The Field School accepts students into most grades each year, though the majority of students come to Field in the 6th or 9th grade. Spaces for 7th, 8th, 10th, and 11th grades are available every year in smaller numbers, depending on individual circumstances. Only occasionally do we take new 12th graders. Please give us a call no matter what grade you are interested in and we will help you out.

Successful Field students come in many forms. Indeed, the first word of Field's seven-word mission statement is "Self-Discovery"—and our students will tell you that one thing they love most about our school is that "at Field, you can truly be yourself and it's OK!" We look for students who are interested in the world, who will benefit from knowing their teachers well (and vice versa), and who want to be part of a small but expansive community—a place where everyone is themselves.

Every student is an individual. That said, here are some rough guidelines. Field provides a great degree of individualized academic discipline, but it is a relaxed and encouraging campus for the most part. Therefore, students who require a high degree of disciplinary structure—students who frequently test the limits of allowed behavior—are not always well-matched to Field. Some students may find the relatively small size of the school (which is reflected in our various programs) may inhibit their development at the highest levels as athletes, musicians, or "advanced placement" students. At the same time, we can proudly point to many Field students who have competed as Division One college athletes, who have attended superb music schools, and (too numerous to count) who have attended the most competitive colleges in the world.

Between September and January, we run daily small group tours of the campus and classrooms in action beginning at 9:30 a.m. Including a question-and-answer session, this visit lasts about two hours. You must contact us to make an appointment—call the Office of Admission at 202-295-5824 to reserve a spot for a particular date. As an alternative to a tour, families may prefer to attend one of our Saturday morning open houses, which includes a tour of the campus, presentation, and question-and-answer session. Pre-registration is not required, but we will ask you to sign in at the event. Open houses for the 2019-2020 school year will be held on September 21, October 5, December 7, and January 11. The program begins promptly at 9:00 a.m. and ends by 11:00 a.m.

When each applicant is interviewed by Field's Director of Admission and Enrollment or by an experienced member of the admission team, the questions are directed toward the child. The vast majority of parents tell us that they greatly value the opportunity to hear firsthand about their child's day and have often learned more about their child and Field by sitting in on the interview. Our experienced interviewers help ease a child's nerves, and we find the time with the applicant and parents to be one of the most valuable parts of the application process. Parents (or students) who feel strongly that parents should not be present for the interview may certainly make that choice, but we recommend otherwise.

The staff at Infosnap is available to talk you through the online application. If you have trouble, please call their customer support center at 866-752-6850. In our experience, they have never failed to help a family!

Families apply for financial aid by submitting documentation and an application to TADS, a service that analyzes each family's financial situation and sends this analysis to Field. The financial aid committee at Field considers both the TADS report and other info in determining the financial aid award. Families are notified of their financial aid award along with their child's admission decision in early March. To determine financial aid in time for that mailing date, Field must have all reports in place by January 15.

Both biological parents must submit financial information as part of the financial aid application process and will be responsible for paying tuition unless there is a legal agreement stating explicitly that a particular parent will bear no financial responsibility for education. Because Field considers an entire family’s ability to pay tuition as part of its review process, new spouses must also submit financial information as part of the financial aid application process. Parents who are separated or divorced must each submit individual applications directly to TADS.

Families applying for financial aid in which all dependent children are attending school are expected to have both parents employed outside the home in most situations. Field will consider exceptions to this policy based on individual circumstances.

Families applying for financial aid who have children at other institutions that offer financial aid (including but not limited to other primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and universities) are expected to apply at those other institutions as well.

Late applicants should speak to admission staff before applying to the school or for aid, as most of Field’s financial aid budget will have been distributed to applicants who applied by the deadline. However, it is not impossible for aid to become available at a later date—please contact us by phone.

Yes, you must re-apply for financial aid every year that your child is enrolled at The Field School.

Returning families will receive notice of a provisional award in mid-January, along with your re-enrollment contract. Provisional awards are based on the prior year’s tax return. Current year tax returns must be submitted to TADS by April 30. If a family’s financial circumstance has changed significantly, the final award will be modified to reflect the change.