Admissions FAQ

Once you complete an inquiry online, you may begin the application process. We encourage you to view our online viewbook. 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.

We will continue to offer virtual events to get to know us as well.  We encourage you to attend one of our admission events via Zoom (information below about our open houses) or one of our coffee hours with the Admission Office. You can use this link to join an admission officer from 8-8:30 a.m. ET every Thursday morning beginning September 21 and running through October 26.

While we prefer to welcome candidates and their families in person on campus, we understand that not everyone will be able to visit in person.  We will offer both in-person and virtual open house and information sessions. 

Our in-person Open Houses 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 Open Houses begin in the admission office at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 10:30 or 11 a.m.

Open Houses for families considering placement for fall 2024 are:

• Thursday, November 2, 2023 for prospective families with students applying grades 1 through 9 
• Tuesday, November 7, 2023 for prospective kindergarten families

If you are unable to visit campus, we invite families to attend one of our virtual events.

• Monday, December 4, 2023 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. ET for prospective boarding families interested in learning about boarding at Bement
• Thursday, December 7, 2023 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. ET for prospective boarding families interested in learning about the lower school
• Tuesday, December 12, 2023 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. ET for prospective boarding families interested in learning about the upper school

Please RSVP with the admission office at 413-774-4209 or admit@bement.org for any of the events listed above.

Students who are accepted to Bement are invited to spend part of or the entire day at Bement in March as part of their decision process. 

In order to maintain an effective and consistent classroom atmosphere, we invite prospective parents to visit classes in person during our Open House.

Upcoming Open House dates are:

• Thursday, November 2, 2023 for prospective families with students applying grades 1 through 9 
• Tuesday, November 7, 2023 for prospective kindergarten families

Please contact the Admission Office to RSVP.

Daily van transportation services are offered from the towns of Amherst, 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.

Before care programs are currently not available.  Day students should plan to arrive to Bement between 8 and 8:10 a.m. Monday through Friday. After-school care is available for lower school students and is offered from 3:30 to 4:30 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.

200 to 220 students are enrolled at Bement. Typically, half are enrolled in the lower school and half in the upper school. Average class size is 12 students. 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.

Applicants interested in scheduling an interview (for applicants to grades 3-9) or an applicant screening (for kindergarten through grade 2), we ask that applicants submit the inquiry form prior to the visit. While it is not required to submit the application prior to the interview, it is most helpful for us to receive it.

We schedule visitors to campus Monday through Friday when school is in session. We are welcoming visitors to campus for interviews for the 2024-2025 school year starting September 25. Tours and interviews are available at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 1:00 p.m. 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 or along the east side of Old Main Street past the school.

Yes. An interview is required with one of the admission officers for students applying to grades 3 through 9. For students applying to kindergarten through grade 2, a screening with the lower school head and classroom teacher is required.

While an on campus interview/screening is preferred, we are able to schedule an interview/screening via Zoom if travel prevents you from visiting campus.

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 match." 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 and Zoom 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. This is particularly important for our youngest applicants.

For students applying to grades 6-9, we accept the SAO to make the application process less cumbersome for those applying to more than one school.  However, all families applying to Bement must complete their application through Bement's Admissions Portal. If you have not yet inquired directly to Bement via our website, upon submission of your SAO application and application fee, you will receive a separate email from Bement with instructions on how to log in to our Admissions Portal. Please refer to Bement's Admissions Portal to track the status of your application and complete additional required parts of the application. Students applying to kindergarten through grade 5 must use Bement's Admissions Portal to apply.

Students applying for the 2024-2025 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

While testing remains optional, if you wish to share these scores with us, 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 students applying for the 2024-2025 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 be able to include this information as we consider completed applications in the first round.

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.

We do not require the TOEFL or TOEFL Jr. at Bement.  Students may submit TOEFL or TOEFL Jr. results as a supplemental or optional part of their application.

Enrolled students, for whom English is a second language, will be required to take the iTEP in the spring 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 for grades 4 and 5).

