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Admissions

Welcome to Avenues, a center of transformative global learning in the heart of New York City. Admission to Avenues starts with our dedicated team, which stands ready to welcome you to campus, answer your questions, and provide personalized support throughout the application process.
Apply now
ADMISSIONS ROUNDS

Applying to Avenues New York

Avenues offers two main rounds: First Choice Round and Regular Notification. First Choice Round decisions were released on December 12, 2025. Families may still complete their application requirements for Regular Notification until January 8, 2026, and find notification and parent reply dates below. We welcome late applications to be considered for any remaining openings following Regular Notification. In addition to submitting your preliminary application form as soon as possible, you’re encouraged to reach out to our admissions team.
ROUND 1

First choice

We are pleased to offer an early round for families who have determined that Avenues is their first choice school. The First Choice round at Avenues is binding. Families whose child is admitted under the First Choice round agree that their child will enroll at Avenues and withdraw their applications to other schools. Families applying for financial assistance are welcome to elect this round and will have earlier access to our generous but finite financial aid budget. As in our Regular Notification round, we aim to meet 100% of a family’s demonstrated financial need at the time of admission.

Please note that a majority of open seats are filled each year via our First Choice round. In addition to new families who have determined Avenues is their top choice, most siblings and colleagues’ children apply in this round to receive priority consideration. Applicants who are not offered admission to Avenues in the First Choice round may either be waitlisted or not offered admission, which is a final decision for the academic year.
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ROUND 2

Regular notification

The deadline to submit your application in our Regular Notification round is December 1. Please aim to complete your application requirements by January 8, 2026. More on our notification and parent reply dates may be found below.
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ROUND 3

Late notification

We welcome applications to be considered for any remaining openings following Regular Notification. In addition to submitting your preliminary application form as soon as possible, we encourage you to reach out to our admissions team and share your reason for applying and any context for the late application.
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ROUND 1

First choice

01 / 03
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We are pleased to offer an early round for families who have determined that Avenues is their first choice school. The First Choice round at Avenues is binding. Families whose child is admitted under the First Choice round agree that their child will enroll at Avenues and withdraw their applications to other schools. Families applying for financial assistance are welcome to elect this round and will have earlier access to our generous but finite financial aid budget. As in our Regular Notification round, we aim to meet 100% of a family’s demonstrated financial need at the time of admission.

Please note that a majority of open seats are filled each year via our First Choice round. In addition to new families who have determined Avenues is their top choice, most siblings and colleagues’ children apply in this round to receive priority consideration. Applicants who are not offered admission to Avenues in the First Choice round may either be waitlisted or not offered admission, which is a final decision for the academic year.
ROUND 2

Regular notification

02 / 03
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The deadline to submit your application in our Regular Notification round is December 1. Please aim to complete your application requirements by January 8, 2026. More on our notification and parent reply dates may be found below.
ROUND 3

Late notification

03 / 03
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We welcome applications to be considered for any remaining openings following Regular Notification. In addition to submitting your preliminary application form as soon as possible, we encourage you to reach out to our admissions team and share your reason for applying and any context for the late application.
ADMISSIONS DATES

Application deadlines for the 2026—27 academic year

Each round has key deadlines you’ll need to meet. This includes submitting our preliminary application form to confirm your interest.

First choice application round

PRELIMINARY APPLICATION FORM DUE

November 1, 2025

APPLICATION COMPLETION DEADLINE

November 19, 2025

NOTIFICATION DATE

December 12, 2025

Regular Notification application round

PRELIMINARY APPLICATION FORM DUE

December 1, 2025

APPLICATION COMPLETION DEADLINE

January 8, 2026

NOTIFICATION DATE

By February 20, 2026

ADMISSIONS PROCESS BY GRADE

How to apply, step-by-step

Our multi-step application process varies slightly by grade and division. You can find our grade-by-grade requirements below.
Filters
  • Small World (ELC)
  • Nursery, Pre-K, and K (ELC)
  • Lower Division
  • Middle Grades
  • Upper Grades

