Boston Latin School takes new students in grades 7 and 9, and it does so through one shared Boston Public Schools (BPS) exam school application. There is no separate Boston Latin form and no entrance exam of its own. For fall 2027 entry, BPS has published a set of dates that begin this fall, and the earliest deadline falls on December 4, 2026. This guide lays out those dates in the order families meet them.
Who this timeline is for
BPS says Boston residents who are in grade 6, 8 or 9 in September 2026 are eligible to apply for September 2027 entry. Both the parent and the student must live in the City of Boston. A student also needs a GPA of B or higher and a valid MAP Growth score, and must rank at least one exam school. BPS encourages families to rank all three exam schools.
Which dates apply to you depends on one question: is your child in a BPS school that is not an exam school, or not? BPS students in grade 6 or 8 follow the school-based path. Everyone else, including private, parochial, METCO, out-of-city, homeschool and Commonwealth charter students, follows the residency verification path.
Step 1: Residency verification (families not in BPS)
If your child is not currently in a BPS school, you complete the Exam School Residency Verification form in the BPS application portal. The window runs from October 13 to December 4, 2026. Students who are not in BPS also rank their choices during this fall period, and BPS allows changes through the end of January 2027.
BPS students do not need this step. Their school already has the residency information on file.
Step 2: The information session
BPS holds an online exam school information session on Tuesday, December 1, 2026 at 6 p.m. Eastern, on Zoom. It is a good place to ask the questions this site cannot answer, such as how a particular score was calculated.
Step 3: MAP Growth testing
Admission is based on MAP Growth test scores and GPA. How your child sits the test depends on where they go to school.
- BPS students in grade 6 or 8 at a non-exam school take MAP Growth in school from January 11 to 15, 2027. No registration is needed.
- Everyone else takes it on the weekend of January 9 and 10, 2027. This covers non-BPS students in grade 6, 8 or 9, BPS grade 9 students, and current exam school students seeking a different exam school. January 16 and 17 is reserved in case of severe weather.
- Weekend registration runs from October 13 to midnight on December 4, 2026.
BPS says MAP Growth is offered twice and that the higher percentile score in each subject is used. A student must finish both sections of the test to receive a score.
Step 4: Ranking the exam schools
BPS students in grade 6 or 8 at a non-exam school rank their choices from January 5 to February 5, 2027, electronically or on a paper form from their school. BPS grade 9 students, and current exam school students who want a different exam school, rank in the same window with a transfer request at a BPS Welcome Center.
Rank in the order your student truly prefers. A student receives an invitation to only one exam school.
Dates at a glance
| Step | Date | | --- | --- | | Weekend MAP Growth registration opens | October 13, 2026 | | Residency verification opens (families not in BPS) | October 13, 2026 | | BPS exam school information session | December 1, 2026, 6 p.m. | | Registration and residency verification close | December 4, 2026 | | Ranking opens for BPS students | January 5, 2027 | | Weekend MAP Growth | January 9 and 10, 2027 | | MAP Growth in BPS schools | January 11 to 15, 2027 | | Ranking closes for BPS students | February 5, 2027 | | Decision letters | Late April 2027 |
After you apply
Decision letters arrive in late April 2027 through the BPS Avela portal and show invited, not invited or waitlist status. BPS says exam school decisions are final and it does not accept appeals. Invited students are welcome at a spring 2027 welcome event.
What BPS has not published
The pages we reviewed do not give a seat count for Boston Latin School, an admit rate, the date the 2027-28 tier map will appear (BPS says only late winter 2026-2027), or how the waitlist works. They also list no application fee, essay or interview, though you should confirm that on the BPS site. If a date matters to your plan, check the BPS exam schools page directly.
What to do this week
If your child is not in a BPS school, open the residency form and register for the weekend MAP Growth session before December 4. If your child is in a BPS school, ask the school counselor when in-school MAP Growth will happen and which grades BPS will use. Then see the full timeline, the application steps and the FAQ.
If you want help thinking through your own student's situation, EduAvenues has a high school admissions page.
Sources
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