Two elementary aged boys playing chess outdoors.

Application Process

At Berkwood Hedge School, we look forward to the opportunity to learn more about your child throughout the admissions process, and the chance to welcome you into our warm and caring community. Each step is designed to help us gain a deeper understanding of applicants, and share what our school has to offer students and families.

Our online admissions platform Ravenna makes it easy to create an account, which will allow you to register for tours and events, share documents, and submit an application.

In addition to the regular admissions season, we offer off-season rolling admission throughout the year for transfers in kindergarten through 8th grade.

We are here to answer questions and look forward to partnering with you!

Step 1: INQUIRE & TOUR

Registering and completing the Inquiry form in Ravenna will allow you to register for a tour and begin to receive information from Berkwood Hedge School. We look forward to welcoming you on a tour!

Lower School Tours: Grades K–4
Wednesdays, 8:40–10:30am, Lower School Campus

Middle School Tours: Grades 5–8
Tuesdays, 8:10–10:30am, Middle School Campus

Step 2: ATTEND AN OPEN HOUSE

We offer two Open Houses, November 9, 2024 and December 14, 2024, and encourage parents to attend one of these two events to learn more about our school.

At our Open House parents can see presentations of every subject and have the opportunity to connect with our teachers and ask questions about our award-winning curriculum! Our Open House is a structured sequence of events, so parents should expect to stay from start to finish to get the most out of the visit.

Lower School Open House: Grades K–4
10:00am–12:00pm, Lower School (Bancroft Campus)
Register Here

Middle School Open House: Grades 5–8
1:00pm—3:00pm, Middle School (Hill Campus)
Register Here

Step 3: SUBMIT AN APPLICATION

Through Ravenna, the following should be submitted no later than Thursday, January 23, 2025 for our Standard Application, (Friday, December 13, 2024 for *Early Applications):

Online application
A non-refundable application fee of $90 or ($75 Early Application)
A photo of each child applying (please upload a photo as it helps us in our process)

*Early applicants receive priority for kindergarten assessment dates.

Step 4: TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS

All teacher recommendations are submitted through Ravenna. Simply submit the email address of your child's teacher/delegate and we will take care of the rest!

For kindergarten, submit the email address of your child's current preschool teacher/delegate. For grades 1-8, submit the email address of both your child's current teacher/delegate and the teacher/delegate from the previous year.

Please remind teachers to return the completed forms to Berkwood Hedge School no later than Thursday, January 30, 2025. These forms must be uploaded directly from the teacher to us via Ravenna.

Step 5: ATTEND A COMMUNITY MEETING

Once you have toured or attended an Open House, attend a Community Meeting! What better way to see who we are as a community than to watch us in community. Meet current parents to learn more about their experience, and see student presentations. Contact our Director of Admission to schedule this morning visit.

Lower School Community Meeting
Wednesdays, 8:45am–9:15am

Middle School Community Meeting
Thursdays, 8:30am–9:00am

Step 6: STUDENT VISIT

We encourage you to return your completed forms early in the application process to allow more flexibility in scheduling your child's visit to our school. Once we have received your application and teacher recommendation, you will be invited to sign your child up for a Visiting Day:

Students applying to kindergarten will visit the school in small groups of 6–10 applicants for 1.5 hours on a Saturday morning in late January or early February.
Students applying to grades 1–5 spend a full day with their current year cohort.
Students applying to grades 6–8 will have visits to our Middle School arranged.
Students who are currently in kindergarten and seeking mid-year admission into our kindergarten class are required to spend a full day with their current year cohort.

Step 7: ADMISSION DECISIONS

Notification of admission decisions will be available on Thursday, March 20, 2025, after 12 noon.

Admitted families will have a final chance to visit Berkwood Hedge School prior to making their decision at our Berkwood Hedge School, "Second Glance" event, Friday, March 21, 2025.

To reserve your child's place in the class, a non-refundable initial payment and signed Tuition Agreement must be received by Berkwood Hedge School no later than 9:00 AM on Thursday, March 27, 2025.

Admissions Events

NOVEMBER 9, 2024

Open House for Lower School (Bancroft Campus)

10:00am - 12:00pm
Register Here

Open House for Middle School (Hill Campus)

1:00pm - 3:00pm
Register Here

DECEMBER 14, 20204

Open House for Lower School (Bancroft Campus)

10:00am - 12:00pm
Register Here

Open House for Middle School (Hill Campus)

1:00pm - 3:00pm
Register Here

JANUARY 25, 2025

Parent Workshop: Grow Your Child
Hill Campus

1:30pm - 3:00pm
This experiential workshop facilitated by our Head of School, Love Weinstock, offers prospective parents a holistic and intentional introspection into who your child is, and your hopes for your child.