The Acorn School

The Acorn School describes its philosophy as a play-based, child-centered approach in which young children learn best when they feel safe, seen, and celebrated. Across its programs, the school emphasizes curiosity, creativity, exploration, and joyful learning while supporting each child’s academic, social, emotional, creative, and physical development in close partnership with families.

The Acorn School’s online application asks families to submit the form on its Apply page, pay a $75 non-refundable fee, and then register for an in-person campus tour and Director information session after the fee is paid. (acornschoolnyc.com) Requirements shown on the application include child and parent information, short questionnaire responses, a family photo, and a 1–5 minute video of the child; program-specific age eligibility also applies, including turning 2 between July 1 and November 30 for All About Two or between January 1 and June 30 before the September start for Saplings. (acornschoolnyc.com) The website currently posts first-round dates of January 8, 2026 for completed applications, February 26, 2026 for first-round notifications, and noon on March 5, 2026 for contracts, with tours offered from October 2025 through January 2026. (acornschoolnyc.com) Priority categories are the groups eligible for Early Notification: siblings, legacy applicants, and members of the Little Acorns program; the posted Early Notification date was December 5, 2025, with sibling/legacy contracts due December 12, 2025 and Little Acorns contracts due March 5, 2026. (acornschoolnyc.com) The admissions pages reviewed do not describe a formal waitlist policy, so waitlist details are not publicly stated on the site sections I found. (acornschoolnyc.com)