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We realize that since the Admissions process varies from school to school, the details can become confusing to prospective parents. In order to help make this process as clear and as personal as we can, we offer some responses to the commonly asked questions below.
Yes. At Bank Street School for Children, the Open House is an important step in our process. This evening event lasts approximately two hours and provides a general overview of the school with a presentation from the members of the Administration as well as a tour of the facility with a parent/student team. For more detailed information about the Open House and the link to register online, please click here >>>
No. Financial Aid first becomes available in the 4/5s (Prekindergarten) program. Families applying for financial aid complete a separate application form, which they receive after submitting the admissions application. Awards are granted based on demonstrated need.
No. Financial Aid first becomes available in the 4/5s (PreKindergarten) program. Families applying for financial aid complete a separate application form, which they receive after submitting the admissions application. Awards are granted based on demonstrated need.
Although we try to see many families who apply, it is not possible for us to interview all of them. If we do process your application, we will call you to schedule a tour and interview. Some families whom we do not invite for an interview will be placed on a Wait List in case an interview slot becomes available. If we are unable to process your application, we will notify you by mid-February.
Yes. Siblings of current students, children of the Bank Street School for Children alumni and staff are given special consideration with an option for Early Notification. However, we do not guarantee admission to anyone and make a concerted effort to enroll qualified students from many groups.
Bank Street offers families who have siblings currently at Bank Street the option of Early Notification. Early Notification is intended to expedite and simplify the admissions process for current families and also benefit the school by clarifying the number of places available for the larger community. Bank Street is focused on the best learning environment for each child. As much as we seek to build a family school, there may be times when Bank Street is not the most appropriate placement for every child within a family. If, after careful review, Bank Street does not appear to be an optimal fit, the Early Notification Plan provides enough time for parents to pursue other options. For the most part, Early Notification decisions are either an acceptance or a denial for that year. In addition, families who apply and qualify for Financial Aid are notified of the amount of their award at the same time as the admissions decision. Financial Aid awards for current families, families with siblings new to the school, and families new to the school are allocated from one overall source.
As a coed school, we make every effort to balance our classes with an equal number of boys and girls.
The application fee of $60.00, which we expect you to enclose when you send the application, is a processing fee and is nonrefundable.
Although many applicants live in the neighborhood, we encourage and receive applications from many neighborhoods throughout the city, from the surrounding suburbs, and even from other states and countries.
Bank Street refers to their grades by the ages of the students in that grade. For example, the Pre-Kindergarten class, the 4/5s, is made up of students whose ages range from 4 to 5 years old. All students must be 4 by September 1st, while some will be turning 5 in the fall. Except in individually specific circumstances, children do not stay in the same grade level for more than one year.
Yes. We have adhered to the September 1st cutoff for children. For example, a child applying to the 4/5s Program (Pre-Kindergarten) must be 4 years old by September 1st of the entry year.
No. Our Admissions requirements do not include Letters of Recommendation. Sometimes families feel that a particular person who knows them and their child very well can offer another perspective that would be helpful.
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