Admissions Process

The "Admissions Process" begins with an review of What is Cottage?, our Program, and the opportunities & expectations associated with begin a Cottage family.

Applying to Cottage Co-op involves four steps:

1. Making initial contact with the school
   We ask that you complete this short contact form or call us at 626-799-0387.  A member of the admissions team will call you to answer any questions you may have as well as give you information on our Information Nights.
2. RSVP for an Information Night
   Info Night is an opportunity for you to come to Cottage in the evening and meet the director, the admissions team, teachers, and board members.  You will have a chance to see our classrooms and even get your hands dirty in a sample curricular project.  Information Nights are held in January and February and space is limited.  For more information about Info Nights as well as a schedule, please visit the Admissions Timeline page.
3. Schedule a Tour
   Parents attend tours with their child for a chance to really experience Cottage - play with their child, learn new things about your child, and even get dirty.  Tours are an opportunity for your family to see a Cottage class while it is in session and get a better understanding of the environment.  It is also an opportunity for us to get to know you and your child.  To minimize the impact on classes, tours are kept small.  You will have a chance to sign-up for a tour at Info Nights.  Sorry - no drop-ins are allowed at tours.
4. Complete an Application
   After you have had a chance to fall in love with Cottage and have a better understanding of our approach, you will have the opportunity to complete an Application for Admission.  You complete the admissions process by returning the application form and the $75 application fee.  For more information on deadlines, please visit the Admissions Timeline page.

Families are notified of the admissions decisions in mid-March.

Tuition Assistance

We work hard to keep tuition down and provide alternative ways to contribute to the school through our Annual Fund and Fall Apple Sale Fundraiser.  However, if the cost of tuition would be a hardship on your family, Cottage does offer limited funds through our Tuition Assistance program.  If you are interest in learning more please visit the Tuition Assistance page.  Note: requests for assistance are confidential and in no way affect the admissions decision.

The Admissions Decision

There are so many factors that affect admissions decisions, but the most critical is the number of "rug spots" (spaces) available in each class.  Current families notify us with their intention to return next year in early March.  Once we have the number of available rug spots, we begin the process of filling classes.

During the admissions placement process, the admissions team works to build each class.  Thus, the focus is on the class as a whole rather than on the individual applicant.  We strive to create diverse classes; we are looking for diversity and balance in age, gender, background, characteristics, interests, and abilities. 

Applicants with siblings at Cottage are give preference as are applicants with siblings who may have recently attended Cottage.  Special consideration is offered to alumni families, neighborhood families, and applicants who are on the waitlist.

Once the admissions decisions are made, families are notified by mail.  (Please visit the Admissions Timeline page for dates.)  While we would be able to offer admission to everyone applying.  The disappointing truth is that we get more applications than there are spaces available.  This is where the waitlist comes in.

The Waitlist

If we are unable to offer your child a place, you will have the opportunity to join the "waitlist".  When a space becomes available in a class, we go to the waitlist to fill the spot.

The name, waitlist, implies that there is some order or priority to this list.  The fact is that when a space becomes available, we tried to fill it with a similar student to maintain the balance in the class.  Thus, there is no order to the waitlist.

Another question that often comes up is "What are our chances?".  This is a difficult question to answer: a) because we don't know how many if any spaces will open up and b) we don't want to get anyone's hope up or to dash anyone's hopes.  It is our experience that there are families, who in the Spring, indicate that they will be attending Cottage next year but over the Summer need to change their plan and relinquish their child's spot in his/her class.  Some years, we have a great deal of "movement"; other years, very little.  Some classes may see more movement than others.  It is impossible to predict.

What if Cottage is your first choice, but you got into another school?  The old saying ... "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."  While we encourage families to be a part of the waitlist, you can't rely on getting in through the waitlist, especially after September.

Anxiety

Finally, we realize that reading answers here is no substitute for hearing someone on the admissions team address your concerns first hand.  We encourage you to use the Info Nights and Tours to talk with the admissions folks and find out their impressions.