Welcome to CFS! We're thrilled you are interested in learning more about our school for your child(ren.) We look forward to getting to know you. Please give us a call at any time if you have any questions.
1. Call the Admissions Office to learn more about our school, discuss your child’s learning style, and have your initial questions answered. Our Director of Admissions, Beth Skudder, can be reached at 203 762 9860 or BethSkudder@CTFriendsSchool.org.
2. Tour Our School Call to join a Wednesday morning tour (for adults only.) Arrive at 8:45am for a meeting with one of our Co-Heads of School. School tours begin promptly at 9:00am. We will visit and observe classrooms and teachers while classes are in session.
3. Attend an Admissions Open House Call to rsvp for one of our Open Houses. Admissions Open Houses will be held on November 4, 2011, January 6, 2012 and March 2, 2012 from 1:00 – 3:00pm on our Wilton Campus (on route 106). You will visit the classrooms, meet teachers, parents and current students while classes are not in session.
* Prospective families are encouraged to attend both of these events (a tour and one open house) as they offer different and complementary opportunities to learn about our school.
4. Submit your Application for Admission with the $75 application fee as soon as possible, and no later than February 3, 2012. All forms should be mailed to the Admissions Office at CFS.
5. Submit your Application Forms as soon as possible. Once your application is received, we will send you these forms: (these are available on our website as well, www.CTFriendsSchool.org )- a. Parent/Guardian Questionnaire
- b. Transcript Release Please sign this form and return it to CFS. CFS will mail it to the school to request the required school records.
- c. Student Questionnaire Students age 9 and over must complete and return this form.
- d. Examples of recent student work are required (writing, math and one other subject of the student’s choosing.)
- e. If any psycho-educational testing has been done in the past three years, please submit these test results as well.
- 6. Submit your Financial Assistance Forms as soon as possible, and no later than February 3, 2012. If you will be applying for financial assistance, please request from the Admissions Office the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) Form. Remember, CFS Financial Assistance funds are limited, and financial assistance awards are determined on a first come, first serve basis. Your prompt submission of all forms required (the SSS financial assistance application as well as all required supporting materials, including your completed 2011 tax forms) will afford your family the best opportunity to receive assistance.
- 7. Schedule a Student Visit The Admissions Office will contact you to schedule a visit date for your child. For incoming Maples (entering Kindergarten and 1st Grade), this is a two-hour visit in the morning. Students entering 2nd Grade and above spend a full day in the classroom with their peers.
- 8. Review the CFS Family Handbook We request all parents familiarize themselves with our Family Handbook, which describes the school’s philosophy, curriculum, expectations of students and parents, as well as practical information. This handbook will be mailed to you, upon receipt of your completed Application for Admission, with the admissions application forms.
| Dates to Remember | |
| October 19, 2011 | Weekly Wednesday Tours for prospective parents begin |
8:45-9:00 am - Meet with one of our Co-Heads |
|
| November 4, 2011 | Admissions Open House, 1:00-3:00pm |
| January 6, 2012 | Admissions Open House, 1:00-3:00pm |
| February 3, 2012 | Admissions Applications due |
| February 3, 2012 | Financial Assistance Applications due (including 2011 taxes) |
| February 24, 2012 | Admission decisions conveyed (for completed applications) |
| March 2, 2012 | Admissions Open House, 1:00-3:00pm |
| March 7, 2012 | Signed contracts and deposits due |
| March 19, 2012 | Financial assistance awards conveyed |
| March 30, 2012 | Signed Financial Assistance Awards, contracts and deposits due |
Applying for Late Consideration
Applications will be considered after February 3, 2012, if space is available. Please contact the Admissions Office after deadlines to inquire about remaining spaces in our classes. Applicants will be offered places on a rolling admissions basis as long as openings are available.
