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Admissions: Visits to the School

It is our goal to make both children and parents feel welcome and comfortable when they visit Bank Street. We are interested in getting to know the applying families and in giving them an opportunity to get as much information as possible about the school. Since we recognize that the admissions process can be time-consuming and sometimes stressful, we offer a brief overview of each aspect of the admissions process so that both children and parents will know what to expect.

Open House
This evening event lasts approximately two hours and provides a general overview of the school with a presentation from administrators as well as a tour of the facility. Parents have an opportunity to learn about the mission and values of the educational program and of the general community as well as to meet current parents and students who will lead tours throughout the facility.

• Lower and Middle School Applicants (Nursery through Fourth Grade) >>
  • Families applying to the Lower and Middle Schools will typically visit Bank Street three times during the Admissions Process:
    1) Open House ["Click here to register to attend an Open House >>"]
    2) The child's visit and parent classroom observation
    3) Parent interview

    Important: 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 soon 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 your application is not processed by mid-February, we will return your application fee.

  • Child Visits:

    The child's visit is designed to give us an opportunity to learn more about your child in a setting where he/she can comfortably engage with materials and interact with other adults and children. Applicants are seen by the Associate Director of Admissions and/or the appropriate Division Coordinator. We ask that children dress comfortably for play and that they do not bring toys from home to this visit.

    We do ask children to separate from their parents in order to participate in the visit except for children applying to the 3s Program. If a parent is concerned about his or her child's separation at a visit, we encourage the parent to contact the Admissions Office beforehand. While children are being interviewed, parents will have an opportunity to tour the school. We will schedule the parent interview at the conclusion of the child's visit. We encourage both parents to attend.

    • Nursery Program (3s)
    • This one hour visit includes 4 to 6 families. Children are encouraged to explore the room and participate in activities of their choosing while parents comfortably interact with their child.
      Children applying for the 3s program are not asked to separate from their parents.
      We ask that only one parent accompany their child on this visit.
    • Prekindergarten (4/5s) and Kindergarten (5/6s) Programs
    • Pre-kindergarten (4/5s) and Kindergarten (5/6s) Programs The groups are made up of 4 to 6 children applying to the same grade level. Children will be asked to separate from their parents. These visits are play-based. Children engage in a variety of activities, some at their own initiative and others at the interviewer's request. Activities include:
      • Exploration/ play with materials in the room
      • Working on puzzles
      • Drawing a picture
      • Listening to a story
      • Snack (crackers and a drink)
    • Middle School: First Grade (6/7s) through Fourth Grade (9/10s)
    Middle School applicants meet in small groups of three to six children. Applicants are given a brief tour of the school with the Division Coordinator. These visits involve a variety of academic activities as well as an opportunity to interact with other group members.

    Parent Classroom Observations:

    During the child's visit, parents have the opportunity to experience firsthand what takes place in a classroom on any particular day. Our Visitor's Coordinator makes every effort to place parents in a classroom in each of the Divisions for 10 to 15 minutes. We encourage parents to visit older grades as well.

    Parent Interviews

    The individual parent interview provides us with an opportunity to get to know your family better, discuss what you are looking for in a school, and answer any questions you may have about the educational program at Bank Street. Moreover, we use this time to share our observations of your child visit so that we can more fully understand your child from your perspective.
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• Upper School Visits: Fifth Grade (10/11s) through Eighth Grade (13/14s) >>

  • Families applying to the Upper School will visit twice:

    • Open House [Click here for description and dates of open houses >>]
    • Combined Child Visit, Parent Interview, and tour of the Upper School.

    Child and Parent Visit

    Applicants to the Upper School are scheduled for individual interviews. These interviews are approximately 1¢ hours long..

    • Both parents and student meet with the Division Coordinator of the Upper School for a brief tour of the Upper School floor.
    • After the initial meeting, the applicant tours the entire school with a current student while the parents meet with the Division Coordinator.
    After the tour, the applicant is given several assessments in the areas of reading, math, and organizational skills.-
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Deadlines and checklist >>
Directions >>
Open Houses >>