Applying to Small World

To apply for our Small World 1s and 2s (part of the Early Learning Center) programs, please follow this step-by-step guide.
01 Check our entry requirements for Small World 1s
Requirements and Gentle Reminders
Prospective Small World 1s students must be 12 months old by August 31 of their year of entry.
Financial aid is limited.
Small World 1s families don’t need to reapply to Small World 2s the following year. Rather, families can simply select their preferred program choice and commit to enrollment in late fall of their child’s Small World 1s year.
We’d encourage you to apply during our First Choice round and consider all program options (you can select up to three). 
We follow ISAAGNY’s regular notification and parent reply dates process.
02 Check our entry requirements for Small World 2s
Requirements and Gentle Reminders
Prospective Small World 2s students must be two years old by August 31 of their year of entry. 
Financial aid is limited.
Small World 2s families don’t need to reapply to nursery the following year. Rather, families can simply commit to enrollment in late fall of their child’s Small World 2s year.
We’d encourage you to apply during our First Choice round, and consider an afternoon program as one of your top two preferences (you can select up to three).
We follow ISAAGNY’s regular notification and parent reply dates process.
03 Attend a parent information event (recommended)
The best way to get to know Avenues is by attending one of our events. We recommend both an introductory event (virtual) and a Small World-specific event (in-person).
Register for an event
04 Fill out a preliminary application form
Next, you’ll need to complete our Preliminary application form. If you have any questions about the form, our admissions team is here to help. 
Start your application
05 Schedule your parent conversation
After receiving your form, we’ll invite you to schedule your parent conversation. You can do this via our application portal. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about Avenues and for our team to get to know your family.
Access the Admission Portal
06 Complete your parent statement(s)
At Avenues, we consider parents, guardians, and caregivers to be partners in the education of our students. Please submit both statements via the application portal, ideally before your parent conversation, and feel free to share anything that will help us better understand your family.
Access the Admission Portal

Applying to nursery, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten

To apply for nursery, pre-kindergarten, or kindergarten, please follow this step-by-step guide.
01 Check our entry requirements
Requirements and Gentle Reminders
Nursery, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten students must be aged three, four, and five, respectively, by August 31 of their year of entry.
Financial aid is limited until kindergarten.
ELC grades are split into two language tracks, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. For optimal consideration, we encourage you to indicate no preference on your application. Our admissions committee will then carefully consider the best language track for your child with respect to open seats.
For September 2026, we anticipate 30 openings in nursery, 25 openings in pre-kindergarten, and 35 openings in kindergarten.
02 Attend a parent information event (recommended)
The best way to get to know Avenues is by attending one of our events. We recommend both an introductory event (virtual) and an age group-specific event (in-person).
Register for an event
03 Fill out a preliminary application form
Next, you’ll need to complete our preliminary application form. If you have any questions about the form, our admissions team is here to help.
Start your application
04 Schedule your parent conversation
After receiving your form, we’ll invite you to schedule your parent conversation. You can do this via our application portal. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about Avenues and for our team to get to know your family.
Access the Admission Portal
05 Complete your parent statement(s)
At Avenues, we consider parents, guardians, and caregivers to be partners in the education of our students. Please submit both statements via the application portal, ideally before your parent conversation, and feel free to share anything that will help us better understand your family.
Access the Admission Portal
06 Attend a student assessment
Your child will be asked to sit for an age-appropriate, in-person assessment led by our ELC faculty.
07 Request required documents from your child’s current program
If your child is currently enrolled in an early childhood program, you’ll need to ask the nursery or school to complete our confidential recommendation form. This can only be done through our application portal. We also accept the ISAAGNY School Report, sent directly from your child’s current school.

Applying to the Lower Division

To apply for Lower Division (grades 1–5), please follow this step-by-step guide.
01 Check our entry requirements
Requirements and Gentle Reminders
Prospective grades 1–5 students must be aged six, seven, eight, nine, and ten, respectively, by August 31 of their year of entry.
Applicants to our language immersion programs in grades 2–5 will need to demonstrate grade-level proficiency in either Mandarin or Spanish.
Each year, we also welcome between 10 and 15 new grade 1 students who don’t have significant Mandarin or Spanish experience.
Occasionally, we make offers of admission for grades 2–5, conditional upon a family’s commitment to support their child in reaching grade-level language benchmarks before starting at Avenues.
02 Attend a parent information event (recommended)
The best way to get to know Avenues is to attend one of our events. We recommend both an introductory event (virtual) and an age group-specific event (in-person).
Register for an event
03 Fill out a preliminary application form
Next, you’ll need to complete our preliminary application form. If you have any questions about the form, our admissions team is here to help.
Start your application
04 Schedule your parent conversation
After receiving your form, we’ll invite you to schedule your parent conversation. You can do this via our application portal. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about Avenues and for our team to get to know your family. If you’re applying to our grades 2–5 language immersion program, we’ll schedule a call beforehand to get a sense of your child’s language proficiency.
Access the Admission Portal
05 Complete your parent statement(s)
At Avenues, we consider parents, guardians, and caregivers to be partners in the education of our students. Please submit both statements via the application portal, ideally before your parent conversation, and feel free to share anything that will help us better understand your family.
Access the Admission Portal
06 Attend a student assessment
Your child will be invited to an age-appropriate, in-person assessment, led by our faculty. For grades 1–5, the assessment includes math, reading, and writing in English. Students applying to join our grades 2–5 language immersion program will also be assessed in Mandarin or Spanish.
07 Request required documents from your child’s current school
You can request all required documents to be sent to our office online using the application portal.
Access the Admission Portal
08 Sit an optional admissions test
Your child can also opt to take an additional admissions test. Students applying for grades 2–4 can sit the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) primary test, while prospective grade 5 students can take either the ISEE or Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT).

