Admissions Overview
Admission to Waimea Country School is a collaborative process where the School, the family, and the student learn more about each other and then decide whether Waimea Country School is the best learning environment for the prospective student. As a first step, parents are asked to review the information here on our website and to read printed materials about the school.
Admissions Process and Timeline
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- Parents review materials, meeting with School administrators and/or teachers to ask questions, tour the school, etc.
- Parents submit completed Application Packet (follow this link for a detailed description of the required documents).
- An administrator or teacher contacts parents to set up an assessment meeting and partial-day classroom visit (if school is in session).
- Applicant student visits the school. A teacher administers appropriate academic assessments and makes a recommendation to the Admissions Committee.
- Head of School notifies the parents, in writing, of the admissions decision.
An initial deposit and the executed enrollment agreement must be returned to the School on or before the deadline date set forth in the acceptance letter to ensure the reservation of a space for the upcoming school year.
If you are interested in applying for financial aid, please visit our Tuition & Financial Aid page.
Assessment Meeting and Classroom Visit
Once parents have reviewed the materials about the school and have completed the application packet, a teacher or administrator will contact the parents to arrange an assessment meeting with the child. And, if school is in session, a partial-day classroom visit by the prospective student is arranged at this time. The visit and the assessment meeting will be combined where possible. The assessment meeting is an opportunity for teachers to gain an understanding of the child’s academic needs. It is NOT an entrance exam that must be passed in order to be admitted to the school. The visit provides the teacher insight to the prospective student’s social development and needs. Watching him or her interact with peers and with the teacher in a classroom setting are important parts of determining how well a student will fit into the Waimea Country School environment.
New Students Applying for the 2025/2026 Academic Year
Applications for admission are now being accepted for the 2025/2026 school year. All materials, including the Student Application, the Teacher Comment Form, the Letter of Recommendation, and transcripts from other schools must be completed and submitted to the school office before admission decisions are made. New families will be offered contracts on a space-available basis or put in the wait pool if space is not available.
The Priority Deadline for applications for the 2025/2026 school year is January 31, 2025.
Mid-Year Enrollment
Students may be admitted to Waimea Country School after the beginning of the academic year if space is available. Mid-year enrollment decisions are typically announced within two weeks of the receipt of a completed application and after appropriate assessments and classroom visits have been completed. Tuition is prorated for students admitted after the beginning of the academic year.
Campus Visits
Your entire family is welcome to explore our School and meet our teachers at Open Houses which are scheduled throughout the year. You will receive a tour of the School and learn about its values, learning philosophy, curriculum, governance structure, and our expectations of parents. Please call the School Office at (808) 885-0067 to schedule a visit.
Part of the application process includes a partial or full day visit by the applicant. We ask that parents observe first and then arrange follow-up visits for their children.
Talk to Waimea Country School Parents
Current Waimea Country School parents are often the best sources of information about our school and can give insight and understanding that written material may not. You are welcome to seek out our families and friends for more information.
You are also invited to call (808) 885-0067 or e-mail Head of School Laurel Matsuda with any questions about applying to Waimea Country School.
For more specific information on how to apply for admission and financial aid options, please select from the links below:
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