Admissions Process - Near North Montessori

It all starts with coffee.

All applicants will attend one of our coffee tours. Coffees include presentations about our curriculum and philosophy, as well as a tour through classrooms while students are at work, followed by an opportunity to hear from older children and parents about their experiences at NNM.

Learn more about the admissions process for each level:

Parent/Infant

Parent/Infant (6 months old by September 1 of entry year)

The Parent/Infant class is offered once a week on Fridays from 8:45-10:45am. Children may be accompanied by a parent, grandparent, or caregiver.

After the application deadline, all applicants are entered into a lottery to allocate available spaces in both of these programs. To be eligible for the Parent/Infant lottery, families must submit an application by the application deadline and attend a coffee tour. We notify families by the end of February with the results from the lottery. If we are not able to offer an applicant a space before the beginning of the school year, the child’s name will be placed in the wait pool and the Admissions Office will contact the family the following October to confirm interest in rolling over the application to the following year.

Young Children's Community

Young Children's Community (2 years old by September 1 of entry year)

There are three Young Children's Community classes:

The 4-day, half-day class meets Monday-Thursday from 8:25-11:35am
The 5-day, full-day class meets Monday-Friday from 8:25am-3:30pm, with before and after school care available (at an additional charge) from 7:30am-5:30pm

All students who complete the application process are considered for admission. Because of the number of applications we receive, we are not able to offer a space to all who apply. Families must submit an application by the application deadline and attend a coffee tour. We notify families of admissions decisions by the end of February. If we are not able to offer an applicant a space before the beginning of the school year, the child’s name will be placed in the wait pool and the Admissions Office will contact the family the following October to confirm interest in rolling over the application to the following year.

Primary

Primary (3 years old by September 1 of entry year)

NNM's Primary level classes are offered 8:30am-3:30pm, 5-days a week. All children in the Primary level stay at school for the full day, although students in the first two years will take a nap during the day (commonly referred to as "nappers"). In their third year, the child will not nap (a "Stay-Upper" in NNM parlance).

The application deadline for three-year-old applicants is earlier than for the Parent/Infant and Young Children's Community classes because all parents of three-year-olds are invited along with their child to meet an Admissions staff member before the end of February. The purpose of this family meeting is to determine whether the child, the family, and NNM are a good match. A letter with more information is sent in January to families who have applied for this age level.

All students who complete the application process are considered for admission. Because of the number of applications we receive, we are not able to offer a space to all who apply. To be eligible for admission, families must submit an application by the application deadline, as well as attend both a coffee tour and a family meeting. We notify families of admissions decisions by the end of February. If we are not able to offer an applicant a space during the initial notification period, the child’s name will be placed in the wait pool and the Admissions Office will contact the family if space becomes available at a later time. The Admissions Office contacts all families in the wait pool each October to confirm interest in rolling over the application to the following year.

For children ages four and older by September 1, we request applications, records, and recommendation forms by January 24, 2022. Once an application is submitted, the child’s name will be added to the wait pool for his/her age group and he/she will be considered for admission if a space becomes available. We give preference to children in our wait pool who are currently attending other recognized Montessori programs.

The number of primary spaces available for transfer applicants varies from year to year based on attrition. When openings arise and following the receipt of all requested information, we will contact families if their child is eligible to fill a space. We invite the parents of an applicant, along with their child, to meet with an Admissions staff member. The purpose of this meeting is to determine whether the child, the family, and NNM are a good match. We make our admission decisions based on the needs and qualifications of the applicants and the needs of the school.

Elementary

Elementary/ Transfer Students Ages Four and Older

For children ages four and older by September 1, we request applications, records, and recommendation forms by January 24, 2022. Once an application is submitted, the child’s name will be added to the wait pool for his/her age group and he/she will be considered for admission if a space becomes available. We give preference to children in our wait pool who are currently attending other recognized Montessori programs.

The number of spaces available for transfer applicants varies by grade level and from year to year based on attrition. It is not unusual for there to be no openings for a grade, though this may change late in the admission process. If no space is available for a child for the upcoming school year, families may roll over the application to the following year. There is no need to submit a new application or additional fee.

When openings arise and following the receipt of all requested information, we will contact families if their child is eligible to fill a space. We invite the parents of an applicant, along with their child, to meet with an Admissions staff member. The purpose of this meeting is to determine whether the child, the family, and NNM are a good match. Elementary-aged children may also spend a day visiting in one of our classrooms. Several students will be considered for each available space. We make our admission decisions based on the needs and qualifications of the applicants and the needs of the school.

Junior High

Near North Montessori’s Junior High (also known as 12-14) includes grades 7 and 8, and is a transitional program that acts as a bridge between Montessori elementary education and high school. Beginning in Junior High, students receive grades for each academic discipline, choose electives, and participate in numerous educational ventures including a student-run business and community exchange. The program balances rigorous academics with meaningful hands-on work.

When space is available, Montessori transfers are preferable, however all candidates for 7th grade who love learning and are curious and internally motivated should apply. Interested families should plan to attend a coffee tour and submit an online application. When openings arise and following the receipt of all requested information, we will contact families if their child is eligible to fill a space and arrange for day-long visit in one of our classrooms.

Application Deadlines for 2024-25 School Year

For siblings of current students: December 1, 2023
For the Parent/Infant Community (six months old by September 1): January 29, 2024
For Young Children's Community (two years old by September 1): January 29, 2024
For children three years old (by September 1): January 29, 2024
For children ages four and older by September 1, we request applications, records, and recommendation forms by January 29, 2024. Applications will be accepted after that date, but availability of spaces may be more limited.

Admissions Considerations
Additional Admissions Considerations

Admissions Considerations

Many factors are considered in making admissions decisions, including:

Children who meet social, emotional, and academic expectations as determined by the Admissions Committee.
Parents who show a willingness to being informed, involved, and invested in NNM and the Montessori curriculum.
Families committed to partnering with teachers and administration, and whose values are aligned with NNM’s mission.
A long-term commitment to Near North Montessori.
For children four and older, current academic information, such as transcripts, teacher recommendations, classroom visits, and parent interviews are also taken into consideration.

NNM admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Additional Admissions Considerations

Siblings of currently enrolled students, children of NNM alumni, and staff children are given priority placement when applying to NNM once the child’s suitability to the curriculum has been established. However, withdrawing one child from NNM prior to graduation will result in the cancellation of Enrollment Contracts for any other children in the same family. In some limited circumstances, such as a diagnosed learning difference or proven financial hardship, a student may leave NNM without affecting the enrollment status of remaining sibling(s).
In keeping with our commitment to diversity, we give additional consideration in our admissions process to children and families from under-represented groups, once the child’s suitability to the program has been established.