Welcome to Eastside Prep!

Eastside Prep promotes critical thinking, integration of disciplines, hands-on education, and an ethic of innovation. We offer a challenging and supportive program for students in grades five through twelve, founded on the belief that a good education is dynamic and rooted in relationship. EPS students design projects, support their ideas with evidence, analyze their results, and consider multiple perspectives. They learn to think outside of their comfort zones, take risks, and build community–on stage, on the playing field, and in the classroom. Our graduates move into the world prepared to lead with compassion in a wide array of fields, disciplines, and geographies.

EPS – An Introduction:

This PDF guide will help you get to know EPS. It includes:

Fast Facts
Curriculum Information
Student Life: Clubs, Sports, Activities
College Counseling
Alumni Stories

Frequently Asked Questions

What are your application deadlines?

Applications for admission are completed online through Ravenna Hub and families should complete all student and parent/guardian forms on or prior to January 14, 2020. Materials that families request from others should be requested on or before that date, even if they will arrive later (e.g. teacher recommendations, transcripts, test score reports). For applicants to Middle School, please note that the February SSAT testing date allows for score information to be received by EPS in an appropriate time frame even though it occurs after the application deadline. 

Into what grades do you enroll students? How many openings do you have in those grades?

Do you admit students to a wait list/pool?

We have many students who are a great fit for Eastside Prep and we are ready to offer them admission, yet we may lack sufficient available spaces in their grade of application. When this occurs, we will offer students and their families the opportunity to join our wait pool of candidates. While a delayed full offer of admission may occur within about a week of decision notification, we sometimes will be unable to offer admission until later in the year. We encourage these families to be in touch with us regarding their enrollment intentions. 

Do you have a sibling admissions policy?

In an effort to establish the most equitable admissions process possible, EPS has discontinued communicating early (December) admissions decisions to siblings of current students. Through reviewing siblings in the full context of their applicant peers, we are confident that we make the most informed, mission-centered decisions possible as an admissions committee. Currently enrolled families with siblings applying for admission should review the Sibling Admissions page on the Current Families section of the EPS website for more information. 

How does Eastside Prep utilize tuition?

The largest portion of our annual operating budget (over 70%) goes to attracting and retaining the best teachers by compensating them well. Additionally, we have a campus that has grown as our student body has expanded and we continue to develop our facilities as needed. Eastside Prep’s tuition is comparable to that of other Seattle area independent schools, and, as is the case in all of our schools, tuition covers only a portion of actual operating costs each year. Independent schools make up that difference, and fund programs like financial aid, though generous voluntary annual giving. For more information, we invite you to visit the Giving page.

How does Eastside Prep handle fundraising?

As is true for other independent schools in the Seattle area, tuition covers only a portion of actual operating costs each year at Eastside Prep. Together with tuition, the Annual Fund helps to support the programs and people that make Eastside Prep a unique and thriving community. Everything from faculty professional development to financial aid is supported by the Annual Fund. At Eastside Prep, we promise that there won’t be an auction or walkathon or cookie sale to support the school! Our hope is that every EPS family will support the Annual Fund because each gift, no matter the size, helps make our vision and mission possible: To inspire students to create a better world through critical thinking, responsible action, compassionate leadership, and wise innovation.

What are your school hours and schedule?

Do you have after school supervision available?

Do you have bus transportation available?

Convenient school-provided and public transportation options are available to the EPS community. Before and after school bus routes run from Seattle/Mercer Island, Bellevue/Issaquah, and Woodinville/Redmond. Public bus transportation on METRO is just a two-minute walk from campus and provides access via routes such as the 255 (Downtown Seattle) and 540 (University of Washington/Link light rail). Additionally, we provide transportation to and from all off-campus sports practices and games. 

Do you admit students who are currently studying/living outside the United States?

To qualify as a domestic applicant, a student must have completed at least two years of school in the United States prior to their year of application, and must demonstrate strong English proficiency. Applicants applying from other countries who have not previously attended school in the states or in English immersion environments must demonstrate their English proficiency through the submission of TOEFL scores. For more information, please see our International Application guidelines. 

