Applying to Nursery Threes, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten
The application for the 2025-2026 school year is available via Ravenna Hub. The family portion of the application is due on November 15th, 2024.
In order to guarantee an interview (or parent interview and child playgroup, for our applicants to Threes, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten), applications must be submitted and applicants must be scheduled for the interview or parent interview and playgroup by October 15th. Applicants who submit and/or schedule after that date will be unable to schedule online; we will contact them directly if we are able to offer them an interview later in the season, depending upon availability.
Families interested in learning more about Horace Mann School are encouraged to attend our in-person and virtual events in the fall.
Appointments are self scheduled via Ravenna for those that submit the application and schedule by October 15th.
Applicants for the 3's and Pre-K will be able to schedule their child's Interview/Playgroup and their Parent Interview via Ravenna Hub. These are separate appointments taking place at different times. The child playgroup for the 3's and Pre-K process will take place in person at the Horace Mann School Lower Division. The parent interview for the 3s and Pre-K process will take place via Zoom.
Applicants for the Kindergarten process will also be able to schedule their Joint Kindergarten Playgroup and Parent Interview via Ravenna Hub. This takes place in one appointment. While the student is working with our teachers, the parent(s)/guardian(s) will interview with another member of the admissions office.
Families who are interested in applying to Horace Mann School should begin the process one year prior to their desired entry date.
If an applicant is abroad or applying from outside of the Tri-state area, you may request a Zoom interview. If that is the case, please call 718-432-4100 or email admissions@horacemann.org.
For Nursery Threes through Grade 3, we have a strict September 1st birthday cutoff. For the Threes program, children must turn three by September 1st of the year they wish to enter. For Pre-Kindergarten, children must turn four by September 1st of the year they wish to enter. For Kindergarten, children must turn five by September 1st of the year they wish to enter.
For Kindergarten and Grade 1 applications, Horace Mann School, in partnership with Riverdale Country School, requires an online assessment for applicants for kindergarten and 1st grade. HM and Riverdale will cover the majority of the cost of the new assessment for families. As a result, the family portion of the new assessment is $55 for kindergarten applicants and $155 for 1st grade applicants. Applicants will receive the results from the assessment. Information regarding the assessment is down below in our application process section.
The reason that Horace Mann School is requiring an assessment and an interview with our office is so we can have multiple data points to help make our decision instead of one meeting.
The details for the interview will be sent to families after they register for their appointment on Ravenna.
Application Process:
1. Submit and pay for the application
Deadline: November 15th
- After submitting the online application you will be taken to a payment page. The non-refundable application fee is $60. This fee is reduced to $25 for families that will be applying for Financial Aid; enter partial waiver code HMFinAid2024 when prompted in the Ravenna system.
2. Optional: Upload photograph to the application
Deadline: January 15th
3. Schedule the Admission Assessment - Required for Kindergarten & 1st Grade. Horace Mann School is working with First Look Insights. First Look Insights is an independent testing organization working in consultation with Horace Mann School and Riverdale Country School in order to provide additional information on the applicants that apply for Kindergarten and 1st Grade. While a piece of the application process, the assessment is not the only piece of the process. Please read the First Look Insights FAQ to learn more about the assessment and register to take the assessment here. Registration for the First Look Insight will begin on September 16th. Testing will begin in October.
Deadline: Test results must be received by January 15th
4. Attend the interviews
- Nursery Threes and Pre-Kindergarten:
- After submitting and paying for your application, schedule your child's interview through the Ravenna Hub platform. The child's interview/playgroup will take place in-person. In order to cut down on the number of people in our waiting room, we ask that only one parent/guardian or caregiver accompany the child to the child's playgroup. The parent interview will take place at a separate time via Zoom; two parents/guardians are allowed to participate for that appointment. If only one parent/guardian is able to attend, that is absolutely fine. We realize that this is a busy process and that it isn't always possible to make it to every part of the admissions process. We also realize that there might only be one parent/guardian in the child's orbit.
- Remember, in order to guarantee an interview (or parent interview and child playgroup, for our applicants to Threes, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten), applications must be submitted and applicants must be scheduled for the interview or parent interview and playgroup by October 15th. Applicants who submit and/or schedule after that date will be unable to schedule online; we will contact them directly if we are able to offer them an interview later in the season, depending upon availability.
- Kindergarten:
- After submitting and paying for your application, schedule your child's Kindergarten Playgroup/Parent Interview through the Ravenna Hub platform. This will take place during the same appointment window place in-person. Two parents/guardians are allowed to come for the visit. If only one parent/guardian is able to attend, that is absolutely fine. We realize that this is a busy process and that it isn't always possible to make it to every part of the admissions process. We also realize that there might only be one parent/guardian in the child's orbit.
- Remember, in order to guarantee an interview (or parent interview and child playgroup, for our applicants to Threes, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten), applications must be submitted and applicants must be scheduled for the interview or parent interview and playgroup by October 15th. Applicants who submit and/or schedule after that date will be unable to schedule online; we will contact them directly if we are able to offer them an interview later in the season, depending upon availability.
5. Request that the Confidential School Report be sent from the child's current teacher - Required for Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten only
Deadline: Must be received by January 15th
- Parents may submit their request online to their current school via Ravenna Hub for the school to fill out the Horace Mann Confidential Report.
- Schools may submit the ISAAGNY Confidential School Report if they prefer.
6. Required: Submit a parent statement introducing your child and family to us
Deadline: Must be received by January 15th
- We want to get to know you, your family and your child better during the admissions process. We encourage you to introduce your child to us. In particular, we encourage you to consider how your family’s and your child’s life experiences to date have shaped who your child is, who you hope or imagine they will become, and what role or roles you hope their school will play. Submit the parent statement via the Ravenna Hub platform.
If you are applying for financial aid, you must submit the required materials by November 15th.
- Go to our Financial Aid page for more information.
Please check on your application status in early January to confirm that the application is complete.
The file must be complete by January 15th for the applicant to be considered for admission. The application will not be considered complete without the interview. We typically notify families of the admission decision in the first two weeks of February.