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ADMISSIONS

Each family’s path to High Meadow is unique. We are grateful to have students join us from the local area, New York City, across the United States, and overseas, and work to support all families and children during their transition to our community.

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The admissions process at High Meadow School is guided by our mission to build a diverse population and an inclusive culture, and is intended to be an informative and personalized journey for your family. Start an admissions inquiry to learn more.    ​

Phase 1

Phase 1

Admissions Inquiry
Interested families begin by completing an admissions inquiry. The Director of Admissions then follows up within 48 hours to schedule an admissions call. Note: In New York State, children in daycare through 12th grade (public, private, and religious) must receive all required vaccines on the recommended schedule in order to attend or remain in school. A medical exemption is allowed when a child has a medical condition that prevents them from receiving a vaccine. There are no non-medical exemptions to school vaccine requirements in New York State.
Phase 2

Phase 2

Admissions Phone Call
After the initial inquiry, the Director of Admissions will schedule a 30 minute admissions phone or video call to review the school's primary mission and philosophy, our approach to education, including examples of project based, child-led and nature based learning, the grade level(s) the family is interested in, and a typical day for the grade level(s) of interest. We'll also talk about afterschool enrichment opportunities and aftercare, our athletics program, and our special programs (art, music, dance, drama). We'll share information about the High Meadow School community, volunteerism, school events, parent involvement, Friday Coffees with our Head of School, and the role of our class parents. We will go over our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice and provide specific examples of some of the relevant work being done in our school. We are also interested in hearing about the prospective student’s current learning environment, including any IEP or 504 plan. If the Director of Admission feels the family would be a good fit for High Meadow, the next step is to schedule an in-person tour.
Phase 3

Phase 3

School Tour
Admissions tours generally take about 45 minutes to complete. Families have the option to bring their child or not. During the tour, the Director of Admissions will guide families through all buildings, facilities, and grounds, provide families with basic background and information about HMS, introduce families to members of the staff, including administration and teachers, and allow time for questions. Families will leave with materials to take home.
Phase 4

Phase 4

Application + Student Class Visit
Once the tour is complete, the family will be invited to complete the admissions application. The Director of Admissions will provide the link to the application, along with the instructions on how to create a FACTS parent account. Applications for admissions will request teacher recommendations for students in Kindergarten or older. If a student is coming from an alternative education environment, we will request the latest quarterly evaluation form; sometimes it is necessary for an academic baseline evaluation to determine grade level if a parent is unsure. This is usually facilitated by the Assistant Head of School. Assessing if we are able to meet the needs of each potential student is an important part of the enrollment process. It is also important to confirm that any necessary support will be available through the school before enrollment. After receiving and reviewing the application for completeness, the Director of Admission may schedule a class visit for the student. Typically, we ask all children in grades K-8 to visit as a part of the admissions review process. The visit allows an opportunity to observe the prospective student with other students/peers. It is also a good opportunity for prospective students to see if the learning environment and flow of the day is something that feels comfortable and inspiring to them.
Phase 5

Phase 5

Review + Decision
Before an offer of enrollment, our admissions committee, composed of the Director of Admissions, Head of School, Assistant Head of School and the Director of Finance, reviews the completed application and the classroom visit observation form completed by the classroom teacher. Admissions decisions also factor in the current classroom community and our commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. In some cases, a decision can be made within days of a completed application. In others, it may take longer due to factors such as financial aid applications or district provided services.
Phase 6

Phase 6

Enrollment Process
After an offer of enrollment is made, families begin the process by completing an enrollment contract and choosing a tuition plan. Each new family receives a community handbook. The community handbook includes information on school history, policies, guidelines, communication, and other useful information. The Director of Admissions will ensure families are included in relevant communications from the time of a child’s acceptance and/or enrollment including school events, coffee talks, and open houses. Families are encouraged to reach out to our Director of Admissions if they have any questions or to seek additional guidance. Families joining our community are encouraged to attend a number of back-to-school activities, including a welcome picnic, listening conferences with classroom teachers, and curriculum night. The Director of Admissions will also ensure new families are introduced to class parents, staff, and PTO members. New families also have the option to connect with a Parent Ambassador to help make sure they feel connected and welcomed into the HMS community!

High Meadow accepts applications on a rolling basis and offers acceptance to new families beginning in mid-February each school year and on a continuing basis until classrooms are full. The school is currently accepting applications for children entering Nursery School (3 years old) through 8th Grade in the 2025-2026 school year. ​​​​​

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High Meadow holds the following prerequisites for students applying to the school:

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  • Students applying for the Nursery 3s program must be 3 years old by December 1st.

  • Students applying for the Pre-K program must be 4 years old by December 1st.

  • Students must be current on their immunization and vaccination schedule to attend HMS in accordance with New York State law. Children attending daycare or pre-K- 12th-grade public, private, and religious school programs in New York State must receive all required doses of vaccines on the recommended schedule to attend or remain in school except for in the case of a valid medical exemption from a medical professional. There are no non-medical exemptions to school vaccine requirements in New York State.

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Every new family will receive a Community Handbook. The Community Handbook includes information on history, policy, guidelines, communication and other useful information for our families. The Director of Admissions will ensure families are included in relevant communications from the time of a child’s acceptance and/or enrollment including school events, coffee talks and open houses. Families are encouraged to reach out to our Director of Admissions if they have any questions or to seek additional guidance.

 

Families joining our community are encouraged and invited to attend a number of beginning of the year activities, including a back to school welcome picnic, listening conferences with classroom teachers and curriculum night. The Director of Admissions will also ensure new families are introduced to class parents, staff and PTO members. New families also have the option to have a HMS Parent Ambassador, A parent Ambassador works with new families to make sure they feel connected and welcomed into the HMS community! 
 

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