|
 •
What does it mean to be a Quaker School?
•
How diverse is the student body at Brooklyn Friends
School?
•
What qualities make a student a good candidate for
Brooklyn Friends School?
•
What is the admissions process at Brooklyn Friends
School?
•
Do you offer Early Notification for legacy children?
•
What admissions tests are administered?
•
Does the school offer scholarships or financial aid?
•
When can we see the school?
•
How do you make admissions decisions?
•
If not offered enrollment, will I learn the reasons
why?
•
How does your wait pool work?
•
What is the age and date cut-off for entry to Kindergarten
and 1st grade? Is it the same for Preschool?
•
What does Brooklyn Friends School offer in the arts?
•
Does Brooklyn Friends have team sports?
•
Is there an afterschool program?
•
What are the opportunities for parents to get involved
in the school?
•
What colleges do graduates of Brooklyn Friends
School attend?
•
Brooklyn Friends School mission statement
 |
What does it mean to be a Quaker School?
The Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, have a long history
of involvement in education. In addition to the establishment
of their own schools, Quakers were instrumental in developing
public schools and took the lead in the education of girls,
freed slaves, and Native Americans. Their central conviction
of “That of God”
or “The Light” in everyone gave rise to a genuine respect
for the intrinsic worth of all people. This belief—and flowing
from it, the Quaker testimonies of equality, peaceful resolution
of conflict, community, and simplicity—continue to provide
the foundation for an education where children’s moral development
is an integral part of their social and academic growth. In addition
to an innovative and challenging academic program, Friends schools
promote social conscience and a sense of social responsibility.
Students are encouraged to value people of all backgrounds, to
be courageous in standing up for their convictions, and to become
responsible members of the larger community. Time is set aside
each week for Quaker Meeting, where students have the opportunity
to center their thoughts, reflect on their values, and listen
to and share ideas with others.
Back to top 
 |
How diverse is the student body at Brooklyn Friends School?
BFS is actively committed to building and maintaining a racially,
ethnically, and socio-economically diverse community. Currently,
the percentage of students of color is 30% in the Preschool,
35% in Lower School, 30% in Middle School, and 40% in Upper School.
About 28% of our students receive financial aid. The school’s
active Diversity Committee has developed a long-range plan that
addresses, among other issues, the hiring and retention of faculty
and staff of color. Also included in the plan is a systematic
review of curriculum throughout the school to ensure the representation
of diverse points of view and experience.
Back to top
 |
What qualities make a student a good candidate for Brooklyn
Friends School?
Brooklyn Friends School looks for enthusiastic learners and motivated
students who show strong potential for future academic success.
The school is interested in a candidate whose background and experience
demonstrate an ability and willingness to make a positive contribution
to the school community and who will actively support the school’s
values.
Back to top
 |
What is the admissions process at Brooklyn Friends School?
The application season begins in September. All of the forms and
information needed for
applying are available online. As part
of our admissions process BFS will
request, where appropriate, an admissions visit, teacher references,
transcripts, and test results. At least one parent or guardian
meets with an admissions director.
Applicants are notified by mail in the middle of February for
grades K through 11, and in early March for Preschool. Applicants
have at least 10
days following the notification to make a decision regarding enrollment.
Back to top
|
Do you offer Early Notification for legacy children?
Brooklyn Friends can offer early notification to legacies:
siblings, and children of alumni, faculty and staff, and members
of the NY Quarterly Meeting, in keeping with the established
guidelines of the Independent School Admissions Association of
Greater New York. This permits us to notify families with children
applying to Preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st grade in
January as long as the application process has been completed
by a mid-December date. If you intend to apply for admission
for a legacy candidate not currently enrolled at Brooklyn Friends
School, please begin the process early so that you can take
advantage of this priority status. (See
more information about legacy admissions.) If you don’t
choose early notification, you may still apply as part of the
regular admissions process. We encourage you to consider other
school placements in the event that Brooklyn Friends is unable
to offer enrollment to your child.
Back to top
|
What admissions tests are administered?
Applicants to grades K through 5 must contact the Educational Records
Bureau to take a test appropriate to their grade levels. Applicants
to grades 6 through 11 take the Independent School Entrance Exam
(ISEE) administered by the Educational Records Bureau. Information
about the tests and test registration material is included in the
admissions material or on the ERB
website.
Back to top
|
Does the school offer scholarships or financial aid?
Brooklyn Friends is committed to an economically diverse student
body and therefore provides partial tuition
assistance to families applying to grades K- 11 who demonstrate
need. There is no financial aid for the Preschool. Priority
is given to siblings; children of alumni,
faculty, and staff; and members of the NY Quarterly Meeting.
Need is determined by a process designed by the School and
Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) and the school’s
Financial Aid Committee. Indicate on the application that you
wish to apply for financial aid. Once the Admissions Office
receives your application, the appropriate forms will be mailed
to you. It is important to get your financial aid information
submitted by the January deadline. About 26% of our families
receive financial aid.
Back to top
|
When can we see the school?
Beginning in October, the school hosts admission
tours in which parents and older students have an opportunity
to tour the school concentrating on the division to which their
child will apply. The
tours take place during the school day and are given by the Admissions
Office often with help from current students and parents. You
may tour before submitting your application. Tour
dates are posted online. Please call the appropriate Admissions
Office (Preschool, ext. 213; for K-12, ext. 232) to reserve
a place on a tour.
Back to top
|
How do you make admissions decisions?
Each division—Preschool, Lower, Middle, and Upper School—has
its own Admissions Committee made up of faculty from the division.
The committee bases its decisions on information in an applicant’s
file that may include current grades, teacher recommendations,
test scores, parent interview, student interview, student essays,
classroom observations, and admissions visits. The Admissions
Committee’s goal is to find
students who will be a good match with our program.
