Apply: Lower School
Grades pre-Kindergarten through Five
The main Lower School entry points are at pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, prep-one, and first grades. Openings in grades two through five are limited, but applications are welcome since unexpected openings may occur.
Fall 2019 birthday ranges
Families interested in:
Pre-Kindergarten
Applicants must be three by September 1, 2019. The birthday range for pre-kindergarten applicants is late summer of 2015 to August 31, 2016.
Please note that Tuition Assistance is not available for Pre-Kindergarten.
Kindergarten
Applicants must be four (4) by September 1, 2019 to apply to kindergarten. The birthday range for kindergarten applicants is late summer 2014 to August 31, 2015.
Prep-One
Ages can vary in prep-one, but the majority of children will have birthdays from May 2014 to December 2014. Children must currently be in a kindergarten program in order to apply to prep-one.
First Grade
Applicants must be five by September 1, 2019 to apply to first grade. The birthday range for first grade applicants is late summer 2013 to August 31, 2014.
The following information is designed to help you through the admissions process. Please use this as a guide, but always feel free to call our office at 410.323.7169 if you have any questions.
Steps to Apply
- ATTEND A PROSPECTIVE PARENT VISITING MORNING
- Submit Your Online Application by December 18, 2019
- Give the Record Release and Common Referral Forms to Your Son's Current School
- Complete Your Parent Meeting
- Bring Your Son to Gilman for his Assessment
- COMPLETE TUITION ASSISTANCE APPLICATION (IF APPLICABLE) BY DECEMBER 18, 2019
- Receive an Application Decision on February 20, 2020
- Return Your Enrollment Contract by March 6, 2020
ATTEND A PROSPECTIVE PARENT VISITING MORNING
Parents are encouraged to attend one of our Lower School Prospective Parent Visiting Mornings listed below. Please register here.
- Wednesday, October 16th - Pre-Kindergarten - 1st Grade
- Thursday, October 24th - Pre-Kindergarten - 1st Grade
- Tuesday, November 5th - Pre-Kindergarten - 1st Grade
- Thursday, November 14th - 2nd-5th Grade
- Wednesday, November 20th - Pre-Kindergarten - 5th Grade
- Thursday, December 5th - Pre-Kindergarten - 5th Grade
Submit Your Online Application by December 18, 2019
Creating an account in our Admissions Portal is the first step in the admissions process. You will complete your son's online application through the Admissions Portal. A non-refundable $50 application fee is paid when you submit your online application. The deadline for applications is December 18, 2019.
Once you create your Admissions Portal account, you will want to use this login page to gain access to a dynamic checklist. The portal checklist is an excellent tool to keep track of where you are in the admissions process.
Application fee waivers are available for siblings of currently enrolled students and sons of alumni. Please contact Taylor Sweeney to obtain your code.
Give the Record Release and Common Referral Forms to Your Son's Current School
The Record Release Form should be given directly to your son's current school. It authorizes his current school to send us his records, which are necessary to complete the application process.
The Common Referral Form should be given to your son's current school along with the Release Form. Your son's school will give this form to his teacher(s) to fill out and return to Gilman. Generally, this form will be returned with your son's records. This form is a necessary part of the process.
Gilman retains an applicant's information in the strictest confidence, as defined in the Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools (AIMS) Policy Statement on Confidentiality of Student Recommendations.
Downloads
Complete Your Parent Meeting
Bring Your Son to Gilman for his Assessment
Pre-kindergarten applicants come for a morning assessment from 8:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m. Kindergarten, prep-one, and first grade applicants come for a morning assessment from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Placement in a specific grade is determined upon completion of the admissions process. You will be prompted to schedule your son's testing date when you complete the online application in the Admissions Portal. Remember to add the date and time to your personal calendar! Parents are not required to stay during assessment.
Applicants for grades two through five visit Gilman on Saturday, January 11, 2020. You will be prompted to register for this testing date when you complete the online application in the Admissions Portal. The boys are given standardized achievement and ability tests, are evaluated informally by teachers, and are asked to complete a writing sample.
COMPLETE TUITION ASSISTANCE APPLICATION (IF APPLICABLE) BY DECEMBER 18, 2019
Gilman offers tuition assistance to families based on need. Please note that Tuition Assistance is not available for Pre-Kindergarten.
To determine the level of assistance for which a family qualifies (if applicable), a completed School and Student Services (SSS) Parents' Financial Statement (PFS) must be submitted. Access to SSS forms at SSS Online will become active on October 2, 2019 and must be completed by December 18, 2019, which is also the application submission deadline.
SSS requires a non-refundable fee of $51. If you are unable to access this form online, please call the Financial Aid Office to receive a hard copy.
Please upload or mail the following documents directly to SSS Online: 2018 Federal Tax Forms and 2019 W‐2 or substitute wage document (when received in January 2020). Visit SSS Online for more information.
Receive an Application Decision on February 20, 2020
Return Your Enrollment Contract by March 6, 2020
Families who accept our offer of admission will need to complete an enrollment contract in the Admissions Portal for each accepted student. Enrollment contracts and deposits are due on March 6, 2020. The enrollment deposit is ten percent of your son's yearly tuition.
