Town School

The Town School emphasizes educating the whole child through high academic and ethical standards, guided by its motto, “let there be joy in learning.” Its approach centers on active, hands-on learning and developing students’ critical/creative thinking, resilience, and advocacy, balancing individual learning with collaboration. Character education and inclusion are integrated throughout school life, guided by its ethical motto of “Self, Others, and Surroundings.”

Families apply by submitting an online application through The Town School’s parent portal; after applying, they can schedule required admissions appointments such as a parent/guardian tour and conversation, plus age/grade-appropriate student visits/assessments (e.g., playgroup or playground assessments for Nursery, and a small playgroup assessment for Kindergarten). Required materials vary by grade but generally include ISAAGNY forms and school records (e.g., a confidential school report for Nursery/Kindergarten, a single teacher recommendation for Grades 1–4, and ISAAGNY parent/student written components), along with uploading recent school reports/transcripts; the school does not require or encourage personal letters of recommendation. Standardized testing is not required for Nursery through Grade 4, but applicants to Grades 5–7 must submit ISEE or SSAT scores (Town does not accept applications to Grade 8), and Nursery/Kindergarten have specific age cutoffs (for 2026–27: N3/N4/K must be 3/4/5 years old by 9/1/26). For 2026–27 entry, the application opened August 22, 2025; the application and financial aid deadlines were December 1, 2025; supplemental materials were due January 8, 2026; and decisions were scheduled for February 5, 2026 (Kindergarten), February 11, 2026 (Grades 1–7), and February 26, 2026 (Nursery), followed by enrollment contract deadlines on February 12, February 27, and March 5, 2026, respectively. The school states that sibling and legacy applicants receive preference (not automatic admission) and may be eligible for early notification for connected families (December 5, 2025) with an early reply deadline (December 12, 2025) and an expectation to withdraw other applications if accepting an early offer. The public admissions pages do not describe a waitlist process; families are directed to contact the Admissions Office for questions.