Application Process

Applying to Cottage Co-Op involves four steps:

Fill out our contact form to sign up for our admissions mailing list so we can send you information and invite you to events.

Parent's Name

First Name

Last Name

Email

Phone

Mobile preferred

(###)

###

####

Prospective parents are required to attend one of our information sessions. These sessions provide you with the opportunity to meet our directors, teachers, board members, and current Cottage parents, while getting to know more about Cottage, its programs, philosophies, and responsibilities.
Following your Information Session, you will have the opportunity to sign up for a tour for your family.

Admissions Tours give families time to explore Cottage's philosophy, programs, and space more deeply. Prospective families are given the opportunity to meet with a member of our Admissions team and our Director on a more personal level.
Sorry, no drop-ins allowed.
Tours will be held throughout February.

Once you have attended an information session and tour and had the chance to fall in love with Cottage, interested parents are welcome to apply by submitting the final part of our application.
$75 application fee.

From there, we take over:

We first fill our classes with our continuing students and siblings of current students.
Current families notify us in early March regarding their intention to continue the next year. Once we know the number of available spots in each class, we begin the process of offering admission to new applicants.
At Cottage we say, “All kids make great Cottage kids”. Tell us about your family in your application and in our meetings so that we can understand how the co-op life will work for your family. Is this the kind of school you are looking for? Let us know!
Families are notified of offers of admission or placement on our waitlist beginning in early March. Most families start on the waitlist before they are offered admission.
A question that often comes up is, "What are our chances?". This is a difficult question to answer: a) because we don't know how many spaces will be open and b) we don't want to get anyone's hopes up, or to dash anyone's hopes. It is our experience that there are families, who, in the Spring, indicate that they will be attending Cottage next year but over the Summer need to change their plans and relinquish their child's spot in his/her class. Some years, we have a great deal of "movement"; other years, very little. Some classes may see more movement than others. It is impossible to predict. And, it has to be in the right age group for your child to make any difference!

If we are unable to offer your child a spot in March, we will keep your application throughout the Spring and Summer in case space becomes available. Sometimes plans change!
Our waitlist is flexible: your family applies to the school as a whole, and we do our best to find an appropriate placement for your child, based mainly on age and availability.
What if Cottage is your first choice, but you got into another school, and waitlisted at Cottage? While we encourage families to be a part of the waitlist, we unfortunately can’t know if or when an appropriate placement may open for your child here. Keep in touch and let us know if you are still hoping for a spot.

We work hard to keep tuition down and provide alternative ways to contribute to the school through our Annual Fund and Fall Fundraiser. However, for families where the cost of tuition would be a hardship on your family, Cottage does offer limited funds through our Tuition Assistance program. If you are interested in learning more please visit the Tuition Assistance page.
Note: requests for assistance are confidential and in no way affect the admissions decision.
Tuition assistance applications for next year are due on March 24, 2025.