Pre-k to K Admissions

Lower School hallway with backpacks at SCH Academy

Pre-K and K Application Process

Below is a full description of the application requirements for what to expect during your admissions process. 

Interested in visiting SCH before applying? Please register for of our Admissions Events here.

Submit Your Application

To submit an application to Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, please start with the online application. You will be asked to create a username and password so that you can return to the portal to complete the process or pick up where you left off. The application takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. 

Apply Now

Submit Your parent Questionnaire

The parent questionnaire serves as a valuable tool for us to gain insights into your family and your child's unique qualities and experiences. By completing this questionnaire in the mySCH portal alongside your application, you provide us with a better understanding of your of your child. We request that this be submitted prior to your parent meeting so we can better prepare for your visit.

schedule Your parent meeting

Parents will schedule a time to meet with our Director of Lower School Admissions., Kate Caro, to share information about your child and learn more about the school.

You will tour the Lower School at the time of your child's scheduled play visit, otherwise we encourage you to join us for any one of our admission events (which happen monthly in the Lower School). Please register through the website by clicking below:

Register Here

schedule Your play visit / assessment

In order to better understand your student's readiness for Pre-K or Kindergarten, you will need to schedule a play visit at SCH Academy. Once you complete your parent questionnaire, you will be asked to schedule your play visit. This visit will give us the chance to get to know your child a little better. Students will spend time with our Admission Director and Early Childhood Center educators, engaging in different activities while getting a first hand introduction to our school.

These visits last up to one hour and can will be scheduled by our Admissions Coordinator Maggie Baker (mbaker@sch.org).

submit (1) teacher recommendation

Recommendations from your child’s current school are an important part of the application process.

Please log into your mySCH account to electronically request your recommendation letters. We prioritize the confidentiality of these recommendations, which must be directly sent from the respective teachers to our Admission Office after November 1. By requesting this recommendation, you accept the confidentiality agreement. 

To maintain the integrity of the application process, we regretfully cannot accept recommendations received before November 1.

Admissions Timeline

We are delighted that you are considering Springside Chestnut Hill Academy as part of your school search. We welcome applications at any time during the year on a rolling basis. If you are interested in applying now, please submit an application through our portal. Once your application has been submitted you will be contacted by your divisional Admissions Director. Our first round applications typically take place between September and December. After that, we continue to review applications throughout the year on a rolling basis.

Decisions & Notification

All applications that are complete by mid-December, will receive notification on their admission decision in January. The Admission Committee reviews applications as they become complete, and decisions will be shared on a rolling basis.

Financial Aid

Families who are interested in applying for Financial Aid are strongly encouraged to submit their financial aid applications at the same time they complete their admission applications. Financial aid for newly accepted families will be awarded in January during the first round of evaluations. The review process will continue until funds are exhausted, meaning that applications will be considered on a rolling basis. It is advisable to submit your admission and financial aid applications as early as possible to have the best opportunity for consideration.

Kate Caro, Director of ECC and Lower School Admissions

Lower School admissions

Meet Kate Caro, director of Early Childhood and Lower School admissions. She's here to answer your questions as you begin your application process for your student(s) entering grades Pre-K to 4, as well as, the Early Childhood Center, 18 months to 4 years old. Kate started her career at SCH as a 4th grade lead teacher and has experience on both the faculty and the admissions sides of SCH Academy.

e: kcaro@sch.org
p: 215-261-6849

We believe in the importance of a deep connection with the natural world and the importance of play for children. The Lower School, housed in the breathtaking, state-of-the-art McCausland Lower School, offers our students an unparalleled experience to easily access Wissahickon for exploration, observation, and content-focused work. 

Douglas Wainwright
Head of Lower School

Head of Lower School, Douglas Wainwright greeting on first day back to school