• APPLICATION PROCESS

    Thank you for your interest in applying to West Side Montessori School.

If interested in the 2021-22 school year, please contact Judy Lyons (jlyons@wsmsnyc.org).

We appreciate your interest in West Side Montessori School. The deadline to apply to our programs for the school year 2026-2027 was January 8, 2026, and we are no longer accepting applications at this time. If you would like to express interest in one of our programs, please email Adis Sylvain at asylvain@wsmsnyc.org.

Applying to Our Programs

Our admissions process begins in the fall of the year before the desired year of entry.

The online application for the 2026-2027 school year will become available on September 4, 2025. The deadline to submit an application is January 8, 2026. Please read the information and instructions on the website carefully before submitting an application for your child. We encourage you to submit an application early in the fall for ease of scheduling your visit to our school. However, we treat all applications submitted by the deadline with equal care and consideration.

If you have any questions, please contact Adis Sylvain, Director of Admissions, at 212-662-8000 or at asylvain@wsmsnyc.org.

Age Requirement

To be considered for September 2026 enrollment:

  • Multi-Age Program applicants must be born on or before December 1, 2023.
  • Twos Program applicants must be born between December 1, 2023 and September 1, 2024.
  • Infant Toddler Program applicants must be at least 3 months old to attend.

We regret that we cannot make exceptions to this policy.

2026-27 Admissions
Important Dates

As part of the Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY), West Side Montessori School adheres to the notification and reply dates set forth by the organization to ensure a smooth and equitable process for all families.

September 4 Application Opens

January 8 Application Deadline

January 30 Financial Aid Application Deadline

February 26 Admissions Notification Date

March 5 Parent Reply Date

Admissions Process

Step 1: Submit an application online

The online application for the 2026-2027 school year became available September 4, 2025. The application deadline is January 8, 2026. There is a $90 application fee. Fee waivers are available for families applying for financial aid. The fee is automatically waived for families applying for financial aid.

Step 2: Admissions Meeting and Tour

After you have submitted your child’s application, you will be invited to self-schedule a meeting (virtual or in-person) with the Director of Admissions or the Infant Toddler Program Director (for families applying to the Infant Toddler Program). This is an opportunity for us to learn about your family and answer any questions. Your choice of an in-person or virtual meeting will have no impact on admissions decisions, so please select what is most convenient for you.

Please note that meetings are for parents only.

Parents of sibling applicants are not required to schedule an Admissions Meeting.

Step 3: Group Child Visit (Multi-Age Program applicants only)

The Group Child Visit is for applicants to the Multi-Age Program only. After your Admissions visit, your child’s Group Child Visit will be scheduled. At this group visit, your child will spend about 25 minutes in a classroom with a few other children and WSMS teachers. You will stay with your child during the visit. Only one parent should accompany the child. Group Child Visits are held on Saturday mornings in January and February. We will reach out in December to schedule your child’s visit.

Open Houses (Optional, for parents of Twos and Multi-Age Program applicants)

Open Houses take place at our Early Childhood location (309 West 92nd Street), where the Multi-Age Program is located. Parents of both Twos and Multi-Age applicants are invited to attend an Open House. Our Open Houses are designed to help you get to know our school before or after submitting an application. During these parent-only evening events, you will have an opportunity to tour Multi-Age classrooms, connect with teachers and current parents, and hear our Head of School discuss the philosophy of WSMS. Open Houses are completely optional, and attendance has no impact on admissions decisions.

Open House dates are as follows:

  • December 15, 2025 @ 6:45 – 7:45pm | In-Person Open House

Registration is required. Please register for an Open House HERE.

Financial Aid

West Side Montessori School is committed to ensuring that our educational offerings are open to all qualified candidates. Financial aid is awarded to approximately 20% of our families. Financial aid awards are determined based on need and the availability of funds. Please click here for more information about the financial aid application. The FA application is due on January 30, 2026. A family’s ability to pay is not a determining factor in admission.

Notifications

We notify families in accordance with ISAAGNY guidelines (Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York).

Early Notification (for families of siblings who have chosen this option): December 5, 2025
Early Parent Reply Deadline: December 12, 2025

Regular Notification: February 26, 2026
Regular Parent Reply Deadline: March 5, 2026
We maintain an active waitlist and notify families as spaces become available.

Open Houses are designed to help you get to know our school before or after submitting an application. During these parent-only evening events, you will have an opportunity to ask questions, tour classrooms, speak to WSMS faculty, trustees, and parents, and hear Mimi Basso, our Head of School, discuss the philosophy and mission of West Side Montessori School.

Our Twos Program is located at 302 West 91st Street and will be available at 6:45pm.

Our Multi-Age Program is located at 309 West 92nd Street and will be available at 7:00pm.

A presentation and meeting with Mimi Basso, our Head of School will begin at 7:30pm at 309 West 92nd Street.

Please use this link to make a reservation.

  • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2024 – 6:45-8:00PM
  • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2024 – 6:45-8:00PM
  • MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2024 – 6:45-8:00PM

The online application for the 2025-2026 school year became available on September 17, 2024. The application deadline is January 10, 2025. We treat all applications submitted by the January deadline with equal care and consideration. Please note that in order to meet the ISAAGNY notification dates, all appointments must be completed by February. The $90 application fee is submitted by credit card with the online application. Fee waivers are available for families applying for financial aid. Please call the front desk to request a fee waiver.

After you have submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email with information about scheduling your classroom observation. These group sessions are for parents and are held on weekdays from mid-October through January. Parents of sibling applicants are not required to attend.

After your classroom observation, you will be invited to schedule a parent interview. Parents meet with a current or alumni WSMS parent from our Admissions Committee via Zoom for approximately 30 minutes. Parent interviews are mostly held on weekday mornings, but some afternoon appointments may be available depending on interviewer availability. The parent interview allows you to share individual information about your child and family. Equally important, it provides a time for you to gain additional information about the school from a parent’s perspective.

At this group visit, children participate in a 20-minute classroom visit with WSMS teachers. Group child visits are held on Saturday mornings in January and early February.

After submitting the online application, families who indicated that they will be applying for financial aid (FA) should complete and submit their FA application by the January 15th deadline. We use a system called SSS (School and Student Services) to process financial aid applications. The SSS application is available beginning in October. Instructions can be found under Tuition and Financial Aid on this website. There is a fee of $60 due to SSS at the time of application. A limited number of fee waivers are automatically assigned through SSS based on the financial information you supply to the system.

We notify families who have completed the application process by email in accordance with ISAAGNY notification dates. Families who have been accepted will be sent a contract and must return the signed contract and deposit by the ISAAGNY reply deadline in order to enroll. We maintain an active wait list during the parent reply period and notify families as spaces become available.

West Side Montessori School welcomes students and families of any race, color, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin in administration of our educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.