Admission Procedures

2026 Application Timeline:

February 1, 2026	Applications available at 8 a.m.
February 11, 2026	Information Night: 6:00pm - 7:30pm (optional)
March 1, 2026	Application deadline at 4 p.m.
April 15, 2026	Decision letters mailed on or before this date

It is our hope that you will find our application process straightforward.

1. Compile Documentation 
   

   • Report Card or Progress Summary (for 1st – 8th grade applicants): Families should submit their child’s most recent report card or progress summary with their student’s application. Please have this documentation ready before you submit your application (whether online or via paper application) This is not the teacher’s responsibility. However, if you no longer have a copy of these items, please ask your child’s current school for help.

   • IAR (or equivalent) Exam Scores (for 4th-7th grade applicants only): Families should submit their child’s most recent exam results with their student’s application. Please have this documentation ready before you submit your application (whether online or via paper application) This is not the teacher’s responsibility. However, if you no longer have a copy of these items, please ask your child’s current school for help.

2.  Complete Application
   • Applications can be found on our website or in the main office at Thomas Metcalf School. To access the online application, please go to the Admissions tab and click on Apply in the right-hand navigation menu. There you will find two application links; one for students applying to Kindergarten through 8th grade and one for students applying to Preschool. Please choose the appropriate link to submit your application. Use the upload option to submit your documents before clicking submit.
   • Should you not have access to the applications online, you may pick up a paper copy from outside the Metcalf office.
   • Please keep in mind that you must complete a separate application for each child.
   • It is also important to note that regardless of the method of application (online or paper) the application must be received no later than 4:00p.m. on March 1, 2026. 

Student Selection Process

Applications are sorted by three different variables:

• those with parents employed at Metcalf/UHigh
• those with siblings already enrolled at Metcalf
• the rest of the community applications. These are then subcategorized by school district applying from; Unit 5, District 87, and other.

The number of students admitted at different grade levels will vary depending upon current enrollment. After the application period ends, an admissions committee uses a blind lottery process to select applications for any available slots at Metcalf School.  The committee is not privy to the student's identity and does not see the full application; just the questionnaire and supporting documents provided by the student's family and/or current teacher with all identifiers removed. These items are only viewed by the committee after the application has been selected by an online randomizer tool.

Applicants selected for preschool and kindergarten will receive a conditional acceptance and invited to participate in an assessment process before final acceptance is offered. Those applying for grades 1-8 may be required to meet with a member of the administrative team before final acceptance is offered.

All applicants will receive a written letter whether or not they are selected for admission. These letters will be mailed via U.S. Postal Service on or before April 15, 2026. We will not email or call you with the results.

The school reserves the right to ask students to withdraw from Metcalf for non-cooperation, persistent anti-social behavior pattern, any educational needs that a student has developed which cannot be met, or for other reasons as determined by Metcalf staff and administration.

2026-2027 Projected Openings

Grade Level