Thank you for your interest in Trinity’s Lower School! We are excited to embark on this journey with you as you think about this important next step in your child’s education. Applicants to Kindergarten must turn five years old by August 31 of the year they enter Kindergarten. Since most children come to Trinity in Kindergarten, spaces for grades 1-4 are available only through attrition. Please read the steps below to learn more about the process and events for the grade to which you are interested in applying and reach out if you have any questions.
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Application Process for Kindergarten
Application:Thank you for your interest in Trinity’s Kindergarten! The application for the 2024-2025 school year is now available. Please read through the procedures below. Click here to create an account in our admissions portal in Finalsite and apply for the 2024-2025 school year. After applying, you will receive an email confirming that we have received your application. Important process documents will be available to view in your parent portal. If applying electronically is challenging and you require a paper application, let us know right away so that we can accommodate you. The Kindergarten application will close on Tuesday, October 24, 2023.Appointments for School Visits:Our office contacts families directly by email to set up meeting dates. This might take several weeks. In the meantime, you will receive application status updates via email approximately every two weeks.NOTE ABOUT APPOINTMENTS: We are honored that you are considering Trinity in your search for a school and understand how important it is to find the right community for your family. Regrettably, we are unable to meet with all families that apply. We typically receive more applications than we can accommodate during the months we tour and interview - early October through early January. Of course, each year is different so numbers may vary. We will offer appointments to as many families as we can within the season. In determining who we are able to meet, we are guided by a variety of factors geared towards shaping a balanced class. We seek to meet families that share our same values: a passion for learning, hard work, joy, a respect for tradition and a desire to become respectful partners and positive members of our community. We are looking for curious, happy children who are eager to learn and hail from a variety of school programs. Trinity cares deeply about diversity in the broadest sense of the word, seeking students of varied talents whose geographic, socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, gender, religious, and family backgrounds will enrich our community. We value our sibling, legacy, faculty and staff families, yet we are deeply committed to welcoming many new families every year. A committee reads applications on a daily basis, and our goal is to stay in close touch with your family throughout the process. We appreciate your interest, patience and understanding. To read more about how visits are allocated click here.EventsThe Open House information session is optional and virtual. After registering, you will receive the Zoom link via email approximately two minutes later. The event is designed to provide you with an overview and a chance to hear from administrators, teachers and students about life at Trinity. If you are unable to attend, don't worry, as we will have recordings available. Please reach out to our office for the link following the event.- Parent-to-Parent Virtual Roundtable
Wednesday, October 25th, 2023 - 6:00-7:00 PM
The roundtable will showcase various parent voices in the school with topics ranging from volunteer opportunities to favorite Trinity traditions.- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Virtual Event
Thursday, November 9th, 2023 - 6:00-7:15 PMMeant for families to learn more about the School’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), this event will feature a panel discussion format.- Affinity Group Conversations virtual and in-person
We will offer opportunities to speak to members of our many affinity groups virtually and in person. Dates for these group conversations in mid November will be available soon.*More details and information on how to join remotely will be made available closer to the dates of the events.- Financial Aid Virtual Workshops
We will offer optional workshops to better understand the financial aid process at Trinity and answer any questions you might have. These workshops will be held on Thursday, October 26 and Tuesday, November 7 from 6-7pm.For more information about financial aid please click hereSchool Visits:- Parent/Guardian Tour: Led by a current Trinity parent, two families at a time will walk through the entire campus to see classrooms in action and the various facilities we enjoy such as the pool, gym, labs and more. (If walking for long stretches or stairs is difficult please let us know in advance so we can modify your tour.)
- Parent/Guardian Interview: Parents/Guardians will interview with a member of the admissions team to discuss your child and our school program.
- Child Visit: At the same time as the parent/guardian conversation, your child will have the chance to do some fun, child-friendly activities with another member of our team. This meeting is intimate as there are just two children at a time in a warm and welcoming space.
