For the 2020-21 school year, the academic day has staggered arrival and dismissal times by grade level and division. For Lower School the day begins between 8:00 and 8:45 a.m. and ends between 2:50 and 3:20 p.m. Middle and Upper School hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 3:25 p.m.
Yes, we do! International students are valuable members of our community. Students needing an I-20 to secure an F-1 student visa will be designated as international students. For more information, please visit our international student page.
While we know there is no substitute for a campus visit, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all school events will be held virtually via Zoom. Please join us for a virtual Open House and/or Admission Information Session. Go to Visiting Kew-Forest for dates and the registration link. Individual appointments for family-specific questions can also be scheduled by contacting admission@kewforest.org.
We will consider mid-year* applications if there is space available in the grade. Please contact the Office of Admission before submitting an application.
*A mid-year start is considered any entry date after the official first day of school.
Yes, we will accept applications for our rolling admission cycle through the spring and summer months. We will issue an admission decision on completed files if a space is available. Families must understand there is no guarantee of a space being available and they may be placed in the waiting pool.
Yes, each year the number of qualified applicants exceeds our available spaces. If our admission committee determines that a student is qualified for admission, but we do not have sufficient space, we will offer the student a spot in our waiting pool. The pool is not ranked and there is no way to predict an candidates chances of being called from the pool. In the event a space becomes available, we will consider all active candidates for the grade when deciding who to admit.
Yes. The cost of snacks during the day and lunch is included in tuition. Lunch is a time for our community to come together, so we want to be sure everyone can participate in the same way. Lunch is prepared on site and provides students with many nutritious options.
For the 2020-21 school year, lunches are being individually packaged and delivered to central pick-up points. Students will eat outdoors when weather permits or indoors in well ventilated spaces. Please visit the Dining at KF website pages for more information.
To see our current tuition (2020-21 school year) and information about tuition assistance, please visit our Affording Kew-Forest page. The Board of Trustees usually sets tuition for the following academic year in January. There is usually a slight percentage increase to keep pace with inflation.
We aim to have our tuition be inclusive, so that families are not surprised by fees after enrolling. Aside from academic year instruction and extracurricular activities, tuition covers the cost of snacks and lunch during the school days, books, field trips, and the K-F Parent Association fee. Typically, the only other significant cost families will incur will be for uniforms. There are also additional costs associated with bus transportation and after-school care when offered.
Yes, we offer three standard plans: (A) Full payment by June 15th; (B) Sixty percent payment June 15th, forty percent balance due November 15th; and (C) Eight monthly payments, beginning June 15th. For options B and C, there is a $150 administrative fee.
We know that our full tuition is out of reach for many families. If this is the case for you, please visit our Affording Kew-Forest page, where you can learn more about our Tuition Assistance (TA) program and submit your application. The TA review process is holistic, considering many elements of a family’s financial circumstances in calculating what we believe each family can reasonably afford to contribute toward tuition.
Students applying to our preschool class must turn three by September 1 of the year of entry. For all other grades, our birthday cut-off is October 22nd. For example, a student applying to Kindergarten must turn five by October 22nd of the year she starts with us.
We recommend that Upper School applicants take either the ISEE or SSAT. They are not required, but are helpful in the admission and course placement process. We do not require the TOEFL for international applicants, though it also helps in course placement, in the event that the student enrolls with us.
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University of Connecticut University of Illinois at Champagne University of Massachusetts at Boston University of New Hampshire University of North Carolina Chapel Hill University of San Francisco University of Vermont University of Wisconsin-Madison Wheaton College
For the 2020-21 school year, we offer: 2-D Art and Design, 3-D Art and Design, Biology, Calculus BC, Computer Science Principles, Drawing, English Literature and Composition, Physics 2, Spanish Language and Culture, U.S. Government and Politics, U.S. History, and World History.
All clubs are student initiated and vary from year to year. Students may apply to start a new club if they have an interest in an area not already covered.
Current clubs open to both Middle and Upper School students: American Math Competition, Fall Film Festival, Forensics, Games & Strategy, LGBTQ+ Awareness, Psychology, and Story Club.
Clubs open only to Upper School students: The Blotter (yearbook class), Cultural Diversity Club, Kaleidoscope (social justice, diversity, inclusion), K-F Thinkers Magazine, Science Research, Mock Trial, Model UN.
For sports, we offer: soccer, volleyball, cross-country, track, tennis, basketball, swimming, archery, badminton, and fencing.
The Kew-Forest School
119-17 Union Turnpike Forest Hills, NY 11375 (718) 268-4667
The oldest independent school in the borough of Queens, The Kew-Forest School is an independent co-educational, college preparatory school for students in Preschool through Grade 12.