Application Process for Grades 1-4

Application:

Thank you for your interest in Trinity’s Lower School! The application for the 2026-2027 school year is now closed. The application for the 2027-2028 school year will open on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Note About Age: Children that join our Kindergarten are five years old by September 1st 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:

Grades 1-4 Virtual Information Session

We will host a virtual information session in December 2026 for families interested in applying for non-entry point grades for the 2027-2028 school year.

Please Note: Date TBA and more details regarding registration will be made available closer to the event.

Financial Aid - Virtual Workshop

The Financial Aid Workshop will be held virtually in October 2026, Date TBA.

In this workshop you will learn about our financial aid policies and process. Our Director of Financial Aid, Edward J. Remache will guide you through the process, eligibility criteria, and deadlines. Anyone is welcome to join this optional webinar to learn more about financial aid at Trinity.

Please Note: More details regarding registration will be made available closer to the event.

*Most events will be recorded and shared to those that were not able to attend.

Appointments:

Our traditional entry points are Kindergarten and Grade 9, so 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; 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.

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.

File Completion and Timeline:

All applications to ISAAGNY schools must be completed by early January (once ISAAGNY announces the official file completion date for next season, we will post it here). The “To Do” checklist section of your FinalSite parent portal account will reveal if any items are missing.

Please Note: As non-entry point admissions are dependent on attrition, the timeline for Grades 1-4 does not always align with the designated ISAAGNY dates. As space can develop 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 or encouraged; multiple letters sent in on behalf of a family are discouraged.)

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