designed to provide a safe, productive, and fun experience during the hour between lower school dismissal and that of upper school. Lower school students have the opportunity to play and interact with students of a variety of lower school ages, supervised on the playground, or to complete homework in the library under the guidance of a proctor.

A proctored study hour is available from upper school dismissal to 5:30 p.m. This service provides lower and upper school students a wonderful opportunity to work on homework in a quiet, proctored study hall environment.

In light of the pandemic, for the 2020-2021 school year breakfast is not available for day students and after school care will run only until 4:30 p.m. Should circumstances change during the year, we will resume our regular offerings. 

200 to 220 students are enrolled at Bement. Typically, half are enrolled in the lower school and half in the upper school. Average class sizes are 10 to 12. In the lower school the average grade size is 12 to 20 and in the upper school the average grade size is 25 to 35.

We are happy to give a tour to anyone who inquires about admission to Bement.

Schedule a Visit

Applicants interested in proceeding further with the process and booking an interview (for applicants to grades 4-9) or an applicant screening (for kindergarten through grade 3), we ask that applicants submit the application before the visit. Please note that while we ask for the application to be submitted before a visit, applicants do not have to submit those forms in order to schedule an appointment.

We schedule visitors to campus Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. when school is in session. Contact the admission office to schedule a tour!

The admission office is located in Barton House at 94 Old Main Street, Deerfield. Parking for the admission office can be accessed in the parking lot adjacent to Bement House, just beyond the admission office.

In light of the pandemic, we are unable to offer campus visits at this time. We invite families to join our virtual admission events and schedule virtual interviews/screenings via Zoom or Skype with our office. We are hopeful that pandemic conditions will improve to the point that this will once again schedule visitors to campus. 

Yes. An interview is required with one of the admission officers for students applying to grades 4 through 9. For students applying to kindergarten through grade 3, a screening with the lower school head and classroom teacher will take place during their class visit day or screening.

The interview is more like a conversation. We want an opportunity to get to know each student better, and allow the student to ask any questions. We ask students about school, what they enjoy doing in and out of school, their interest in arts and sports, as well as other extra curricular activities. We ask students to talk about their friends and family as well. There is nothing to do to prepare for the interview other than to be oneself and for students to be ready to talk about themselves. There are no right or wrong answers!

The interview is also a good opportunity for the prospective student and their family to learn more about Bement. Often, seeing the school firsthand is the best way to determine if Bement is a “good fit." In addition, a visit to campus frequently raises questions that an on-campus interviewer is best able to answer. For these reasons, we strongly encourage families to visit campus for their interviews.

We do offer Skype interviews for applicants to grades 6 through 9 only; applicants may arrange one through the admission office at admit@bement.org. Alternatively, applicants may opt for an in-person interview near their home if we have an admission officer traveling to the area. However, we strongly recommend an in-person interview here on campus as it will allow students and families to get to know us Bement, and we will have a better sense of you as well.

In light of the pandemic, we are unable to offer campus visits at this time. We invite families to join our virtual admission events and schedule virtual interviews/screenings via Zoom or Skype with our office. We are hopeful that pandemic conditions will improve to the point that this will once again schedule visitors to campus. 

For the 2020-2021 school year, Bement will be test optional. If you still wish to submit testing results as a supplement to your application, please use the following information below.

• The SSAT (Secondary School Admissions Test) can be submitted for application for admission to grades 6 through 9. Bement's school code: 1570
• The WISC (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) can be submitted for application for admission to grades 3 through 5, and can be submitted in place of the SSAT for admission to grades 6 through 9.

To register or find more information about the SSAT:

To schedule a WISC evaluation in our area, please feel free to choose an administrator from here:

WISC ADMINISTRATORS LOCAL TO BEMENT

We recommend that you take the SSAT in November or December of the year prior to your enrollment. You may visit the SSAT site here:

International students wishing to apply to Bement for consideration in the first round of decisions should complete their application by December 15. A complete application includes the application, the application fee, a writing sample, current English and math teacher recommendations, transcripts for three years, and interview. Bement will be test optional for the 2020-2021 year.

If a student is scheduled to take the December SSAT, families MUST enter Bement's school code 1570  as a score recipient in order to receive the test scores right away and in time for consideration in the first round of decisions. If a family waits to see the scores first and then adds our code, the results will come to us much later and we will not have time for the committee to read the file to be considered in the first round.

The Character Skills Snapshot is a new tool designed by the Enrollment Management Association to assist admission professionals in the admission process. The Snapshot is designed to measure eight essential character skills: resilience, open-mindedness, responsibility, teamwork, social awareness, self-control, intellectual curiosity, and initiative. We do not require students to take the assessment. If you have participated and wish to share the results with us, we will add this to your application.

Students may submit TOEFL results as a supplemental part of their application.

Enrolled students, for whom English is a second language, will be required to take the iTEP over the summer prior to starting at Bement. This will help determine if additional English language support is needed during the coming year. If that is determined, students will be enrolled in an ELL class (in upper school) or receive additional ELL tutoring support (in lower school).

You can learn more about the iTEP and how to register to take the test here.

International applicants who would like to be considered in the first round of decisions should complete their applications by December 15.

Domestic day and boarding applicants who would like to be considered in the first round of decisions should complete their applications by February 1.

Bement will consider late applications for all grades on a rolling basis dependent on available space.

