For children to be eligible for Developmental Kindergarten (DK), they must be four years, six months (4½) by September 1 of the school year of entry. For eligibility to Kindergarten, children must turn five years of age by September 1 of the school year of entry. This cut-off date remains as a guide for grades 1-7. The admission process consists of the following steps:

Step One: Admission Presentation and Tour
Attend a WNS Admission Presentation and Tour. See the Admissions Events Calendar for reservations, dates and times. At the Admission Presentation and Tour, you will learn about our philosophy and program, tour the campus, and meet faculty, students, administrators and current parents.

Step Two: Application
Submit a completed application by January 24, 2011. Applications received after January 24, 2011, will be considered on a rolling basis as space allows. Click here to download the application forms.

Complete applications include the following:

• Application for Admission, including a recent photograph of the applicant and the applicant’s family
• Parent and Student Questionnaires
• Teacher Recommendation Form and transcripts: The recommendation and transcripts should be sent directly to WNS by the applicant’s current school no later than January 24, 2011.
• Application fee: $150. This fee is non-refundable and does not, in the case of acceptance, apply toward tuition.
• Please mail completed application to Admission Office, Westside Neighborhood School, 5401 Beethoven Street, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

Applications for need-based financial assistance are available online here. Financial assistance applications are due February 4, 2011.

Step Three: Interview and Observation/ Assessment
Once the Application for Admission, including the Parent and Student Questionnaires, is received, the WNS Admission Office will contact the applicant’s parents or guardians to make an appointment to visit the school.

Grades DK-2: The Gesell Developmental Observation, a developmental screening, is administered at WNS. Parents are encouraged to observe. The screening is followed by a parent interview. This appointment is scheduled for weekdays, during school hours, from December through February.

Grades 3-4: Applicants and parents participate in an interview with an administrator and a member of the admission team. An academic assessment will be administered and applicants then spend time in the classroom with WNS students in their current grade level. This appointment is scheduled for week¬days, during school hours, in January and February.

Grades 5-7: Applicants are required to take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). Please visit www.iseetest.org for a list of test sites, dates and registration information. The school code for WNS is 054214. The ISEE must be taken no later than February 7, 2011. Additionally, applicants, along with their parents, will participate in an interview with an administrator and a member of the admissions team. The applicants then spend time in the classroom with WNS students in their current grade level. This appointment is scheduled for weekdays, during school hours, in January and February.

Step Four: Notification
Notification letters will be mailed March 25, 2011. Families must notify WNS of their intent no later than April 12, 2011.