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ADMISSIONS

PROCESS

Choosing the right school is one of the most important decisions you'll make for your student and your family, and we're here to help. Throughout our admissions process, we invite your family to get to know our teachers, welcome you to see our learning spaces, and meet our community, as we get to know your student and your hopes for their education. 

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1

Submit an inquiry

Tell us a little about your family by submitting an inquiry form. We'll reach out to answer your questions, share more about our programs, and help you schedule your next step.

Inquire

2

Visit our school

The best way to experience Lake Champlain Waldorf School is to see it in action. We invite you to tour our campus, observe classrooms, and meet members of our community. Whether you are new to Waldorf education or transferring from another school, we'll help you explore whether our program is the right fit for your child.

Visit

3

Submit an application

When you're ready to move forward, complete your online application through the BigSIS portal. A non-refundable $100 application fee is required when you submit your application.

Apply

4

Admissions meeting and student visit

Once we've received your application, we'll schedule a visiting day for students (in Grade 2 and up) and an admissions meeting for the family to meet with the teachers. On their visiting day, your child will spend time in the classroom so we can get to know them and they can have an experience of what a school day is like at LCWS. The admissions meeting is an opportunity for you to speak with our teachers, learn more about the curriculum, and ask questions. 

5

Admissions decision

After the admissions meeting, we'll contact you with a decision and discuss the next steps, including enrollment, tuition, and financial assistance opportunities if applicable. We hope to make the admissions process as welcoming, thoughtful, and personal as the education we deliver to our students every day. If you have questions at any point, we're always happy to help.

Admissions FAQs

Here you can find answers to some of the questions we get asked the most. If you can’t find the answers you need here, please reach out to our Admissions Team:

Lake Champlain Waldorf School
Admissions Office
359 Turtle Lane, Shelburne, Vermont 05482
Email: admissions@lakechamplainwaldorfschool.org
Phone: (802) 985-2827
Fax: (802) 985-2834

  • Families should begin their applications in the fall, one year before they wish to enroll.  However, applications are accepted year-round and mid-year enrollment is available when space is available.

  • Early Childhood:
    After receiving the completed application, parents are contacted to schedule an admissions meeting, children are not present for this conversation.

    Lower Grades:
    For grade 1, students will have the opportunity to meet with our education support specialist for a  First Grade Readiness Assessment.

    For grades 2-5, student visit days are scheduled once we have received a completed application for admissions. After the completed application is reviewed, parents are contacted to schedule a parent interview and student visit day.

    Upper Grades:
    For grades 6-12, students may spend a shadow day once we have a completed application.  Once the application is submitted, parents are contacted to schedule a student visit day and parent, student and faculty interview. Our admissions interview can be scheduled for the same day as the student visit.

  • Mixed-age Preschool: children are 3 by September 1
    Mixed-age Kindergarten: children are 4 years old turning 5 by May 31
    First Grade: children are 6 years old turning 7 by May 31

  • In our early childhood classrooms, we have a 5:1 student:teacher ratio. Our largest classroom has 25 children and two teachers.  

    In our lower and upper grades, a class is considered full at 20 students; however, we will consider 21-25 students per grade on an individual basis. 

  • Once all the steps of the admissions process have been completed, you will typically be notified of an admissions decision within two weeks. 

    Our admissions process is designed to help determine whether our school is the right fit for your family and your student’s academic needs. This process may involve additional conversations with professionals outside of our school, including current and past teachers, counselors, educational support specialists, and tutors. These conversations may extend the time frame before an official decision can be made.

    Admissions decisions are made by our teachers in collaboration with the admissions team.

  • When an applicant is considered to be a good fit for the program, but space is not available, the applicant is placed on a waitlist. It is important to keep us informed of your continued interest in enrollment at Lake Champlain Waldorf School.  

    When multiple applicants are on the waitlist for a specific program or grade and a space becomes available, we will consider applicants based on many factors.  These factors include the current class composition, whether the applicant is coming from another Waldorf School, has a sibling currently enrolled at our school, is a child of faculty/staff, and the family’s intentions regarding continued enrollment at our school.

  • At Lake Champlain Waldorf School, families may apply for Indexed Tuition consideration. Indexed Tuition is a need-based, sliding scale tuition model, which aligns with our core values and desire to serve families of all economic means. 

    Admission decisions are made independently of decisions to award Tuition Assistance. All applicants must be accepted by the Admissions Office prior to the review of the Tuition Assistance application.

    Tuition Assistance funds are generated from a percentage of money that the school collects from tuition fees and from funds contributed voluntarily by parents for the operating budget of the school.

    In general, awards are limited to 50% of total tuition in grades 1-8, and 60% in grades 9-12, unless there are special circumstances. Your child must be entering their Kindergarten year to be considered for tuition adjustment. Kindergarten adjustments are awarded at a maximum of 30% for the morning and a maximum of 50% for the afternoon segment of the kindergarten day. 

