Application Process

List of 6 items.

• How to Apply

  All applications begin with an inquiry! Please visit the Inquire & Apply page to get started and connect with a member of the Admissions Team.

• When to Apply

  We accept applications for every grade level, Preprimary 3-8th Grade, and consider them as space is available. Our primary entry points (where we admit the most children) are: Preprimary 3 (P3), 1st grade (the first year of Primary School), and 5th grade (the first year of Middle School). 

  
  Our application process runs a year in advance, so you will apply between September and December of the year before you want your child to enroll. Each child applying for admission to Preprimary 3 must be three years old on or before September 1 of the year of entry. 

   

  For example, if your child was born between:

  • 9/2/21 and 9/1/22, apply for the 2025-26 school year in the fall of 2024
  • 9/2/22 and 9/1/23, apply for the 2026-27 school year in the fall of 2025

• Important Deadlines

  The timeline for the 2027-28 application season will be released in September, 2026. 

• Parent Meetings

  The parent meeting, which lasts about 30 - 45 minutes and is conducted via Zoom, is an informal conversation between the parents/guardians and the Admissions Director. The purpose of the meeting is to learn more about your family and your student(s). We encourage you to ask any questions that you have about Ancona during this meeting.

   

  Parent meetings will begin in November of each admissions season. You will have the opportunity to self-schedule your parent meeting after submitting your application for admission. Once you have submitted your application, please visit your My Ancona portal to view your admissions checklist (note that it may take up to 48 hours after your submission for this to become viewable). In the Admissions Checklist, you will find a link to self-schedule your parent meeting.

• Student Visit Day

  On the day of your child's visit, they will spend time in a classroom setting alongside their peers. Teachers will assess your child's readiness for their rising grade level by assessing their academic and social-emotional abilities. 

  • Preprimary 3 and 4-year-olds and Kindergarten Visits: Students will spend 30 minutes in a preprimary classroom setting, amongst their peers. They will have an opportunity to get to know teachers, and other students, and play with the materials in the classroom.

  • 1st Grade Visits: Students will spend a half day from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm in a classroom setting, amongst their peers. They will have an opportunity to get to know teachers and other students and engage in the learning activities of the day. Teachers will assess students' academic and social-emotional readiness for their rising grade level.

  • 2nd - 4th Grade Visits: Students will spend a full school day—beginning at 8:30 am and ending at 3:10 pm in a classroom setting, amongst their peers. They will have an opportunity to get to know teachers and other students and engage in the learning activities of the day. Teachers will assess students' academic and social-emotional readiness for their rising grade level.

  • 8th Grade Visits: Students will spend a full school day—beginning at 8:30 am and ending at 3:20 pm in a classroom setting, amongst their peers. They will have an opportunity to get to know teachers and other students and engage in the learning activities of the day. Teachers will assess students' academic and social-emotional readiness for their rising grade level.

• Admissions Decisions

  The Ancona School is part of the Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools (LMAIS) and therefore honors a timeline as agreed upon by the collective of schools within our network. 

  
  LMAIS Agreed Upon Decision/Response Dates for Admissions

  *Ancona has rolling admissions and will continue interviewing candidates until spaces are full. The dates below reflect the general admission season timeline.

  • Preprimary 3 and 4-year-old Decision Date: 2/21/25
  • Kindergarten - 8th Grade Decision Date: 2/28/25
  • Response Date for ALL Candidates: 3/10/25

  Please note that admission decisions cannot be made until all requested documents are submitted and your family has completed both a parent meeting and a student visit.