The admissions process takes place during the year prior to entry. Children who will be between 2.3 and 5.3 years old in September 2009 are eligible to apply. A child who will be 2 years old on or before May 31 (age 2.3 by September) in the year of entry may apply for the two's program.

In an effort to make the admissions process equitable and open to as many interested families as possible, a lottery will be used to determine the applicants who will proceed through the admissions process.

Applications may be requested by phone at (212) 691-3432 from 9:30am to 3:30pm any day between September 8, 2008 and October 1, 2008. All families requesting applications during this period will receive one. There is no advantage to request an application on September 8. All applications must be returned and received at FPCNS no later than noon on October 15, 2008 to be submitted in to the lottery.

All families whose application goes into the lottery will be notified of the outcome by the end of October. Parents of applicants whose names are selected in the lottery will be invited to see the school in November or December. In January or February, the children will visit a classroom for a small-group "playdate" with a parent. Letters of notification will be mailed on Tuesday March 3, 2009 in accordance with dates set by the Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY).

Applications for siblings, children of alumni, and First Presbyterian Church members who have joined the Church before January 1, 2008, may also be requested by phone between September 8, 2008 and October 1, 2008. When these applications are returned to FPCNS, families will be contacted to schedule a school tour or attend an Open House. These applicants are eligible for Early Notification which may be elected in December. Playdates for families who opt for Early Notification will take place in January and their notification letters will be mailed on Friday, January 23, 2009. Please note that Early Notification does not guarantee admission and families in this category are encouraged to apply to several nursery schools.

Financial Assistance for eligible families is available through the FPCNS Scholarship Fund. As a part of our commitment to diversity at FPCNS, we actively raise funds to provide financial assistance for children who would otherwise not be able to attend our school. We encourage families who wish to apply for financial aid to so indicate on their applications. Our application fee will then be waived and you will receive a financial aid application to be submitted to School and Student Services. When families applying for financial assistance return their applications to FPCNS, they will be contacted to schedule a school tour or to attend an Open House. Playdates for children will be scheduled in January or February. Notification letters will be mailed on March 3, 2009.

Should you have any questions, please contact:
Helen Makohon
Director of Admissions
at info@fpcns.org