Back to top
If not offered enrollment, will I learn the reasons why?
We are unable to make known the specific reasons that lead us to
make admission decisions. Because we have limited space, decisions
are often difficult to make. Those accepted for the available spaces
are perhaps a slightly better fit for the group or the program.
Back to top
How does your wait pool work?
Students who are placed in our wait pool are qualified candidates
who have not been accepted because of limited space. Should a space
become available, the committee will select a wait pool candidate
to fill the space based on the needs of the class.
Back to top
What is the age and date cut-off for entry to Kindergarten
and 1st grade? Is it the same for Preschool?
Kindergarten applicants must be 5 years old, and 1st grade applicants
must be 6 years old, before October 1st to be considered for admission.
Applicants
to the Preschool 3s program and 4s program must be 3 and 4 years
old respectively before October 1st. Children entering the Family
Center must be
20 months by the start of school, and twos for the Red Room must
be 2 years old by June 30th.
Back to top
|
What does Brooklyn Friends School offer in the arts?
The visual and performing arts are an integral component of a BFS
education. We offer an intensive arts program that begins in the
preschool and continues through the twelfth grade. In the visual
arts, students explore painting and drawing using a variety of
media; they also have opportunities to learn woodworking, ceramics,
sculpture, mixed media, photography, animation, and media production.
Art history is incorporated into all studio art classes. Student
art is prominently displayed throughout the school buildings, and
our annual all-school art show collectively celebrates the breadth
and depth of the students’ work. Performing arts offerings
include dance and choreography, music, chorus, jazz band, orchestra,
drama, and theater arts. Instrumental and choral music concerts are
presented twice a year. Our annual dance concert and three annual
theater productions, which take place in our 280-seat theater, provide
opportunities for student performance and collaboration. Students
become involved in all aspects of the productions, including prop
making, set design, make-up, costuming, lighting, and sound.
Back to top
|
Does Brooklyn Friends have team sports?
Brooklyn Friends School enjoys a long and successful sports tradition
and an active athletics program with a high rate of student participation.
Seasonal sports at BFS include soccer, basketball, volleyball,
baseball, softball and cross-country. The philosophy at the middle
school level is that everyone who wants to play should have a chance
to play. Fifth and sixth graders have “AM Sports” and afterschool
sports club, and seventh and eighth graders participate in interscholastic
teams sports with other independent schools throughout the city.
The Upper School has varsity and junior varsity levels of play
in the NYC independent school leagues. Our soccer and volleyball
teams have qualified for state competitions, and our basketball
teams have won league titles as well as a state championship.
The athletic program stresses the importance of teamwork and
sportsmanship.
Back to top
|
Is there an afterschool program?
Brooklyn Friends School is committed to meeting the scheduling
needs of today’s working families and to offering children
a variety of exciting specialty classes in their afterschool hours.
Our comprehensive afterschool program provides safe, nurturing,
and age-appropriate care and activities for children from 3 to
6 pm. The afterschool program for preschool children meets in a
preschool classroom, providing continuity for the children’s
school-day activities. Lower school children may participate in
playgroups, homework club or homework clinic, and specialty classes
that keep them productive and busy throughout the afternoon. There
are many specialty classes that the children may choose from, such
as chess, art, music, dance, hands-on science, knitting,
French, Spanish, Chinese, and recreational sports. The middle
school program offers study hall and homework clinic as well as
specialty classes.
Afterschool programs are not included in tuition. The cost varies
depending on the hours and specialty classes chosen.
Back to top
|
What are the opportunities for parents to get involved in the
school?
BFS welcomes parents as partners in their children’s education.
Parents take an active role in community building and fundraising
activities. They are involved
as class parents,
library volunteers, special event planners and participants, and
Parent And Teacher Association (PAT)
members. In addition, there are opportunities for parents to learn
about their children’s experience in the classroom through
orientations, curriculum nights, and parent-teacher
conferences. See more information on the BFS school/family
partnership.
Back to top
|
What colleges do graduates of Brooklyn Friends School
attend?
Over the past five years, Brooklyn Friends students have enrolled
at more than 100 colleges across the United States and abroad.
A representative sampling of the colleges these graduates have
chosen to attend is as follows: Amherst, Bard, Barnard, Bates,
Bennington, Binghamton, Boston College, Boston University, Brown,
Bryn Mawr, Carleton, Colgate, Columbia, Connecticut, Cornell, CUNY-Hunter,
CUNY-Brooklyn, Dartmouth, Drexel, Duke, Eckerd, Emerson,
Emory, Fordham, Geneseo, George Washington, Georgetown, Hamilton,
Harvard, Haverford, Lehigh, Middlebury, Mount Holyoke, New
York University, New School, Oberlin, University of Pennsylvania, Pitzer,
Rhode Island School of Design, Rochester Institute of Technology,
University of Rochester, Sarah Lawrence, Skidmore, Smith, Stanford,
Syracuse, Temple, Trinity, Tulane, Vassar, Washington, and Wesleyan.
Colleges welcome BFS graduates because they are highly motivated,
have demonstrated their capacity to work in a rigorous academic
program, and have developed skills and study habits essential for
success in college.
Back to top
|
Brooklyn Friends School mission statement:
Brooklyn Friends School provides a college preparatory program serving
students from preschool through grade 12. It is committed to educating
each student intellectually, aesthetically, physically, and spiritually
in a culturally diverse community. Guided by the Quaker principles
of truth, simplicity, and peaceful resolution of conflict, Brooklyn
Friends School offers each student a challenging education that
develops intellectual abilities and ethical and social values to
support a productive life of leadership and service.
Back to top
• For more information about BFS admissions, use our online
inquiry form.
|
