Frequently Asked Questions

What are your application deadlines?

We are currently in the beginning stages of the application process for families looking to start in the fall of 2013. Here are the important dates to know:

• January 15, 2013: Regular Application Deadline
• February 7, 2013: Financial Aid Application Deadline

How big is Eastside Prep?

In 2012– 2013, we are serving 273 students in grades 5–12. We will continue to grow each year until we reach approximately 300 students. Our campus includes 9 buildings with a brand new EPS Commons for the start of the 2012-2013 school year. Our classes are (and always will be) small so students get lots of individual attention. The average class size is 14 students. The maximum class size is 18.

Is Eastside Prep accredited?

Yes. The Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools (PNAIS) awarded EPS complete and unconditional status as a fully-accredited independent school in January 2010.

How much homework is there?

Eastside Prep is a college preparatory school; it is assumed that students will be able to manage a homework load commensurate with a college preparatory curriculum. Many of our students participate in sports and other recreational activities, and we try to accommodate them where we are able. For instance, every student has a study period built into their daily schedule. Also, teachers work with all students to improve study, research, and organizational skills so they can complete their homework as efficiently as possible.

How will colleges know you?

We invite college representatives to visit our school so they know who and what we are. We prepare students for the SAT and ACT by covering appropriate material and skills, such as essay writing, and administering other standardized tests during the school year. Many of our upper school courses prepare students for AP exams if the student wishes to take them.

How do I know that my child will be challenged?

As at any rigorous college-prep school, Eastside Prep students take multiple years of English, history, math, science, language, and art. Students who are more advanced in a subject are offered enriched materials. In the upper grades, when students start to focus their interests, advanced courses will be offered. If you don’t think your child is being challenged, talk to us. We’ll work together to make sure he or she is.

How do you promote economic and racial diversity in the student population?

Despite our small enrollment, different economic and racial backgrounds are already represented in our student body. Financial aid is available to low-income applicant families. We send all our press releases to publications that target communities of color, and we advertise in these publications. As our staff expands over the years, we will be able to broaden our outreach into various communities.

What is the research on how people learn, and how do you use it?

Our curriculum and instructional methods are based on the cognitive research on how people learn.

Research shows that…

All learning is constructed out of prior knowledge, so we…

• Have teachers and students articulate their current knowledge to use it as a foundation for new learning.
• Create a 5–12 curriculum that is a spiral, returning students to core topics over the years in fresh contexts and more demanding forms.
• Have students use their knowledge in multiple contexts.

Students can assimilate and use new information better when it is orchestrated in meaningful ways, so we…

• Use the methodologies of the disciplines (English, history, math, science, etc.) to organize course material.
• Help students learn to sense and establish relationships and patterns that make information easier to retrieve and apply in new situations.

Learning improves when students think about their thinking, so we…

• Have teachers model how they monitor their thought processes.
• Coach students to explore their own thought processes to become more strategic, effective thinkers.

Learning improves when students discover for themselves, so we…

• Offer hands-on, experiential study.

Can you explain how you set your tuition?

We have several goals in mind when we set the tuition each year. First, we want to attract and retain the best teachers and compensate them well. Second, we have many startup costs during our first years including buying furniture, supplies, equipment, and textbooks. Finally, we are located on a campus that can grow as we grow, so in the first years we will be paying a higher rent per student than we normally would. Our tuition is comparable to that of other independent schools, and, as with the other schools, tuition covers only a portion of actual operating costs per year. The rest is made up through each school’s annual fund drive.

EPS is committed to offering need-based financial aid to those who qualify.  Approximately 14% of our students receive financial aid.

Do you require the ISEE?

Yes, students must take the ISEE for the current year and have the scores sent to us. However, if applicants are applying to other schools that require the SSAT test, Eastside Prep will accept SSAT test scores in lieu of ISEE test scores.

Our ISEE number is 481714. The ISEE provides teachers a common baseline to judge where students are in their learning. While we consider the ISEE as part of the application process, we would not decline a student on the basis of his or her ISEE score alone.

For more information about this exam, please visit http://erblearn.org/parents/admission/isee