Application Preparation
Prepare for the pieces LSMSA reads
The application mixes test scores, grades, three letters of recommendation and an interview. Start with the test plan and the letters, since both depend on other people.
Checked against LSMSA's published admissions pages on November 5, 2026.
Testing
The ACT or SAT.
LSMSA does not run its own entrance exam. Applicants upload ACT, SAT, PreACT or PSAT scores.
- Rules
- Applicants upload ACT, SAT, PreACT or PSAT scores with the student's name visible. If scores are more than a year old, retaking is encouraged. The Writing and Science portions of the ACT are not required. No minimum score is published.
- Registration and score codes
- LSMSA looks at the ACT and SAT. The ACT code for sending scores directly to LSMSA is 6351. Registration typically closes about a month before the test date, at act.org or sat.org. No SAT school code is stated on the page.
- LEAP and EOC history
- Previous LEAP or EOC score reports are requested, not current-year results. Private school and homeschool applicants are exempt. The school says it is interested in the student's testing history.
- 01
If your student's scores are more than a year old, the school encourages a retake. Register about a month before the test date.
- 02
The ACT Writing and Science portions are not required.
Essays
Letters and the interview.
These are the parts of the application that depend on other people, and on a conversation.
- Letters of recommendation
- Three letters of recommendation are requested through online forms: one from a principal or guidance counselor, one from a math or science teacher, and one from an English teacher. The principal or counselor letter and at least one academic letter must be from the current school year.
- The interview
- The interview is scheduled after the rest of the checklist is complete. Most are by phone or video. The school's FAQ says interviews are virtual on Microsoft Teams and will not start before mid-January.
- How decisions are made
- Decisions are made after a review of all materials and after the interview is completed. No notification date is published.
- 01
Ask the principal or counselor and two teachers early, and tell them why before you send the online form. The counselor letter and at least one academic letter must be from the current school year.
- 02
The interview is scheduled after the rest of the checklist is complete, so a late checklist means a late interview.
Preparation plan
A plan that works backward from the deadline.
Adjust the pace to your student's schedule. The order matters more than the exact days.
First
Check eligibility
Confirm Louisiana residential ties and that your student is in Grade 9, 10 or 11.
Early
Plan the ACT or SAT
Pick a test date, and send scores to LSMSA with ACT code 6351 if you use the ACT.
Next
Submit the online application
The applicant and a parent or guardian complete it. The other steps cannot begin until it is submitted.
Then
Ask for letters
Request a principal or counselor letter, a math or science letter and an English letter.
By March 1
Finish the checklist
Aim to complete the steps by the priority deadline so summer programs stay open to your student.
After
Schedule the interview
The interview is scheduled after the checklist is complete. Upload final fall grades when they are ready.