Families interested in kindergarten should schedule time for either a campus tour or to attend one of our classroom visit days. If you wish to apply, families should call to schedule their child for one of the two-day screenings as part of the application. We request that prior to the screening, candidates submit the application, teacher evaluation, and school report.

The screening dates for 2020-2021 are:

• Tuesday, January 26 from 3:45-4:30 p.m. and Wednesday, January 27 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. 
• Wednesday, February 3 from 3:45-4:30 p.m. and Thursday, February 4 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. 
• Tuesday, February 9 from 3:45-4:30 p.m. and Wednesday, February 10 from 8:30-10:30 a.m.
• Wednesday, February 17 from 3:45-4:30 p.m. and Thursday, February 18 from 8:30-10:30 a.m.
• Tuesday, February 23 from 3:45-4:30 p.m. and Wednesday, February 24 from 8:30-10:30 a.m.

The deadline is February 1. Bement offers financial aid to U.S. citizens based on the demonstrated financial need of the family. Learn more about financial aid here:

Financial Aid

Families apply for financial aid online through the School for Student Service (SSS) through Community Brands working in collaboration with the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). Directions for completing the form are available on the SSS website. Please be sure to indicate that The Bement School should receive your information by entering Bement’s School Code: 1570.

No. Bement offers financial aid to U.S. citizens based on the demonstrated financial need of the family. Our school does not offer merit awards based on academic, athletic, or other talents demonstrated by the student.

For the 2020-2021 school year Bement awarded $1,104,000 to 38% of the student body. For day students these awards ranged from $600 to $22,000. Boarding students received somewhat higher awards. Historically, our financial aid budget has allowed us to award between 60% to 75% of demonstrated need.

International students applying for a boarding place at Bement are notified January 15 if they completed the application process by the first round application deadline of December 15. Domestic boarding students are notified generally within one week of the completion of their application. Day students are notified on or by March 10.

Once the Admission Committee selects the new students for the coming year, families are notified of the decisions. Accepted students are welcome to return to Bement for a revisit day on March 23 which includes class time, lunch, and attending after school activities.

Upon a candidate’s acceptance to Bement, parents are required to sign an enrollment agreement and make a non-refundable deposit to hold the applicant’s place in their class. The enrollment deposit will be applied to the coming year’s tuition. Note that after signing the enrollment agreement and making the necessary deposit, subsequent cancellation of enrollment will result in forfeiture of the enrollment deposit. If enrollment is canceled after May 1, parent(s) or guardian(s) financially responsible for the student are obligated to pay the full tuition charges.

Yes. After the deadline, students can still apply to Bement. The Admission Committee will consider late applications on a rolling basis dependent on the available space. Some grades or dorms may be full, in which case late applicants will be considered for the wait pool.

Yes, in a handful of cases, this can happen. During the spring and summer, places sometimes become available and we are able to admit qualified students from the wait pool.

Because many considerations go into each admission decision, including the number of spaces available and the strength of the applicant pool for a particular grade level, we welcome students to re-apply to Bement. Applicants do not need to fill out the application again. However, we do ask for updated school reports, including transcripts and current teacher recommendations. Applicants to grades four and higher may submit a one-page written statement from the student updating us on the past year since they applied, both academically and personally. We may also require another campus visit for an updated screening or interview (depending on grade level.) If there are questions about what else may be submitted to support the re-application, please contact the admission office.

Our well-prepared and confident graduates are coveted by distinguished secondary schools. The list of where our students are accepted and eventually choose to enroll reflects the diversity and strength of our student body. Our director of secondary school placement works hard with each ninth grader and their family to discover the best fit for the next step in the student's journey.

Secondary School Acceptance List

The Bement School admits students of any race, color, sexual orientation, ancestry, religious affiliation, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities made available to accepted students. The school does not discriminate in the administration of any institutional programs.

Students are not required to bring laptops or other devices to school. Some students work more efficiently by taking notes in class and if that is the case, students are more than welcome to bring them for academic purposes after discussing this with their teacher or advisor.

Our curriculum maps are all available online and give an overview of the academic program at Bement. It also lists all subject areas by grade and includes descriptions of what is covered.

Yes, Bement does have a dress code. All students are expected to be neat, clean, and presentable, and clothing should not be distracting. 

Monday Dress is a special tradition at Bement, when the entire community dresses uniformly. All students, faculty, and staff wear a navy blazer with Bement patch, khaki pants, skirt, or skort, white collared blouse, white polo shirt, or white turtleneck.

Tuesday through Friday, students must wear shirts with a collar and can wear any color bottoms with the exception of denim.

More details can be found in the Family Handbook.

Bement’s dress code, as outlined in the Family Handbook, will be slightly modified for the fall term of the 2020-2021 academic year in order to eliminate the need for students, particularly in the upper school, to use locker rooms to change for athletics. At the end of the fall term, we will reevaluate the dress code for the balance of the year. In addition to the details below, the overarching goal of our expectations for dress this fall is to ensure students can participate fully in the Bement program without needing to change clothes during the day. Even if remote, students should abide by the dress code for their live Zoom class times and meetings. Monday Dress is moving to Friday! Formal Fridays return Bement to a historical tradition of wearing blazers on Fridays, and since upper school athletics do not meet on Fridays, this change will align with our stated goal.

Out of respect to students and faculty with life-threatening allergies, nuts are not served at Bement. Our allergy list will be updated each year with information provided from families to our Health Office. Special diets must be approved by the school nurse.

The Department of Homeland Security has the most up-to-date information for international students who wish to study in the United States. Visit their site for more information: