Mission
The admissions office at Tandem Friends School seeks to educate families and the Charlottesville community about the benefits of a Tandem education, to attract those for whom our school seems to be a good match, and to admit and enroll students who can positively impact Tandem and for whom Tandem can make a difference.
Overview
Since its beginning, Tandem Friends School has believed the finest education is achieved through an active partnership of faculty and students. Teachers dedicate themselves to the intellectual, aesthetic, and moral growth of each student. In turn, students are expected to enter into this partnership with a sense of responsibility and respect for their mentors and for the entire school community. Learning at Tandem Friends is a cooperative venture. An academically distinguished faculty challenges students’ intellectual curiosity. Small classes promote a dynamic process of questioning and dialogue, not simply memorization and reiteration.
Quaker philosophy is the school’s foundation. We recognize that every person carries an inner wisdom and has much to contribute to the community. As a Friends school, we offer students many ways to explore matters not only of the mind, but also of the heart. Tandem Friends School, like Friends schools in general, is not interested in indoctrination or religious proselytizing.
Dates and Deadlines
Admissions deadlines establish a date when the admissions office will begin reviewing applications. There will be no decisions made or class spaces filled before the initial deadline. We will still accept applications after the deadline, but there is no guarantee that there will still be space available in a given class. To guarantee the best chance at a place in a class, an application should be made before the deadline.
Important Admissions
Dates 2008-2009
Aug 25, 2008
|
New Student Orientation |
| Oct 7, 2008 |
Come See us in Action, 9:30am-11am |
| Nov 5, 2008 |
Come See us in Action, 9:30am-11am |
| Dec 4, 2008 |
Come See us in Action for Middle School Parents, 9:30am-11am |
| Jan 9, 2009 |
Come See us in Action for Middle School Parents, 9:30am-11am |
| Jan 16, 2009 |
Initial deadline for applications to grades 5-6 |
| Feb 2, 2009 |
Initial decisions mailed grades 5-6 |
| Feb 10, 2009 |
Come See us in Action, 9:30am-11am |
| Mar 2, 2009 |
Initial deadline for applications to grades 7-12 |
| Mar 18, 2009 |
Come See us in Action, 9:30am-11am |
| Mar 16, 2009 |
Initial decisions mailed to grades
7-12 |
| Apr 23, 2009 |
Come See us in Action, 9:30am-11am |
Good visiting dates (public
school is not in session;
Tandem school is.)
Monday, November 3
Tuesday, Novermber 4
Tuesday, January 20
Tuesday, February 17
Tuesday, March 23
Message from Nica Waters, Director of Admissions
Hello, and welcome to Tandem Friends School!
As I begin my 11th year of association with Tandem Friends School, it gives me great pleasure to be able to be the initial contact at our school for so many new potential community members. Thank you for your interest!
So why Tandem? What makes it different? Ask one of the 5th graders, or a visitor after a day here, and the answer may well be along the lines of “we call teachers by their first names” or “we have 45 minutes for lunch” or “you can walk around between classrooms and go outside.” Ask a parent or a nostalgic senior, and the answer might be “there is a palpable sense of community” or “I appreciate that teachers really care about us.”
Certainly, one aspect of our school that is unique in the area is the fact that we are a Quaker school. The most obvious piece to that is our weekly Meeting for Worship, a 35-minute time on Wednesdays when we gather as a community to sit together, taking time during outward silence to reflect inwardly on social, academic, political, or personal concerns. Seeing students and colleagues able to sit quietly (relatively) for 35 minutes, hearing their voices when they are moved to speak, is incredibly insightful and moving.
I realize as I walk around with families that Tandem’s requirement that students participate meaningfully in their education is something not always seen. We ask and expect that students lead a discussion, or teach us something in class, or even get from one class to another without a bell to remind them of the time. The adults on campus engage with our students in a way that enables the students to come up at lunch time or break to follow up on a class discussion, or just to find out how the teacher’s music gig went last night. Students come back after years and years to see teachers and share a school that touched them.