Overview
The financial assistance program at Connecticut Friends School is a cornerstone of our commitment to creating a diverse learning community. We welcome the opportunity to provide financial support to families who need it to help send their children to the school. While we believe that the primary responsibility for financing a student’s independent school education rests with his/her family, we work diligently to make a Connecticut Friends School education accessible to as many families of varying economic backgrounds as possible. Priority is given to children who will ensure the diversity of the community, children of CFS faculty and staff, siblings of currently enrolled students, alumnae and children of Quaker families.
Families who have difficulty paying full tuition are encouraged to apply for financial assistance, which is a grant that does not have to be repaid. The criterion for financial aid is financial need. The school expects families to finance their children’s education to the extent that they can. Because families’ financial status can change from year to year, families must re-apply for financial aid every year.
Please Note:
· CFS does not offer merit awards, or accept service in exchange for tuition payments.
· All grant information is kept in strict confidence.
· Students receiving tuition assistance are not held to different academic or behavioral
standards.
· Aid will not be granted to any family with outstanding bills at the school. All debts must be
settled, or a satisfactory payment plan be in operation, before new grants can be made.
Determining Financial Need
Connecticut Friends School is a member of the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) in Princeton, NJ, which assists independent schools in determining financial need. SSS forms are available from the school on request. The school, not SSS, funds all tuition grants. Our own Financial Assistance Committee annually assesses, in an equitable manner, each family’s ability to pay for education, using the information provided by SSS and the family.
Application Deadline
All families who wish to obtain grants must apply each year they anticipate need. Your prompt submission of all forms required (the SSS financial assistance application as well as all required supporting materials, including your completed 2011 tax forms) will afford your family the best opportunity to receive assistance. The deadline is February 3, 2012
How to Apply to CFS (PDF)
Application for Admission (PDF)
Parent / Guardian Questionnaire (PDF)
Student Questionnaire (PDF)
Transcript Release (PDF)
Teacher Evaluation (PDF)
Schedule of Fees (PDF)
Financial Assistance (PDF)
School Calendar, 2011-2012 (PDF)
Directions (PDF)
Our graduates have gone to local public high schools in Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk, Weston, Westport, and Wilton, as well as magnet schools such as Academy of Information Technology & Engineering (AITE), Academy for the Performing Arts, Center for Global Studies, Nutmeg Ballet.
Other students have attended Cheshire Academy, Fairfield Prep, International School (Rome, Italy), King School, Marvelwood, The Masters School, The Sound School, Soundview Prep, St. Joseph High School, St. Luke’s School, Stanwich, Suffield Academy, Trinity Catholic, Trinity-Pawling , la Unidad Educativa Americalatina (Quito, Ecuador), Waldorf School (Oberberg, Germany), Westtown (Friends) School, and Wooster School.
CFS alumni have been accepted at the following colleges and universities:
American University, Bowling Green, Bryn Mawr College, Bucknell, Champlain College, College of the Redwoods, Clark University, Clarkson University, Colorado College, Columbia University, Cornell, Culinary Institute of America, Earlham College, Eugene Lang School for the Performing Arts at the New School, George Washington University, Gettysburg College, Goucher College, Green Mountain College, Guilford College, Hampshire College, Hartwick College, Harvey Mudd College, Haverford, Hobart, Lafayette College, Lewis & Clark College, Middlebury, MIT, New York University, Northeastern, Princeton University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Swarthmore College, University of Dayton, University of Rhode Island, University of Rochester, University of Vermont, Wellesley College, and Wentworth Institute of Technology.
CFS Policy Guidelines for Admissions
New students are admitted on the basis of previous academic records, recommendations, and observations made by teachers and administrators during a full day, partial day or shorter visit to the school. Information that parents provide verbally and on the application form is taken into consideration.
We do not use testing in our admissions process. If recent psychological testing has been performed, copies of report(s) are required. In all cases, the school retains the right to determine, in its sole discretion, whether or not to select a student for admission or to re-enroll a student.
As part of our commitment to social justice, we actively seek a diverse range of students and staff. Connecticut Friends School welcomes all applicants and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, family structure, national or ethnic origin, or religion.