When registering, please enter the relevant school code so that the test results will be sent directly to us.

If registering for the ISEE, please use the school code 333666. For the SSAT, please use the school code 1442.
Register for SSAT Register for ISEE

Applying to the Middle Grades

To apply for our middle grades (6–8) program, please follow this step-by-step guide.
01 Check our entry requirements
Requirements and Gentle Reminders
Prospective grades 6–8 students must be aged 11, 12 and 13, respectively, by August 31 of their year of entry.
Each year, we typically enroll 30 new students in grade 6.
Based on availability, we typically enroll 8–10 new students in both grades 7 and 8 each year.
To increase your chances of securing a place, we advise you to apply in the first choice round, provided Avenues is your top choice and you’re able to make a binding commitment.
02 Attend a parent information event (recommended)
The best way to get to know Avenues is to attend one of our events. We recommend both an introductory event (virtual) and an age group-specific event (in-person).
Register for an event
03 Fill out a preliminary application form
Next, you’ll need to complete our Preliminary application form. If you have any questions about the form, our admissions team is here to help.
Start your application
04 Schedule your parent conversation
After receiving your form, we’ll invite you to schedule your parent conversation. You can do this via our application portal. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about Avenues and for our team to get to know your family.
Access the Admission Portal
05 Complete your parent and student statements
Please submit both statements via the application portal, ideally before your parent conversation. In your parent statement, feel free to share anything that will help us better understand your family. Likewise, the student statement is a chance for your child to give the admissions team a better sense of their character and interests.
Access the Admission Portal
06 Attend a student assessment
Your child will be invited to an in-person assessment, led by our faculty. In grades 6–8, this takes the form of a collaborative problem-solving exercise called a Design Challenge.
07 Request required documents from your child’s current school
You can request all required documents to be sent to our office online using the application portal.
Access the Admission Portal
08 Sit an optional admissions test
Your child can also opt to take an additional admissions test. Families can submit results from their child’s Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) or Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT).

If registering for the ISEE, please use the school code 333666. For the SSAT, please use the school code 1442.
Register for SSAT Register for ISEE

Applying to the upper grades

To apply for our upper grades (9–12) program, please follow this step-by-step guide.
01 Check our entry requirements
Requirements and Gentle Reminders
Prospective grades 9–12 students must be aged 14, 15, 16 and 17, respectively, by August 31 of their year of entry.
Each year, we typically enroll 40–45 new students in grade 9.
We usually enroll 4-5 students in both grade 10 and grade 11, annually.
We accept applications for grade 12 but offers are rare and typically require a compelling context.
Applications usually far exceed the places we have available in the upper grades. We advise you to apply in the first choice round, provided Avenues is your top choice and you’re able to make a binding commitment.
02 Attend a parent information event
The best way to get to know Avenues is to attend one of our events. We recommend both an introductory event (virtual) and an age group-specific event (in-person).
Register for an event
03 Fill out a preliminary application form
Next, you’ll need to complete our preliminary application form. If you have any questions about the form, our admissions team is here to help.
Start your application
04 Schedule your parent conversation and student interview
After receiving your form, we’ll invite you to schedule a parent conversation and student interview via our application portal. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about Avenues and for our team to get to know you and your family. Interviews can be done in-person or online.
Access the Admission Portal
05 Complete your parent and student statements
Please submit both statements via the application portal, ideally before your parent conversation. In your parent statement, feel free to share anything that will help us better understand your family. Likewise, the student statement is a chance for your child to give the admissions team a better sense of their character and interests.
Access the Admission Portal
06 Request required documents from your child’s current school
You can request all required documents to be sent to our office online using the application portal.
Access the Admission Portal
07 Sit an admissions test
Prospective students will also need to take an admissions test. You can submit the results of either the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) or Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) via the application portal.