Classroom Observation:- If your child is enrolled in an early childhood program that will allow someone from our team to visit in-person or virtually, our office will organize this directly with the school. If your child is in a public school or at a program that we are unable to connect with, we will schedule a play session on a Saturday in a Trinity classroom. Whether we go to your school’s classroom or host a play session at Trinity, both experiences are valuable to see your child at play.
School Report:- We require a current school report from your child’s school. Most early childhood programs already have this report form (developed by our Admissions Association, ISAAGNY) and will send it directly to us upon completion. If you are at a non-ISAAGNY school, public school
or daycare center that does not use this report format, please ask if they will fill out a blank copy of our form and send it directly back to us this winter. If your school prefers to use their own document, we will accept that instead.
Video Clip:- We invite you to share one brief, current (between September 1 - December 31, 2023) video clip of your child with us. This casual observational video should not be more than 60 seconds in length. You can use your mobile phone, iPad or another device (no professional recordings, please). Spontaneous conversation may be included and is welcome. Suggested activities include: Building, drawing, painting, playdoh, imaginary play, outdoor time, etc.
Please label your video with the applicant’s name and upload directly into your Finalsite parent portal checklist. You may upload the video at any time during the fall / winter. You do not have to upload it at the same time you submit your application. If you do not have access to a device to record a video, you may email or mail us an “action” photo instead of a video.
File Completion:- In accordance with the dates set by our Admissions Association, *ISAAGNY, all application components should be in our hands by Thursday, January 11, 2024. The “To Do” checklist section of your Finalsite Parent Portal will reveal if any items are missing.
(Note: Personal letters of recommendation are not required; multiple letters sent in on behalf of a family are discouraged) -
Application Process for Grades 1-4
Application:
Thank you for your interest in Trinity’s Lower School! The application for the 2024-2025 school year is now available. Please read through the procedures below carefully as they vary for each grade. Click here to create an account in our admissions portal in Finalsite and apply for the 2024-2025 school year. After applying, you will receive an email confirming that we have received your application. Important process documents will be available to view in your parent portal. If applying electronically is challenging and you require a paper application, let us know right away so that we can accommodate you.Note About Age: Children that join our Kindergarten are five by August 31 of the fall when they begin. While we realize that public schools and other institutions might have a different or later birth-date cut off, we believe it is important for children to be with their peers in the same age group. If you are applying from a school that has a later birthdate cutoff, we encourage you to apply for the grade where your child would be with other students in the same age cohort, even if it means repeating the grade. Children still find life in the classroom to be academically and intellectually stimulating. We do not view redoing a grade from another school as a negative as our programs are often quite different. Being with other children of the same age is often better for the student from a social and emotional standpoint. If you have questions about this, please let us know.Events:- We will host a virtual information session about the process for these non-entry point grades in the winter (Date TBD).
Most new students enter Trinity in Kindergarten, and spaces for grades 1-4 are available only through attrition. Still, we would be pleased to consider your child’s application for any openings that may occur and encourage you to begin the process. If we are able to meet with your family to do a tour and interview, this typically happens in January or February. We wait to interview until we learn about a space, and regrettably, we are unable to meet with all families that apply. If you are applying for financial aid, we often do not have funds available as they are earmarked for K and grade 9, our main entry points; however, every year is different and sometimes there is aid available. To read more about how visits are allocated click here.If we are able to move forward and process your child’s application, we will set up school visits at that time which will include:- Parent/Guardian Tour: Led by a current Trinity parent, the family will walk through the entire campus to see classrooms in action and the various facilities we enjoy such as the pool, gym, labs and more.
- Parent/Guardian Interview: Parents/Guardians will interview with a member of the admissions team.
- Student interview: On this day, children will have the chance to see the school on a short tour before their interview. Then, at the same time as the parent/guardian conversation, your child will work with another member of our team doing some fun activities involving literacy, math and writing. The activities are developmentally appropriate for the child’s grade to which they are applying.
- Trinity Classroom Visit: It is possible that we will ask your child to spend a day on campus in a classroom in order to see them in an academic and social setting.