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 our Open House. If you wish to apply, families should call to schedule their child for a screening 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 students applying for the 2024-2025 school year are:

• Wednesday 1/24 3:45-4:45 p.m.
• Thursday 1/25 8:30-9:30 a.m. and 9:45-10:45 a.m.
• Tuesday 1/30 3:45-4:45 p.m.
• Wednesday 1/31 8:30-9:30 a.m. and 9:45-10:45 a.m.
• Tuesday 2/6  3:45-4:45 p.m.
• Wednesday 2/7 8:30-9:30 a.m. and 9:45-10:45 a.m.
• Monday 2/12 3:45-4:45 p.m.
• Thursday 2/15  8:30-9:30 a.m. and 9:45-10:45 a.m.
• Wednesday 2/21 3:45-4:45 p.m.
• Thursday 2/22 8:30-9:30 a.m. and 9:45-10:45 a.m.
• Monday 2/26 3:45-4:45 p.m.
• Tuesday 2/27 8:30-9:30 a.m. and 9:45-10:45 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

To learn more about financial aid, email us for the Zoom link and join an information session:

• Wednesday, January 10, 2024 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. ET for families interested in learning about the financial aid process

Bement is proud to use the Clarity Application to determine a family’s level of financial need based on the information that families share in the application which includes assets, income, expenses, and debts.

To get started, please go to the Clarity Application starting October 1 and create an account. The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete. The Clarity Application is also mobile-friendly so you can complete it from anywhere. You are also able to save your progress and return at any time. At the end of the application, there is a $60 fee to submit, and you can share your application with additional schools that accept the Clarity Application for no additional charge. Simply use the dropdown menu in the application to select those schools. The application fee will automatically be waived for families meeting a certain income threshold. The deadline for completing the financial aid application including relevant supplemental documents is February 1. 

To learn more about the financial aid application, Clarity is offering several webinars for families. More information will be available this fall.  The dates and registration links of the webinars are:

• September 19 - 6:30 p.m. Eastern  
• September 20 - 7:00 p.m. Pacific
• October 18 - 6:30 p.m. Eastern
• October 19 - 7:00 p.m. Pacific

Join Director of Admission Kim Loughlin for to learn more about financial aid in general.  Please email us for the Zoom link and join the following information session:

• Wednesday, January 10, 2024 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. ET for families interested in learning about the financial aid process

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.

Through the generosity of a former trustee, the school has established The Bement Bridge Grant Fund. This grant provides additional financial aid to cover the remaining balance due for tuition. This grant is available to a new lower school applicant in our local geographic area. In order to qualify, families must have a demonstrated need for full financial aid. There is no additional application process for this grant; by applying for financial aid through Clarity you will be considered for The Bement Bridge Grant. Bement commits to support this student’s tuition balance throughout their experience here. Each year, the Financial Aid Committee will renew the grant as long as the family continues to demonstrate appropriate financial need and Bement remains a good fit for the student. Bement’s Financial Aid Committee may use a lottery system to determine the recipient of this grant if multiple families qualify.

For the 2023-2024 school year Bement has awarded $1,121,000 to 33% of the student body. For day students these awards ranged from $1,000 to $21,200. Boarding students received somewhat higher awards. Historically, our financial aid budget has allowed us to award between 60% to 75% of a family's demonstrated need.

International students applying for a boarding place at Bement are notified January 15 (or the Friday prior if January 15 falls on a Saturday or Sunday) 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 27 which includes class time and lunch, which may assist them in making their final decision. Families of accepted students are invited to a welcome reception that day as well.

Upon a candidate’s acceptance to Bement, each parent or guardian is required to electronically 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. Please contact the admission office to see if there is space available after the deadline.

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 should contact our office to let us know they wish to re-apply.  In addition to submitting information through the Admission Portal,  we may also require another campus visit for an updated screening or interview.

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 counseling works hard with each ninth grader and their family to discover the best match 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. Bement issues iPads to each student in kindergarten through grade two and Chrome Books to students in grades three through nine. Students are required to turn in these school issued devices at the end of the school year.

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. 

Friday 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.

More details can be found in the Family Handbook.

Out of respect to students and faculty with life-threatening allergies, nuts are not served at Bement. Our allergy list will be updated and shared with our kitchen and faculty each year with information provided from families to Student Health Services. 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: