At The Downtown Little School, we make the application process as straightforward, noncompetitive and unbiased as possible. We do not screen children or their families. We believe the Little School provides a rich experience for the wide range of children and families who choose our school.

A downloadable Application Form is available here, or parents may call the school to have a form sent by mail. Application Forms should be completed and mailed to the school along with the application fee of $50 in the form of a check or money order made out to The Downtown Little School.

Please feel free to call if you want to double-check that your application was received. Parents may call the school to sign up for a tour. Tours begin in mid-October.

Please click here for information on Financial Aid.

Here is how we do Admissions at the Little School:

1. Applications are accepted one year before the date of admission, beginning on the day after Labor Day. Parents do not have to fill out an application that first day, or that first week! See #3 below.
2. We give preference to returning DLS children and siblings. Families of returning children and siblings commit to us in mid-February, at which point we know how many spots we will have for new families.
3. All applications received between the Tuesday after Labor Day and December 15th are treated equally. Available spots are assigned by random lottery from this group. Applicants from this first group who do not get a spot are put on a Waiting List for admissions.
4. If there are still spots remaining in any class, we assign these to families who apply later than December 15th, in the order in which their applications are received. Applicants from this group who do not get a spot are added to the Waiting List.
5. We observe the ISAAGNY Dates for notifying families about admission into the program. Letters are sent out in early March.
6. Families who are offered a spot in the school have a week and a half after receiving an offer of admission to accept or decline. A non-refundable tuition deposit of $1000 is due upon enrollment and is applied toward the year’s tuition. If a family declines an offer of admission, the spot is offered to a family on the Waiting List.

The Downtown Little School is a not-for-profit organization.
The Downtown Little School does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. We actively seek a population that reflects the cultural diversity of our neighborhood. We are also happy to consider applicants with special needs.