    If you are interested in applying for tuition assistance, first submit an enrollment application, and then submit a confidential Application on Clarity. Read our Indexed Tuition Policy for more information.

  • Your financial obligation to the school is for the full annual tuition as stated in your enrollment contract. However, we realize that there are times that a family may choose to withdraw for various unanticipated reasons.  In order to help alleviate some of this financial burden when a family withdraws from our school, LCWS has a Tuition Protection Plan. Learn more about our plan here.

  • Once you have been notified of your student’s official acceptance, we will send you your enrollment contract to be viewed and signed in your parent portal on Ravenna. Once we have received your tuition deposit and signed contract, your space will be reserved.  

    We ask that families return their signed contract and enrollment deposit within two weeks of receiving their enrollment contract. For families applying for indexed tuition consideration, a signed contract is required within two weeks after receiving your indexed tuition award. 

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Find a tuition that fits your family.

Learn about Indexed Tuition
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Have questions?

Contact our Enrollment Director, Lindsay Francescutti to schedule a conversation or book a visit.

Book a Meeting

  • “My three children attend Lake Champlain Waldorf School and we have been so pleased with their education and the community. Each one of our kids has such different needs, interests, strengths, and challenges, and somehow the approach meets them individually so well – they are each thriving in their own particular way. It's a rich, experiential education with plenty of outdoor time every day, and an opportunity to really connect with their teachers. Their teachers truly know them, and often reflect back to me aspects of my own children that I might not see on my own. It feels like a real partnership in raising well-rounded, motivated, happy human beings who will go out and do important things in the world.”

    LCWS Parent

  • “Coming to Waldorf from public school for third grade, our child and our family felt so welcomed by the warm and generous LCWS community. Teachers and staff members were warm and mindful of the big change, and many parents within the school community checked in on how my child was adjusting. Both my child and I are so grateful for plentiful opportunities for experiential learning, as well as the guidance of teachers that foster curiosity and independent thinking. We are so glad we made the leap to LCWS!”

    LCWS Parent

  • “When a parent is choosing a school for their child, they think about how best to prepare them for the world that is to come. When my kids were born, it was impossible to know what the world would be like today. The world is changing, and it feels like those changes are accelerating. In terms of academics and technical skill, there’s really no way to predict what the world will need in 10 years, when my children will be developing their careers. The academics at LCWS are strong, and the faculty teach so well, but I chose this school for other reasons: because I know no matter how this world changes, LCWS teaches things the world will always need: critical thinking, creativity, the will to persist when things get challenging, the ability to create, notice and appreciate beauty, the willingness to communicate with and learn from people who are different from you, and most importantly, kindness.”

    Anna Chang, LCWS Parent

  • “My children have attended LCWS for a few years now, and they are thriving. The difference they experience has much to do with the teachers themselves, but also with the overall approach. The learning is interdisciplinary, so the kids begin to see connections between all the things they are learning instead of just learning in silos that don't feel meaningful. They are excited to go to school each day, and even don't want to miss school when they are sick. Their teachers know them and understand them, and provide the supports and challenges they need in each situation. They have found a welcoming environment, and have made friendships with children in their own grades and across the school. As we know that our children will be going out into a world filled with difficult challenges, we are so grateful to have found a school that nurtures them and provides them a secure place to grow, and to be ready to meet those challenges when it's time.”

    LCWS Parent

  • “I love you Lake Champlain Waldorf School! Thank you for giving all five of my children a love of going to school! They never wanted to miss a day. What a gift to the world this wonderful place is for families. Thank you LCWS for making me a better parent and for being a place where my kids could thrive.”

    Heather Hamilton Byer, LCWS Parent

  • “This is a place where your child will be challenged academically and grow as a quality human being. What we love the most is the school’s prioritization of physical and emotional health in the school environment as a foundation for the academic learning. Our child is off screens most of the day and getting outdoors for movement every morning in addition to tackling rigorous academic work. We are so happy with the educational experience she is having!”

    LCWS Parent

  • “LCWS made me love learning again – something I seriously thought I would never regain. I love all the teachers and I have never been so happy in my life. Everyone wants to be here.”

    LCWS Student

  • “We sent both of our daughters to LCWS for 12+ years. I have so many fond memories of their joy in learning, in adventures that they experienced, in the parent meetings that prepared us for the developmental stages they were in, or about to enter. It was a true community for children and for parents. Our daughters graduated in 2016 and 2018. They went forth in their lives with confidence and the ability to do anything of their choosing. LCWS gave them a diverse, rich, and creative education where they developed a work ethic that makes them valued and proud. They are problem solvers, researchers, and fabulous human beings who have compassion and hope. LCWS helped shape the people they have become. Their curiosity continues. My life as a parent is richer because of those 12+ years.”

    Katherine Knox, LCWS Parent

  • “Something I’ve learned about myself since coming to LCWS is how much I actually love learning – and it made me realize how fun the world can be.”

    Eli, LCWS Student