Testing:- The Educational Records Bureau (ERB) is an educational advisory company that offers a variety of assessment tools for educators. For students applying to grades two through four, we ask applicants to take the ISEE Primary. This should be scheduled with the ERB directly.
School Report / Teacher Recommendation / Writing Sample- We will need a school report from your child’s current school. Please give this Permission to Release Records form to the appropriate office. It enables the school to send us your child’s report this winter.
- For grades two and three, families should ask a current teacher of the applicant to fill out our Teacher Recommendation form. If you are applying to grade four, families should ask two teachers. These must be sent to our office directly from the school or teacher. You may provide the teacher the form electronically via your Finalsite Parent Portal or print and give it to them directly with instructions on how to return it to us (by email, fax or mail).
- A writing sample is required for grades two, three and four applicants. Ideally, we would like a copy of your child’s writing from school with teacher comments written on it (i.e. an essay, book report, personal narrative, etc.). An explanation of what the assignment was and when it was done should also be included. If you do not have anything from your school, please upload any current piece of writing.
Financial Aid Virtual Workshops- We will offer optional workshops to better understand the financial aid process at Trinity and answer any questions you might have. These workshops will be held on Thursday, October 26 and Tuesday, November 7 from 6-7pm.For more information about financial aid please click here.
File Completion and Timeline- In accordance with the dates set by our Admissions Association, *ISAAGNY, application components should be in our hands by Thursday, January 11th, 2024. The “To Do” checklist section of your SchoolAdmin account will reveal if any items are missing. We understand that the timeline sometimes differs for the non-entry point grades since space only develops through attrition and we do not always have news this early. As space sometimes develops later in the spring or summer after deadlines, it is possible that we will schedule later visits based on attrition news and/or our enrollment needs.
- (Note: Personal letters of recommendation are not required; multiple letters sent in on behalf of a family are discouraged)
Please watch these exciting and informative videos! You will see children at play and at work, learning, growing, exploring, sharing, and engaging in a variety of activities. Students' days are full, joyful and balanced. You will get a sense of the schedule, our campus and facilities, and hear from students, teachers and administrators about life in the lower school. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Videos To Learn More
FAQ
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Q: Do you have a pre-k program?
A: No, we do not have a pre-k program. -
Q: What are the entry grades at Trinity?
A: Kindergarten and 9th grade are the main entry points. We also admit students for 7th grade from Prep for Prep, an educational access program. -
Q: What age does my child need to be to attend Kindergarten?
A: Kindergarten students must be five years old by August 31 of the year they would enter Kindergarten. -
Q: When do I apply for Kindergarten? Is there an application deadline?
A: The Admissions process begins one year prior to entry. The application will become available online starting the morning of September 5, 2023. While it will remain open through the third week of October, we encourage families to apply in a timely manner. The deadline to submit an application for consideration is October 24, 2023. (We will do our best to accommodate applications after this date for special reasons, such as job transfers, relocation, illness, etc.). -
Q: What is the application fee?
A: The application fee is $75. This fee is waived if you are applying for financial aid, and is returned if we are unable to process your child’s application. -
Q: Does Trinity offer Financial Aid?
A: Yes, Trinity offers need-based financial aid. For more information about tuition and financial aid, please click here. -
Q: Do you see everyone who applies?
A: As much as we would like to, we are unable to meet with every family that applies. We look carefully at all the applications we receive and offer appointments to as many families as we can. We are guided by many factors; we seek a balanced number of boys and girls, children from a variety of schools, families from different backgrounds, and much more. For more information on how we allocate visits, please read this letter from the Director of Admissions. -
Q: Do you have to apply before attending virtual events, such as the Kindergarten Open House?
A: You are not required to submit an application prior to an Open House; however, these events are only for Kindergarten 2024 prospective applicant families. -
Q: Can parents have a tour before submitting an application?
A: No, we must have an application in order to schedule a tour and interview. -
Q: How do I find out the status of my child’s application during the season?
