Frequently Asked Questions

Friday, January 11, is the deadline for application.

Parents often find it helpful to speak with a current Pike parent to get a personal perspective of our school and community. If you would like to be contacted by a Pike parent, click here. Please type "Contact me" in the subject line, and be sure to include in the message your name, class year of interest, a phone number, and the best time to call you.

-well rounded
-curious
-hard working
-interested in a variety of areas
-willing to take risks in the learning process
-eager to participate in a community
-able to cooperate with students and adults

While we do have natural points of entry at Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Sixth Grade where we enroll 18 to 20 children, we also increase class size at First, Third, and Fourth Grades. From time to time, openings become available at other grade levels. We have enrolled new students at each grade from Pre-Kindergarten to Ninth Grade for the past five years.

Candidates for Pre-Kindergarten must be four years old by September 1 of the year of entry. Candidates for Kindergarten must be five years old by September 1 of the year of entry.

The admission process is designed to gather as much information as possible about each child to determine whether Pike will be a good match for his or her style and personality. Throughout the admission process we learn about the candidate through the parent interview, the teacher recommendation, school reports, standardized testing, and on-campus evaluations and assessments.

There are separate admission committees for each division that include faculty, the division head, and members of the Admission Office. The goal of the committees is to identify the candidates who best demonstrate developmental/academic readiness and social competency.

In keeping with common admission deadlines of independent schools in the area, our decisions letters are mailed by March 10.

Any member of the Admission staff is able to answer general questions about the financial aid program. For answers to more detailed questions, please contact Mark Graziano, Director of Finance and Operations.

Yes, financial aid is granted in every grade level.

Please complete and return the Financial Aid Information Request card that you receive with our admission materials. Financial aid forms are mailed to interested families in mid-November. The Parents Financial Statement (PFS) form must be submitted to the School and Student Service (SSS) for Financial Aid by February 1, 2013. A copy of the PFS should also be sent to Pike by February 1, 2013. A copy of the 2012 Tax Forms with all schedules and W-2 form(s) is required to be received by Pike no later than February 15, 2013.

Yes, assuming you still demonstrate financial need. All families who receive financial aid must file a new PFS with SSS by February 1 each year. Pike attempts to keep a family’s award at a similar level each year as long as no major changes have occurred in a family’s financial situation during the previous year.

The calculation of need is based on a formula including income and family expenses, assets and liabilities, family size, parents’ ages, cost of living, and the number of children for whom a family must pay tuition. Pike’s Financial Aid Committee reviews the information received from SSS, combines it with tax and any explanatory material provided, and formulates an individual calculation of funds that a family can contribute toward tuition. The amount of a financial aid grant is designed to bridge the gap between a family’s contribution and Pike’s tuition.

It is an expectation that both parents will finance their children’s education to the extent that they are able. Both parents are required to complete financial aid applications and submit federal tax returns. The income and assets of both parents are taken into consideration in establishing a financial aid grant.

Financial aid decisions are mailed with the acceptance letters by March 10.