Boston Latin Admissions Overview

Boston Latin admissions, step by step.

Residency, grade level and GPA decide whether a student can apply, so start there. Then check how and when to rank schools.

Checked against Boston Latin's published admissions pages on November 5, 2026.

Who can apply

Who can apply.

Confirm every rule before planning anything else.

Who can apply: Boston residents who are in grade 6, 8 or 9 in September 2026 are eligible to apply for September 2027 entry (grade 7 or grade 9 at Boston Latin School).
Residency: Both the parent and the student must live in the City of Boston.
GPA: A student needs a GPA of B or higher.
MAP Growth: A student needs a valid MAP Growth score, and must finish both sections of the test to receive a score.
Ranking: A student must rank at least one exam school. BPS encourages applying to all three.
Not in a BPS school: Families whose child is not currently in a BPS school (private, parochial, METCO, out-of-city, homeschool or Commonwealth charter) complete the Exam School Residency Verification form in the BPS application portal between October 13 and December 4, 2026.

01
Boston Latin School takes new students in grades 7 and 9, so check which entry grade your student is applying for.
02
If anything here differs from the BPS exam school pages, trust BPS and ask them in writing.

The application

Where to apply: Families apply and receive decisions through the BPS Avela portal (apply.avela.org/boston).
Ranking for BPS students: BPS students in grade 6 or 8 at a school that is not an exam school rank their choices from January 5 to February 5, 2027, electronically or on a paper form from their school.
Grade 9 and current exam school students: BPS grade 9 students and current exam school students who want a different exam school rank their choices from January 5 to February 5, 2027, with a transfer request at a BPS Welcome Center.
Ranking for non-BPS students: Students who are not in BPS rank their choices during the fall 2026 residency verification period. Changes are allowed through the end of January 2027.
How invitations are shared out: Invitations at each school go 20% to the highest-ranking students citywide and 80% to the highest-ranking students in each of the 4 socioeconomic tiers.
One invitation: A student receives an invitation to only one exam school.

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