A: If we are able to meet your family, we will be in touch via email to schedule visits. As it takes time to process applications, you will receive biweekly emails from our office updating you on your child’s application status. -
Q: What materials complete a Kindergarten application?
A: The application, school visits (tour and interview), a current school report and a classroom observation either at a child’s current school or at Trinity complete an application. (If you are applying from a far distance and it is not possible for us to visit your child’s place of learning or to attend a classroom play session at Trinity, this last requirement is waived.) -
Q: In addition to the parent/child visit, will my child be seen at their pre-school or at Trinity on a Saturday?
A: We will visit many children at their pre-schools during the admissions season. We know that we will not be able to visit every school so we plan to see children at Trinity as well. If your child attends a public school, an “on-going school” (a school that has a pre-K), a school with very few applicants, one that might not welcome visitors or is very far away, we might ask you to schedule a Saturday visit with us. It is also possible that we will visit your child’s classroom on a day your child is absent. This is another situation where we might ask you to attend a short Saturday play session at Trinity. -
Q: Is there a benefit to children being seen at their own school or at Trinity?
A: We believe both types of classroom observations to be useful and informative and that one is not “better” than another. In both scenarios, children are in a classroom playing with peers, utilizing age-appropriate materials and surrounded by experienced, caring, engaging teachers. -
Q: Do Kindergarten students come from a limited number of schools?
A: Students come to Trinity from a variety of schools; this year’s grade has over 30 programs represented. -
Q: Do you require letters of recommendation?
A: Recommendations are not required or desired. -
Q: Do certain applicants receive special consideration?
A: Sibling, legacy, faculty and staff applicants get preference and receive early and strong consideration. -
Q: Does my child need to take any standardized testing offered by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB)?
A: If you are applying for Kindergarten or grade one, you are not required to do any outside testing. If you are applying to Grades two through four, we do ask for ERB testing (the ISEE Primary). The link to the Educational Records Bureau is: http://erblearn.org/ -
Q: Is there an after school program?
A: Yes, Trinity has an after school program that offers a wide variety of classes. We also have an activity-based extended day program called Kid’s Club (which runs until 5:45 pm). -
Q: Is there bus service provided?
A: There is limited Manhattan public bus service which is free and available depending on your home location. We do not have bus service to Trinity from out of the borough of Manhattan. There is a private bus option for families that live downtown. -
Q: When will I have my admissions decision?
A: We follow the notification dates set by our Admissions Association, ISAAGNY, and notify electronically. For more information, click here. -
Q: What do I do if my child is applying for a non-entry point grade?
A: Grades one through four are considered “waitlist” grades at Trinity since they are non-entry points. We interview and enroll students for these grades when we have attrition. Though we typically do not know for many months whether or not we will have space, families interested in applying are still encouraged to submit an application in the fall and send supporting documents to build your child’s file. If we learn of space and can meet your son or daughter, we will be in touch to schedule a visit in January or February (or later in the spring depending on late attrition news and/or our enrollment needs). We will host a virtual information session to share more about this process. Though we do not have large events or group tours for these grades, we encourage you to peruse our website to learn about our school. For more information about this process, please read this letter from the Director of Admissions. -
Q: Do you offer spring tours or Open Houses?
A: No, we do not offer spring tours, but will host a virtual session in the Spring of 2024 for families to learn more about our school and the process. We have an Open House in the fall designated for those that will be applying for Kindergarten 2024. While you do not have to apply to attend, the events are only for parents of children eligible to apply. -
Q: What is the best way to communicate with the admissions office?
A: Please email: k-4admissions@trinityschoolnyc.org -
Q: How do I find out more about the Admissions Association ISAAGNY?
A: Visit the ISAAGNY website at: http://www.isaagny.org/
Located on the Upper West Side of New York City, Trinity School is a college preparatory, coeducational independent school for grades K-12. Since 1709, Trinity has provided a world-class education to its students with rigorous academics and outstanding programs in athletics, the arts, peer leadership, and global travel.