Process

Enrollment process for 2012-2013:

The enrollment period for names to be included in the lottery for the 2012-2013 academic year was October 1, 2011 through 3:30 pm on January 31, 2012. A lottery was conducted on February 1, 2012. Student applications received after February 1 will be placed on the waiting list in the order received.

Enrollment process for 2013-2014:

The enrollment period for grades 1 – 12 for the 2013-2014 academic year will be January 7, 2013 through February 28, 2013.  If we have more applications than openings, a lottery will be held on March 1, 2013.  Student applications received after that date will be placed on the waiting list in the order received.

The application process – three steps

#1 Visit – two options
1.  Open Houses are the best way to visit and learn more about GRS. Tours, presentations by administrators and staff and a student panel will give prospective students and parents in depth information about the school.  Dates for 2012-2013 Open Houses are posted on the Open House page.

2.  While Open Houses are the best way to learn about our school, it is also possible to schedule a tour of the school on a regular school day.  If you would like to sit in on a class, please make that known so we can make appropriate arrangements.  Please call Lydia McAnerney to schedule a visit on a Tuesday or Thursday.  We try to schedule tours at 10 am and 1 pm to minimize classroom interruptions.

#2 Visit
When it comes time to make a decision about attending GRS, those students who have experienced a day at school have an easier time.  We especially encourage high school students to visit, even for a half day, as our program is quite different from a traditional high school.  Visiting opportunities can be scheduled from October through May on Tuesday or Thursday for all students in grades 7 – 12.  We do not schedule  visits for elementary students. They are encouraged to attend a tour or an observation with a parent/guardian during the school day.  We do not schedule visits during testing in the fall or spring and there is no visiting for prospective Adolescent 1 – grades 7 or 8 – students in January during J-term.

  • Prospective 7 – 8th grade students spend a half or full day with a current student.
  • Prospective 9 – 10th grade students spend a half-day with a current student to attend an elective, two classes and independent work period, leaving at noon.
  • Prospective 11th and 12th grade students can spend a full day with a current high school student or stay for the morning until lunch (12:30 PM).

Please call Lydia McAnerney at 651-305-2780, ext 102 to schedule a visit.  A Visitor Permission Form signed by a parent/guardian must be completed for each visitor.

NOTE:  All students interested in attending GRS should plan to visit the school sometime before the end of the academic year by attending an open house, a tour during the school day, or scheduling a visit.  Should an opening occur in the spring or summer, students and families on the waiting list will have 48 hours to make a decision about enrolling.  If they get a call during the summer, they must be prepared to make a decision quickly.

#3 Complete and submit an application – three ways

  • Get an application at an Open House or other event, complete it and send it in by the US Mail.
  • Download the Application for 2013-2014, complete, print and send it to GRS by US Mail.
  • Complete the online application.  It will automatically be sent to the Enrollment Coordinator.

After the close of the enrollment period – two steps

#1 Lottery

Following the close of the enrollment period on February 28, 2013 at 3:30 pm, if there are more applications than openings in a particular grade, we will conduct a lottery on March 1 at 10 am.  Any applications received by this date will be entered into the lottery and will receive a number.  Letters indicating enrollment or a waiting list number will be sent out as soon as possible after the lottery.  Anyone turning an application in after February 28, 2013 will be place on the waiting list according to the date received.

#2 Family Meeting

In April, all new students and their parents/guardians will meet with members of the GRS faculty.  An orientation and meeting with teachers will last approximately 60 minutes and will review expectations and an overview of the GRS program and give families a chance to ask questions.  We will also take an informal photograph so all teachers in the level will get to know the student before he or she comes to GRS.  All registration paperwork should be completed and turned in at this time.

If a student applies and enrolls after the spring (i.e. during the winter or summer), a family meeting will be arranged at a time convenient for both the family and a faculty member.

Click here for the Enrollment Process for 2013-2014, a full description of the 2013-2014 Enrollment Process

For additional information:

Contact the GRS Enrollment Coordinator, Lydia McAnerney at 651-305-2780 ext. 102, or lmcanerney@greatriverschool.org.