In order to attend prekindergarten, a girl must be four years old by September 1. That typically means applying the year before when the child is three years old.

We do not since we treat each year as a new year. If a student goes through the admission process and is placed on the waiting list, she may be able to enter before the school year starts provided a spot opens for her. If she is still on the waiting list and decides to apply for another year, she re-applies and goes through the admission process for the next year.

We have 36 openings at the prekindergarten level, our earliest grade. Kindergarten and first grade usually have 5-7 spaces. We add sections of 15 new students at fifth, seventh, and ninth grades. Other grade levels also have spaces for new students occurring by attrition.

Students participate in a group test setting that evaluates their developmental areas as well as how well they follow directions and interact in a group setting. Each student also participates in an individual session to examine her verbal and non-verbal problem-solving skills.

French and Spanish begin in kindergarten. Students can begin the study of Latin in the seventh grade. Mandarin is offered in Upper School.

They are not guaranteed admission; however, if all other factors are equal, children of alumnae and siblings of current students do receive preferential consideration. Our policy states that every effort is made to accommodate qualified children of alumnae and qualified siblings of current students; however, admission decisions are based primarily upon the composite qualifications of the individual candidate.

Hockaday is an independent school and is not associated with any particular religion. Our girls come from diverse religious backgrounds. It is the goal of the school to foster each student’s appreciation of her own spiritual beliefs as well as develop an understanding of the religious beliefs of other students.

We strongly discourage applicants from taking test prep courses or being tutored in any way for admission testing. “Prepping” makes students overly anxious about the testing process as well as questioning their own abilities. For the best testing situation, we recommend that girls get a good night sleep and have breakfast before coming for the test.

All funds are distributed in the form of financial aid. This year, over 16% of the student body received over $2 million in financial assistance; however, none of this is in the form of merit scholarships. We encourage families to apply if an education at Hockaday would not otherwise be affordable for their daughters.

The Awards Committee takes into consideration the needs analysis for each family as provided by the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) in Princeton, New Jersey, the resources of the family and its individual circumstances, as well as the availability of financial aid funds when making the final determination of financial aid awards. Criteria on which the SSS determines a family's need for assistance are:

• family's income
• family's assets
• family's liabilities
• unusual expenses
• family size
• retirement needs
• number of children attending tuition-charging schools

When making financial aid decisions, the Awards Committee takes into consideration the financial resources of both parents, regardless of their marital status. Since Hockaday is not bound by court orders as to financial responsibility for a student's education, both parents are required to submit all required financial documentation, including annual tax returns.

Qualified students who might not otherwise be able to attend are eligible. All financial aid is granted on the basis of demonstrated family need and the school's availability of funds.

Awards are made for one year at a time.
Awards are renewable each year that a family qualifies for aid.
While there is no distinction among students, Hockaday does require its financial aid recipients to maintain high academic and citizenship standards.

All applicants applying for financial aid are notified in writing of the award decision. All information concerning financial aid is held in the strictest confidence by The Hockaday School.

Any prospective family may request information and financial aid applications through the Office of Admission. Please call Ms. Cyndi Lewis, Hockaday Associate Director of Admission and Financial Aid at 214-360-6521 for more information.