Applying to Lab Schools

The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

APPLICATION PROCESS and CHECKLIST FOR 2008-2009

keeping with its long-standing traditions and policies, the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools considers students on the basis of individual merit and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, creed, national, or ethnic origin in its admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, educational policies, and other administered programs

In an effort to ensure that all applications are processed on a timely basis, we strongly encourage prospective applicants to submit an on-line inquiry at least 30 days prior to the relevant application deadline. The Office of Admission will send the appropriate application, beginning in late August, for completion by the prospective applicant. Please note that due dates of applications are different for different grades.

1. Age Requirements

Applicants to Nursery School must be 3 years old (1^st year program) or 4 years old (2^nd year program) before September 1, 2008.
Applicants to Kindergarten and Grade 1 must be 5 years old and 6 years old, respectively, before September 1, 2008.
Applicants to Grades 2 through 6 who are younger than their grade-level peers will be asked to consider application to the age-appropriate grade.

2. Application Submitted

Complete and sign the application form
Complete:
- the Parent Questionnaire
- the deposit slip
Return all 3 forms to the Office of Admission along with:
- a photocopy of the applicant’s birth certificate
- a $75 non-refundable application fee (check or money order payable to The University of Chicago)
The application must be postmarked by midnight on:
- October 15, 2007 (for Nursery School applicants) or
- December 31, 2007 (for applicants to all other grades)

Applications missing any of the above components will be returned. Applications for Kindergarten, Grades 1-7, and 10 & 11 received after the deadline will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis for any available space.

The following requirements vary slightly from grade to grade. For specific details, please consult your acknowledgment letter, sent upon receipt of your application, as well as the comprehensive procedures for admission included in your application packet.

Tours are required for parents of applicants to Nursery School through Grade 5. Tours are for adults only and must be scheduled in advance. Please call the Office of Admission to reserve a tour date. Parents are encouraged to complete the tour by December 14, 2007.

Applicants to Grades 6 through 11 (and their parents) are strongly encouraged to attend the Middle and High School Open House to be held on Sunday, October 21, 2007. Tours begin at 1:00, 1:45, 2:30, and 3:15 p.m. If it is not possible to attend open house, both parents and students should arrange to attend a group tour in January or February. Please contact the Office of Admission after November 5, 2007 to register for a group tour.

4. Parent Interview Scheduled

Upon receipt of application, the Office of Admission will send an acknowledgment letter with instructions, specific to grade level, on scheduling the parent interview. Please follow the directions in your letter.

5. Financial Aid

An application for financial aid can be accessed on line at FACTS Grants & Aid, beginning November 5, 2007. Applications for financial aid are due to the Office of Admission by March 3, 2008.

6. School Records/Transcript Release Form Submitted

Parents must complete and sign the release form and forward it to their child’s current school. The school should then send the records to the Office of Admission by the following dates:

2008 - Nursery 3 and Nursery 4
February 4, 2008Kindergarten and Grade 9
March 3, 2008 - Grades 1 through 7, grades 10 and 11

Please note that this requirement will be waived for applicants to Nursery School and Kindergarten who are not currently enrolled in a school.

7. Recommendation Forms Submitted

Applicants must submit the appropriate Independent Schools’ Common Recommendation form (available after September 13, 2007) by the following dates:

January, 18, 2008 - Nursery 3 and Nursery 4
February 4, 2008 - Kindergarten and Grade 9
March 3, 2008 - Grades 1 through 7, grades 10 and 11

Forms must be completed by the child's current teacher(s) and (where applicable) current school principal or counselor after December 14, 2007. Forms should be submitted directly to the Office of Admission by the school or teacher, not the parent. The Office of Admission will only accept recommendations that comply with the above conditions.

Note: Letters from teachers or other school personnel, while accepted as supplemental recommendations, do not fulfill the Recommendation Forms requirement.

This requirement will be waived for applicants to Nursery School and Kindergarten who are not currently enrolled in a school.

The recommendation forms and transcript release form can be found at: Admission Documents.

8. Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) Scheduled

All applicants for Grades 5 through 11 must arrange to complete the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) by

February 2, 2008 –Grade 9 and
February 11, 2008 –Grades 5 through 7; Grades 10 & 11

On-line registration is available at the Educational Records Bureau's (ERB) web site.

This requirement may be waived for applicants to Grade 11 who have PLAN, PSAT, SAT, or ACT scores.

9. Student Visit Scheduled

The Office of Admission will schedule all student visits in the following manner:

Nursery and Kindergarten (Playgroup): Playgroups take place on Saturday mornings and Tuesday afternoons in January and February. The Office of Admission mails playgroup invitations two to three weeks in advance. To ensure that families complete the process before March 7, 2008, we ask that families make every effort to attend their scheduled playgroup.

Grade 9 (Shadow Days): Shadow Days will be scheduled beginning in October 2007. Applicant files that include recent ISEE scores or a scheduled ISEE date, as well as “informal” (from applicant’s own records) photocopies of last year’s final grades, any current grades, and recent standardized test scores, will undergo committee review; after which, applicants may be invited to a shadow day. A student interview with a member of the High School Admission Committee will also be scheduled that day.

Grades 1-5: Only those applicants with otherwise complete files are invited to visit. Visits will be scheduled for February, March, and April. Upon review of the candidate’s file, and dependent on available space, the Office of Admission may invite applicants to either an after-school group visit, or an all-day, individual classroom visit. Applicants to grade 5 will also meet with a member of the Middle School Admission Committee for an interview.

Grades 6 & 7; 10 & 11 : Only those applicants with otherwise complete files are invited to visit. Visits will be scheduled for February, March, and April. Upon review of the candidate’s file, and dependent on available space, the Office of Admission may invite applicants to spend the day at the school, accompanying a student host, attending classes, and meeting teachers. A student interview with a member of the appropriate Admission Committee will also be scheduled that day.

10. Notification

Upon completion of the process, applicants will be notified of the admission decision by letter, postmarked using the following timeline:

February 22, 2008 - applicants to Grade 9 who have completed the process by February 15, 2008
March 20, 2008 – for applicants to Nursery School who have completed the process by March 7, 2008
Beginning mid-April – for applicants to Kindergarten, Grades 1 through 7, and Grades 10 and 11; as the process is completed