Admission Process

INQUIRE

Admission inquiries are welcome at any time. Families are encouraged to begin the process in the fall for the following academic year.

VISIT 

Open Houses are held twice per year, in the fall and winter. In addition, we have a variety of opportunities for prospective families to become acquainted with our community.

APPLY

Families must submit  an online Application Form  and the following supplementary materials to be considered an applicant for admission. These materials must be received by the Admissions Office by March 1:

• Application and Fee
• Copy of Child’s Birth Certificate
• Child’s School Visit
• Testing
• Teacher Recommendation(s)
• School Transcript

Child’s School Visit

So that we can get to know your child better, he or she is asked to spend some time with us.

• Candidates for second through eighth grade are invited to spend a day at The Woods with students in their current grade.
• Children applying for the Montessori full-day program (five years old) and first grade spend a half day at our school.
• For three- and four-year-olds, a brief interview with our Montessori Director is required.

The following standardized testing is necessary for entrance to all grades:

• Applicants to first grade take the WPPSI-III or the test at The Woods on the first Friday in March.
• Applicants to second through fifth grades take the WISC-IV.  A list of suggested testing sites is available.
• Applicants to sixth through eighth grades take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) or Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT). The Woods Academy code for the SSAT is 8280 and for the ISEE is 211195. Complete registration and fee information is available on the SSAT and ISEE Web sites.
• No testing is required for entrance to Montessori.

Teacher Recommendation(s)

• For our Montessori through first grade applicants, we require one Teacher Recommendation form to be completed by your child’s current teacher.
• For applicants to grades second through fifth, we require one Teacher Recommendation form to be completed by your child’s current teacher.
• For applicants to grades six through eight, two Teacher Recommendation forms are required. One should be completed by your child’s mathematics teacher and one by the English teacher.

School Transcripts (first through eighth grades)

Transcripts for the first grading period of the current school year and a completed report from all previous years are required for the applicant, in addition to any standardized test scores. It is the responsibility of the parent to request that these official records be sent to The Woods Academy by submitting the Transcript Release Form to their child’s current school. The school will mail the transcript directly to the Admissions Office.

Decisions

The Admission Committee seeks to create a balanced, well-rounded student body. We do not discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, religion, or national or ethnic origin. Diversity within a school community enriches the educational experience for all. At The Woods Academy we celebrate our diversity, not just ethnic and religious, but cultural, geographic and experiential.

When considering an application, the Admission Committee takes into account many factors, including past classroom performance, teacher recommendations, the school visit, and test results.

Admission of new students is limited to those children whose:

• Standardized test scores indicate probable academic success,
• Transcripts show work at or above the appropriate grade level, and
• Recommendations from former teachers indicate at or above grade level academic performance and acceptable behavior.

Student acceptances for second-level Montessori through grade eight are mailed in mid-March. After that date, the decision to admit a candidate is made on an individual basis as places are available. The Woods Academy adheres to the Association of Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS) and Independent Education (IE) Guidelines and Procedures Regarding Admissions to Independent Schools.  Please see the IE Statement to Applicants and the AIMS Statement to Applicants for more information regarding these principles.

Applicants for the first level of Montessori (three years old) will receive acceptance notification after their visits in the spring.

Students entering the Montessori program must be fully toilet trained before entry. Although the teacher and the aide in the classroom will supervise, they are not required to assist the child in the bathroom. Assistance is limited to helping with buttons, zippers, etc.