Does EPS provide learning support and accommodations for learning differences?

EPS teachers support all students’ wide-ranging learning styles. Students with identified learning needs, as well as those for whom needs may be identified while attending EPS, are provided with a variety of modes of learning support. Accommodations (e.g. additional time for tests, or a separate testing space) are facilitated by Student Support Services for those with documented learning differences.  

Additionally, student self-advocacy is encouraged and cultivated, particularly through our Guided Study Hall (GSH) program. GSH meets as frequently as other courses in a schedule (2-3 times per week for 85 minutes) and provides a 4:1 student to faculty environment in which learning strategies and executive functioning skills are cultivated.  

Do students feel safe on the EPS campus?

 Our focus on student well-being centers on students feeling safe and supported at EPS. In addition to ensuring students physical safety, we also attend to their social and emotional safety needs.

Regular drills for unforeseen incidents help us to ensure that we can always be prepared in any event.
Safety and security discussions occur in advisory groups; as a preparatory school, we help students to prepare for many potential situations they will encounter in their lives.
Security personnel coverage both during the school day and after hours helps us to bring specialized support in addition to the vigilance of all school employees.
Two full-time school counselors help to ensure that experiencing social and emotional safety is an aspect in which all students are supported.
All employees, as well as substitute teaching staff and volunteers who will not be directly supervised while on campus, have gone through background checks prior to their engagement with our school community.
Key fob access for entry doors on an auto-locking schedule helps us to reduce risk by limiting entry points to campus buildings.

How can parents/guardians be involved at EPS?

It’s not just your student beginning at Eastside Prep—you’re joining a new school community too! Our goal is to make sure you feel as connected and engaged with Eastside Prep as your student. We partner with you through regular communication, volunteer opportunities, and events. These events include our new parent welcome evening, grade level picnics, parent coffees, celebratory events for parents, and parent-teacher advisory conferences. Many parents also choose to volunteer at EPS through our Parent Association. Opportunities include serving as a grade level parent representative, contributing to events such as our faculty-staff appreciation days, and assisting with our athletic teams. We’re happy for parents and guardians to be as involved as their interests and schedules allow, so while volunteer opportunities are offered, they are not required.

How do Middle and Upper School students interact with each other?

In addition to sharing campus spaces such as our cafeteria, gymnasium, and arts classrooms, Middle and Upper School students interact regularly both during and after school. Each Middle School advisory group is paired with two to three Peer Mentors from the Upper School, joining them on a regular basis to help lead discussions and activities. Classes collaborate on academic projects, for example, our grades seven and eleven created historical maps together, and our sixth and tenth grades worked on science labs and presentation skills together. Opportunities for these collaborations vary from year to year. Each year, EPS produces an all-school musical in which all grade levels participate on stage and behind the scenes. Many of our musical ensembles feature a mixture of student grades as well. Additionally, Upper School students assist as leaders in many Middle School sports teams.

Does EPS offer AP or IB classes?

College preparation at EPS does not include AP or IB coursework, because all of our courses are college preparatory in nature. We provide opportunities for students to hone their skills of research, collaboration, and presentation so that they are prepared to maximize their opportunities in college. We value student learning that is rooted in inquiry, experience, and integration, and depth of knowledge rather than focused on teaching to the test. EPS students are evaluated in the college admissions process relative to the opportunities that exist in our curriculum, which we communicate to colleges and universities via our school profile. We do offer AP exam testing on campus each May for students who have studied independently to take the exams. Whenever possible, our faculty provide guidance for students pursuing these testing options when students advocate for assistance.

What are the key dates I need to know in the admissions process?

Applications open in Ravenna on September 1, 2020
Application Deadline is January 14, 2021
Financial Aid Application Deadline for Existing EPS Families is December 7, 2020
Financial Aid Application Deadline for Prospective Families is February 4, 2021
Upper School Decisions Communicated on February 19, 2021 via Ravenna
Upper School Family Responses due to EPS on February 26, 2021
Middle School Decisions Communicated on March 19, 2021 via Ravenna
Middle School Family Responses due to EPS on March 2, 2021