When registering for the ISEE, please use the school code 333666. For the SSAT, please use the school code 1442.
Register for SSAT Register for ISEE

Tuition and financial aid

Avenues New York seeks to build a student body that reflects the diversity of the great city we call home. Every year, we provide millions of dollars in financial aid to students in all grades who qualify for need-based grants.
Tuition & financial aid
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GLOBAL ADMISSIONS

Transfer Opportunities to Avenues São Paulo

A student admitted to Avenues New York receives priority consideration for admission to our second campus in São Paulo, Brazil. This offers a unique educational opportunity to globally mobile families and those with professional commitments in Latin America.
Discover Avenues São Paulo
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HERE TO HELP

Meet our admissions team

Across its members, our team brings decades of experience guiding families through the admissions process. The team is committed to providing a warm welcome and exceptional support to all those considering Avenues.
David Buckwold
David Buckwald
Director of Enrollment Management and Marketing
Janie Ruiz Yang
Janie Ruiz Yang
Director of ELC and Lower Division Admissions and Enrollment
Billy Hawkey
Billy Hawkey
Director of Upper Division Admissions, Enrollment and Financial Aid
Christina Chang
Christina Chang
Associate Director of ELC and Lower Division Admissions
Beth Formidoni
Beth Formidoni
Associate Director of Upper Division Admissions
Sharrie Varroux-Renaud
Sharrie Varroux-Renaud
Associate Director of Upper Division Admissions
Allie Blumstein
Allie Blumstein
Senior Admissions Operations Manager
David Buckwold
David Buckwald
Director of Enrollment Management and Marketing
Janie Ruiz Yang
Janie Ruiz Yang
Director of ELC and Lower Division Admissions and Enrollment
Billy Hawkey
Billy Hawkey
Director of Upper Division Admissions, Enrollment and Financial Aid
Christina Chang
Christina Chang
Associate Director of ELC and Lower Division Admissions
Beth Formidoni
Beth Formidoni
Associate Director of Upper Division Admissions
Sharrie Varroux-Renaud
Sharrie Varroux-Renaud
Associate Director of Upper Division Admissions
Allie Blumstein
Allie Blumstein
Senior Admissions Operations Manager
David Buckwold
David Buckwald
Director of Enrollment Management and Marketing
David Buckwald
Director of Enrollment Management and Marketing
Dave first joined Avenues in 2018, bringing 15 years of experience in highly selective college admissions. He served as director of admissions and enrollment management for Avenues New York before transitioning to his global role in 2021. Prior to joining Avenues, Dave served as one of the directors in the undergraduate admission office at Columbia University, overseeing international admissions and strategic initiatives. In his more than 10 years at Columbia, he also led engineering recruitment, revived a joint undergrad program between Columbia and The Juilliard School, and traveled extensively for the university, often as a keynote speaker and panelist at top high schools across the nation and world. Previously, Dave was the director of admissions at Bates College, where he helped to bring in one of the most selective and diverse incoming classes in the college’s history.

