Welcome to The Wilberforce School admission process. Please carefully review steps involved in admission, and the key application and financial aid dates.
The Application Process
Please note: TWS continues to accept applications after the February deadline on a rolling basis until all classes are full. Space is limited - apply as soon as possible.
Step One: Application – due February 5
To download an application, click here. Submit completed applications with a $75 application fee by February 5. Mail applications to the following address:
The Wilberforce School
P.O. Box 1132
Princeton, NJ 08542-1132
Step Two: Apply for Financial Aid (if needed) – due February 5
Apply for The Wilberforce Scholarship (for Middle School Students) -
due February 5.
Step Three: Admissions Testing
Explorers I and II: Testing Day is Saturday, February 20
Classes 1 through 8: Testing is by appointment
Explorers I and II Applicants: Once your completed application is received, please make plans to bring your child to the school for 1.5 to 2 hours on Saturday, February 20. Most testing takes place in the morning. The school will contact you to schedule the exact time of testing once your completed application has been received. Students applying for Explorers I and II are tested in groups. The testing environment is designed to assess school readiness.
Class 1 through 8 Applicants: Upon receipt of your child's application, the school will contact you to schedule an appointment for testing. Students applying for Class One and higher are tested on an individual basis. Individual testing includes informal inventories, standardized achievement, and school ability testing.
Step Four: Recommendations and Records - due February 26
Teacher Recommendation and Release of Records Forms are included in the Application document linked above (step one). Please note that schools appreciate as much advance notice as possible and some require these forms to be submitted prior to Christmas break to be able to complete them by the due date.
The school will contact Lower and Middle School applicants to arrange an interview on one of these dates. Explorer parents may sign up for a parent interview at the testing day on February 20. Both parents are required to attend the interview. All parents are required to read the following materials prior to the family interview: the Wilberforce Mission & Philosophy, Statement of Faith, and Curriculum Overview. All documents are available on this website.
Step Six: Notification Letters - by March 5
The Admissions Committee will mail notification letters to families no later than March 14.
Final Step: Tuition Installment - by March 26
Following notification of acceptance, the applicant's family has until March 26 to enroll by submitting the signed Enrollment Agreement with the Enrollment Fee and Tuition Deposit.
Waiting Pools
When a class is full, applicants may be places in a waiting pool for that class. If a slot opens up, students will be selected from the waiting pool to fill the open slot.
Age and Class Placement
Explorers I: Older four year olds and young five year olds
Explorers II: Older five year olds and young six year olds
Class One: Older six year olds and young seven year olds
A Special Note to Parents
We want each child at Wilberforce to thrive. Placement decisions are made on the basis of age, testing, and other factors. We pay particularly close attention to children whose dates of birth fall in or near the summer months.
Our curriculum is generally one grade level ahead of national norms in most subject areas. Experience with this program has shown that most children benefit by having more time to develop and mature before entering Class One. Being relatively young may not be a critical issue at the Explorers level, but when a child reaches Class One and above, the age disparity can be much more pronounced as these children begin to work at a higher level of academic difficulty alongside classmates who are as much as a year older.
Non-Descrimination Policy: The Wilberforce School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally made available to students at the school. The Wilberforce School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational and admissions policies, scholarship programs, or athletic and other school administered programs.
The Application Process
Please note: TWS continues to accept applications after the February deadline on a rolling basis until all classes are full. Space is limited - apply as soon as possible.
Step One: Application – due February 5
To download an application, click here. Submit completed applications with a $75 application fee by February 5. Mail applications to the following address:
The Wilberforce School
P.O. Box 1132
Princeton, NJ 08542-1132
Step Two: Apply for Financial Aid (if needed) – due February 5
Apply for The Wilberforce Scholarship (for Middle School Students) -
due February 5.
Step Three: Admissions Testing
Explorers I and II: Testing Day is Saturday, February 20
Classes 1 through 8: Testing is by appointment
Explorers I and II Applicants: Once your completed application is received, please make plans to bring your child to the school for 1.5 to 2 hours on Saturday, February 20. Most testing takes place in the morning. The school will contact you to schedule the exact time of testing once your completed application has been received. Students applying for Explorers I and II are tested in groups. The testing environment is designed to assess school readiness.
Class 1 through 8 Applicants: Upon receipt of your child's application, the school will contact you to schedule an appointment for testing. Students applying for Class One and higher are tested on an individual basis. Individual testing includes informal inventories, standardized achievement, and school ability testing.
Step Four: Recommendations and Records - due February 26
Teacher Recommendation and Release of Records Forms are included in the Application document linked above (step one). Please note that schools appreciate as much advance notice as possible and some require these forms to be submitted prior to Christmas break to be able to complete them by the due date.
- Please give the Confidential Teacher Recommendation Form to your child's current or most recent teacher. Ask the teacher to mail the completed form directly to the TWS Admissions office.
- Please give the Release of Records Form to the appropriate administrator in your child's school.
The school will contact Lower and Middle School applicants to arrange an interview on one of these dates. Explorer parents may sign up for a parent interview at the testing day on February 20. Both parents are required to attend the interview. All parents are required to read the following materials prior to the family interview: the Wilberforce Mission & Philosophy, Statement of Faith, and Curriculum Overview. All documents are available on this website.
Step Six: Notification Letters - by March 5
The Admissions Committee will mail notification letters to families no later than March 14.
Final Step: Tuition Installment - by March 26
Following notification of acceptance, the applicant's family has until March 26 to enroll by submitting the signed Enrollment Agreement with the Enrollment Fee and Tuition Deposit.
Waiting Pools
When a class is full, applicants may be places in a waiting pool for that class. If a slot opens up, students will be selected from the waiting pool to fill the open slot.
Age and Class Placement
Explorers I: Older four year olds and young five year olds
Explorers II: Older five year olds and young six year olds
Class One: Older six year olds and young seven year olds
A Special Note to Parents
We want each child at Wilberforce to thrive. Placement decisions are made on the basis of age, testing, and other factors. We pay particularly close attention to children whose dates of birth fall in or near the summer months.
Our curriculum is generally one grade level ahead of national norms in most subject areas. Experience with this program has shown that most children benefit by having more time to develop and mature before entering Class One. Being relatively young may not be a critical issue at the Explorers level, but when a child reaches Class One and above, the age disparity can be much more pronounced as these children begin to work at a higher level of academic difficulty alongside classmates who are as much as a year older.
Non-Descrimination Policy: The Wilberforce School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally made available to students at the school. The Wilberforce School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational and admissions policies, scholarship programs, or athletic and other school administered programs.