Personally, I wake up every morning with a spring in my step, ready to see what new aspects of Tandem will be revealed as I walk around. I love the hugs I get from students (some with the thinly-veiled intention of showing me just how tall I am not!), the nods and waves of hello as I walk around the glorious campus. I revel in listening to current students calmly and competently answer questions about their school. I glory in the questions that come endlessly, and I learn something new every day.
Tandem is a community full of individuals working toward a goal of being the best we can be. I am proud to be associated with such a place, and I look forward to sharing it with you and hearing how it is unique to you.
In Peace,
Nica
Nica Waters, Director of Admissions
434.951.9314
Admissions Process
The admissions process consists of a number of steps, and these steps can happen (with the exception of the interview) in any order. All steps must be completed in order for an admissions decision to be made.
- Visit (full-day visit for the student)
- Parent tour
- Application, including recommendations and transcript
- Interview
This website provides a simple overview of Tandem
Friends and its programs. To truly experience Tandem
Friends School, plan a visit. Schedule a tour. Come
see a sports event or enjoy a play. If school is in
session, you can visit classes and see for yourself
how Friends' values, excellent teaching, and small class
size result in a powerful and rewarding educational
experience. Please call the Admissions Office today
to schedule your visit! 434.951.9314
The following is a step-by-step guide to the admissions
process:
- Schedule a parent tour and informational session through the Admissions Office.
- Complete the application form and return it, along with the $50 application fee, to the Admissions Office.
- Schedule a full-day visit for your child.
- Complete the application page, parent questionnaire, student questionnnaire, and student writing samples, and submit them to the Admissions Office.
- Sign the transcript release form and take it to
your child's current school.
- Send/deliver the teacher/personal recommendation forms to
*
your child’s homeroom teacher (applicants for grades 5 and 6)
*
your child’s English teacher (applicants for grades 7-12)
*
your child’s Math teacher (applicants for grades 7-12)
*
a non-relative who knows your child well (all applicants)
Students applying for grades 5 and 6 will have two recommendations submitted. Students applying for grades 7-12 will have three recommendations submitted on their behalf.
- When all steps have been completed and all forms have been received, the admissions folder will be complete. Your child will then be scheduled for a formal interview with the Admissions Committee.
Financial Assistance
The Business Office begins reviewing applications for accepted students at the first deadline. All the available assistance may well be awarded by the time of initial notification, and there is absolutely no guarantee that there will be assistance available for late applicants. For the best chance at financial assistance, apply before the deadline!
Deadline to apply: March 25
Initial notification of awards: April 15
Tandem Friends School awards financial assistance in the form of grants, based solely on demonstrated financial need. The primary responsibility for financing a student’s independent school experience belongs to the family. An independent school education is one of many choices a family may make; we expect families to choose to look to outside sources, including extended family, to meet tuition obligations before turning to financial assistance. It is our goal that any student who is qualified to attend and who would benefit from the experience the school provides will be able to attend; it is our reality that the funds available for financial assistance are limited. Please be honest with yourself and with us as you decide to apply for assistance. Any decision on financial assistance awards will be made after admission has been offered.
To apply for financial assistance:
Actual application for financial assistance is made through School and Student Service (SSS), based in Princeton, NJ. Please go online to https://sss.ets.org to apply, or see Stephanie in the Tandem Friends Business Office. Applications for financial assistance can come after the deadline; however, most funds will be allocated by the initial deadline. Families must reapply for assistance each year as needed.
Dates and deadlines for financial assistance
| January 1, 2009 |
First date to file an application with SSS |
| March 2, 2009 |
Copies of tax returns for filing year 2008 due at TFS |
| March 2, 2009 |
Complete online application with SSS must be filed |
| March 30, 2009 |
Financial assistance awards determined |
Financial assistance applications will not affect the admissions decision in any way.
Tuition for the 2008-2009 Academic Year
| Grades 5-6: |
$13,530 |
| Grades 7-8: |
$14,391 |
| Grades 9-12: |
$15,045 |
Tandem Friends School does
not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex,
religion, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic
origin in administration of its educational policies,
scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other
school-administered programs.
Tandem Friends School complies with the Americans
with Disabilities Act to the greatest possible extent.
Because of the school’s limited resources and
the constraints of its buildings and grounds, Tandem
Friends School cannot accommodate all students with
disabilities.
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