He began his admissions career at his alma mater, Fordham University in Bronx, NY. Dave also has a Master’s from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Janie Ruiz Yang
Janie Ruiz Yang
Director of ELC and Lower Division Admissions and Enrollment
Janie Ruiz Yang
Director of ELC and Lower Division Admissions and Enrollment
Growing up between Taiwan and the United States, Janie was inspired by her mother, a Spanish-language educator, to pursue a B.A. in Spanish at Fu Jen University in Taiwan. After working as an early childhood educator in Taipei, Janie received an M.A. from Teachers College at Columbia University, followed by two years of teaching at an international school in Moscow, Russia. When Janie first learned of Avenues, with its global focus and emphasis on Chinese and Spanish language immersion, she knew this was the school and community for her. Janie started her Avenues career as a Chinese kindergarten teacher in 2013 and subsequently joined the admissions team in 2015. She's also a proud Avenues parent on the Chinese track.
Billy Hawkey
Billy Hawkey
Director of Upper Division Admissions, Enrollment and Financial Aid
Billy Hawkey
Director of Upper Division Admissions, Enrollment and Financial Aid
Prior to joining Avenues, Billy served as the assistant director of admissions and financial aid at The Pennington School, a day and boarding school located outside of Princeton, NJ. Previously, Billy volunteered in Peru, India, and Nepal with Coaches Across Continents, a non-profit organization that uses sport to create social impact in developing communities around the world. Billy majored in psychology at Connecticut College, where he was the captain and an All-American on the mens’ soccer team, and received his master's in School Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. He is fluent in Spanish.
Christina Chang
Christina Chang
Associate Director of ELC and Lower Division Admissions
Schedule a meeting
Christina Chang
Associate Director of ELC and Lower Division Admissions
Schedule a meeting
Christina was born in Boston and grew up in Taiwan attending international schools. As an undergraduate at NYU, she began teaching Chinese and music to young children of all backgrounds, which inspired her to pursue an M.A. in music education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Christina spent 10 years leading an early childhood Mandarin immersion program in Tribeca. Prior to joining Avenues, Christina also worked closely with the NYC Department of Education’s Early Childhood Education Department.
Beth Formidoni
Beth Formidoni
Associate Director of Upper Division Admissions
Schedule a meeting
Beth Formidoni
Associate Director of Upper Division Admissions
Schedule a meeting
Beth first joined Avenues in 2012 as a member of the parent community, and her three children currently attend Avenues. Since 2018, Beth has worked with the admissions office as a tour guide and parent ambassador, as well as a part-time interviewer. Previously, Beth worked as a chef and as an attorney, both in New York City.  Beth grew up in New Jersey and attended Washington and Lee University for both undergraduate and law school.
Sharrie Varroux-Renaud
Sharrie Varroux-Renaud
Associate Director of Upper Division Admissions
Sharrie Varroux-Renaud
Associate Director of Upper Division Admissions
Since joining Avenues, Sharrie has been particularly passionate about working on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives on campus. She is originally from New Jersey, where she received a B.A. in political science and anthropology from William Paterson University (NJ) and an M.A. in public administration from Rutgers University (NJ). Before joining Avenues, Sharrie worked in advancement at The Spence School, and most recently worked on the admissions team at BASIS Independent Manhattan.
Allie Blumstein
Allie Blumstein
Senior Admissions Operations Manager
Allie Blumstein
Senior Admissions Operations Manager
Allie joined Avenues in August 2017. She received a B.S. in accounting at the University of Delaware. Prior to coming to Avenues, Allie earned her CPA while working at KPMG and held roles in operations and finance. Most recently, Allie was the director of operations at a marketing platform for healthy brands.
ANY QUESTIONS?

Frequently asked questions

Looking for more information about the admissions process at Avenues New York? You’ll find the answers to commonly asked questions here.
What does Avenues look for in an applicant?
There’s no such thing as a “typical” Avenues student. We consider all applicants equally, based on the information you provide in your application. 

Ultimately, however, we’re looking for students who can thrive in a rigorous, innovative, and global learning environment. Our goal is to create a community of diverse interests, talents, and backgrounds, in which all students can become “architects of lives that transcend the ordinary.” 
Will my child need to sit a standardized test as part of the admissions process?
Standardized testing is a requirement for students applying to grades 9–12. We accept the results of either ISEE or SSAT assessments.

Prospective Lower Division (grades 1–5) and middle grades (grades 6–8) students can choose to sit an ISEE or SSAT assessment. This isn’t mandatory, however.
Does my child need to achieve minimum test scores to be considered?
No, we don’t require a minimum score in any form of standardized testing. 

Testing is just one of a range of criteria against which we assess students. With that said, students who do submit results typically fall within the 75th percentile.
Can I request an application fee waiver? 
Yes, you can. If the application fee poses a financial hardship for your family, you can reach out to waiver@avenues-ny.org to request a waiver. 
What is the birthday cut-off? 
Small World 1s and 2s, nursery, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students must be aged one, two, three, four, or five, respectively, by August 31 of their year of entry. 

Applicants to grades 1 and above are assessed based on the last year of completed school. However, we recommend that you apply for the grade level that aligns with our August 31 cutoff.
Do I need to submit first choice letters or personal recommendations?
Neither first choice letters nor personal recommendations are necessary. If Avenues is your number one school, however, we advise you to apply in our first choice round.
If my child isn’t offered a place, can we reapply next year?
Yes, of course. You’re very welcome to reapply for the next admissions year. 
Is the application process different for international students?
Students looking to join us from overseas follow the same standardized application process. We’ll work with your family to arrange mutually convenient appointments and assessments, taking any time difference into account.
START YOUR JOURNEY

Ready to apply?

Take the first step on a transformative learning journey by filling out an application form.
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