Admissions

Welcome.

Thank you for your interest in Marin Montessori. Our admissions process is designed to give you a variety of opportunities to understand and experience the wonder of Montessori education. Through the admissions process you will be able to determine if we are the community where your child and family can blossom and thrive.

I encourage you to learn as much as possible about our programs. Throughout this process, please don’t hesitate to call me or email me. It is my absolute pleasure to help. I love getting to know families through the Admissions process – it’s what makes this work so gratifying.

Most importantly, please join us at one of our upcoming events, which will give you the opportunity to experience Montessori education first hand. On campus, you will meet MMS parents, experience our warm community, and get a taste of the special culture we have built. Joining us while our community is in action will ensure that you feel confident you have made the right choice for your child when it comes time to make your decision.

Should you choose Marin Montessori, you will find that your son or daughter will love learning, feel valued, and be an active contributor to the school and classroom community. Choosing Montessori will provide your child with a strong foundation to lead a joyful and meaningful life.You won’t find any place like Marin Montessori. MMS students come from all over the Bay Area with transportation to serve our thriving community of San Francisco Families. It’s a very special place and I look forward to introducing your family to all that we have to offer. I hope to hear from you soon.

Warm regards,
Leslie Kastner
Director of Admissions
lkastner@marinmontessori.org

Marin Montessori School Admission Process

1. Attend an Adults-Only Tour
Tours give prospective parents the opportunity to observe first-hand the unique teacher-student relationship and the Montessori approach in action. Tours are held weekly by age group from October through February.

2. Attend an Open House
During the two-hour program you will gain additional insight into our program through presentations by our faculty and in conversations with staff, alumni and current parents. Attend one of our programs in October or January.

3. Complete an Online Application
Applications are accepted throughout the year and should be completed through our online portal. The Priority Deadline for Fall 2020 admission is January 31, 2020. Past the deadline, please inquire about availability.

4. Submit Student Evaluation Forms and Copies of School Records
A Student Evaluation form is required for any child who has had previous school experience. This form must be filled out by your child's teacher and returned directly to our admissions department by the teacher.

If you are applying to our Elementary or Junior High Programs, you will also need to submit a signed records release request to your current school. This will allow us to obtain copies of current school records, including progress reports, grades, and standardized test scores. All forms can be found on the right side of this page.

5. Family or Classroom Visits
Visits are conducted differently at each level to match the developmental norms and needs of children. These visits allow the admissions committee to get to know your child and to observe your child in the Montessori environment. Upon receipt of a completed application, including all supporting documents, the admissions office will contact you regarding a classroom visit.

Please note that visits are scheduled based on availability in the visit schedule. Additionally, in order to protect prospective students, we aim to schedule visits only if there are available spots in the program level for which your child is applying. Families are welcome to submit an application at any point, even if a grade is full, as there may be openings at a later date.

6. Decision Letters
Starting at the Primary level, Montessori classrooms have a mixed-age environment (3-6 year olds, 6-9 year olds, and 9-12 year olds and 12-15 year olds) to allow for both individual and social development. We strive to balance each class by age and gender, meeting Association Montessori Internationale standards.

We follow the Bay Area Directors of Admissions guidelines for admission decisions notifications:

Decision letters and enrollment contracts for children younger than 5 years olds are e-mailed to applicants on March 12, 2020. Contracts with deposits are due back on March 18, 2020.

Decision letter for students 5 years and older are e-mailed to applicants on March 19, 2020. Contracts with deposits are due back on March 26, 2020.

Once decision letters have been e-mailed, in accordance with the Principles of Good Practice of Bay Area Directors of Admission, no member of the Marin Montessori community will contact you prior to the contract deadline. Bay Area Directors of Admission have agreed that this is a decision making time for your family.

EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY: Marin Montessori School admits students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or national ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship programs, athletic and other school-administered programs.

Open House is a day for parents to connect with our Montessori community and better understand our program. Attendees will meet our AMI – certified teachers, who will open their classrooms, while demonstrating their expertise in the Montessori philosophy and its application. Current parents, student ambassadors and alumni will also be on hand to share their experiences at Marin Montessori and to answer your questions. There will be time to explore our carefully prepared classrooms, the Montessori materials and see our beautiful school grounds.

We offer two Lower Campus Open House events every year - one in late October and one in late January. We also offer a Junior High Open House in January.

Register for a Prospective Parent Open House here.

Tours are conducted by program level and include a thorough overview of our program, as well as time in class observing teaching and learning. Register now!

Tuition and Fee Schedule 2020-2021

Additional School Care Program (ASC)

Additional School Care is available to students enrolled in the Toddler, Primary and Elementary levels. Note that Morning Care is a separate package.

Marin Montessori School offers Tuition Assistance

Marin Montessori School attempts to provide Tuition Assistance to any family experiencing a financial hardship that renders them unable to pay the full tuition. Tuition Assistance is available for families in Primary, Elementary and Junior High. Families requesting Tuition Assistance must apply on the School and Student Services website. For current MMS families, applications are due December 1, 2019. For families new to MMS, the Tuition Assistance application is due on January 31, 2020. Click here for online application information.

Tuition Assistance Award Letters are sent with Re-Enrollment Agreements for returning families, or with the Acceptance Letter for new families.

Marin Montessori School uses the services of School and Student Services (SSS), which processes each Tuition Assistance application on an impartial basis to determine the financial need of the family. The Tuition Assistance Committee considers all applicants and makes awards based on the Tuition Policy Statement and the amount of funding available.

Marin Montessori School seeks a diverse student body

We offer programs for students from Toddler to Junior High, and seek to have a diverse student and parent body. We welcome families of any race, color, gender, nationality, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.

Accordingly, Marin Montessori School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, national and/or ethnic origin in the admissions process, its educational policies, programs, and activities, tuition assistance, or employment.

The online application can be found here.

Supporting application forms: