Admissions

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We look forward to you joining us at The British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park.
JOIN OUR FAMILY!

WELCOMING YOU FROM THE START

Thank you for considering BISC-LP for your family. We are excited to share more about the personalized, globally-focused education your child will receive at our school.

We pride ourselves on our warm and friendly approach from the moment you contact us, on your child’s first day and throughout their time at our school.

 
Academic Excellence

WHO CAN JOIN

BISC-LP is a welcoming, academically ambitious school, home to a vibrant, diverse, international community of students from Chicago and beyond. We offer year-round placements for qualifying students through a process that’s simple, fast, and personalized. 
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A WARM WELCOME AWAITS!

We are thrilled you are considering the British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park, for your child. Our friendly Admissions team are here to make your admissions process as simple as possible. 
Application is easy.
  • Book a tour or open house
  • Complete our Online Application
  • Submit your application fee
  • Submit all supplemental documentation
  • Attend a playdate or shadow day
  • Schedule a parent meeting
Apply Now
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STEP-BY-STEP ADMISSIONS PROCESS

Ready to apply to BISC-LP? Here’s what you need to do next!
Get in touch
Submit an online form on our website, send us an email, or give us a call to share information about your family and your child or children.
INQURE NOW
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Get in touch
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Visit our school

Attend an Open House on Saturday, November 9, 2024 or Sunday, January 12, 2025. RSVP here!

We also offer tours Monday to Friday. Contact us to book a tour or open house!

Visit our school
Submit your application
Submit your online application form along with the application fee. Provide all your supporting documentation: your school records, family photo, and admissions questionnaire.
APPLY NOW
Submit your application
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Attend a play date or shadow day
Nursery through Year 6 students can attend a play date or shadow day to get a chance to feel what it’s like to be enrolled.
Attend a play date or shadow day
Participate in a parent or family meeting
Schedule an optional parent or family meeting either in person or online to discuss your student and family in more depth.
Participate in a parent or family meeting
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Key Dates: 2024-25 Admissions Season

Don’t miss out on important news, events, and extracurricular activities! Upcoming open days:
Application Deadline - Regular Decision
Wednesday, Jan 15, 2025
Financial Aid - Regular Decision
Friday, Jan 24, 2025
Notification of Admissions - Regular Decision (Pre-Nursery & Nursery)
Tuesday, Feb 04, 2025
Notification of Admissions - Regular Decision (Reception - Year 6)
Friday, Feb 07, 2025
Enrollment Contract Due (Pre-Nursery & Nursery)
Friday, Mar 07, 2025
Enrollment Contract Due (Reception - Year 6)
Friday, Mar 14, 2025
Application Deadline - Early Action and Sibling (Nursery - Year 6 only, not available for Pre-Nursery)
Monday, Dec 02, 2024
Financial Aid - Early Action and Sibling
Monday, Dec 02, 2024
Notification of Admissions - Early Action and Sibling
Friday, Dec 20, 2024
Enrollment Contract Due - Early Action and Sibling (Nursery)
Friday, Mar 07, 2025
Enrollment Contract Due - Early Action and Sibling (Reception - Year 6)
Friday, Mar 14, 2025
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I’ve chosen BISC-LP for my own children and look forward to sharing everything about our amazing school as I get to know your family through our admissions process.
Erin Woodhams
Director of Admissions and Marketing

TUITION FEES

At the British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park, our tuition fees reflect the premium education and care we provide.  

 

Our state-of-the-art facilities, extra-curricular activities, and highly qualified teachers give our young students the platform they need to unlock their potential. This page provides parents with full disclosure over the costs of enrolling here, with no hidden payments or extra costs.

 
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • What are your school hours?

    Our school schedule supports our parents’ workday through childcare needs, but also provides the flexibility to customize to your household schedule.  

    7:00 – 8:00 a.m: Morning Care (optional, use as much or as little as needed) 

    8:00 – 8:30 a.m: Arrival, parents can drop off in classrooms for EYFS students or use our car line for Nursery – Year 6.  

    8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m: School Day (optional noon dismissal for Pre-Nursery and Nursery students) 

    3:30 – 6:00/6:30 p.m: After School program.

    Our clubs/enrichment classes for Nursery – Year 6 run 3:30 – 4:45 pm and our Aftercare program runs 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. for Nursery – Year 6 and 3:30 – 6:00 p.m. for our Pre-Nursery.

    Club registration is by term and aftercare can be used as much or as little as needed and is billed hourly by use.  

     
  • What are the age requirements?

    Please reference the below chart to determine which US Grade and UK year group your child is eligible for based on their current age. Please contact the Admissions Team with any questions regarding appropriate placement for your child. 

    The following chart details age requirements and grades for admission for the 2024-2025 school year.

    Please note that children can enroll in Pre-Nursery as soon as they turn 15 months, depending on availability.

    Birth Date

    Age

    US Grade

    UK Year Group

    School Stage

    Sept 1, 2021 - Aug 31, 2022

    2-3

    Two Year Old

    Pre-Nursery

    Foundation

    Sept 1, 2020 - Aug 31, 2021

    3-4

    Pre-School

    Nursery

    Foundation

    Sept 1, 2019 - Aug 31, 2020

    4-5

    Junior Kindergarten

    Reception

    Sept 1, 2018 - Aug 31, 2019

    5-6

    Kindergarten

    Year 1

    Primary School

    Sept 1, 2017 - Aug 31, 2018

    6-7

    Grade 1

    Year 2

    Sept 1, 2016 - Aug 31, 2017

    7-8

    Grade 2

    Year 3

    Sept 1, 2015 - Aug 31, 2016

    8-9

    Grade 3

    Year 4

    Sept 1, 2014 - Aug, 31, 2015

    9-10

    Grade 4

    Year 5

    Sept 1, 2013 - Aug 31, 2014

    10-11

    Grade 5

    Year 6

    Grades 6-12/Year 7-13 are located at the South Loop Campus. Upon completion of Year 6 at the Lincoln Park campus, students matriculate directly to Year 7 at the South Loop without any additional admissions process.

     



  • Do you offer financial aid?
    Yes, we offer a need-based financial aid program and families are welcome to apply as part of their admissions process. You can access more information about our financial aid program here: https://www.nordangliaeducation.com/bisc-lincoln-park/admissions/tuition-fees
  • What are your class sizes and student:teacher ratios?

    Our class sizes vary by age, for which you can see a breakdown below. Please note, all students benefit from lessons with our specialist teachers in French, Spanish, dance, music, library, STEAM and PE, and these teachers are in addition to their classroom teachers.  

    Pre-Nursery 

    Toddlers: Maximum of 10 students – 1 lead teacher, two learning assistants, 1 assistant director 

    Twos and Young Threes: Maximum of 16 students – 1 lead teacher, two learning assistants, 1 assistant director 

    Nursery – Year 2: Maximum of 20 students: 1 UK-trained lead teacher, 1 learning assistant 

    Year 3 – Year 6: Maximum 20 students, 1 UK-trained lead teacher 

     
  • How do you communicate with parents?
    We believe your child’s education is a partnership between home and school, and we're forthcoming and transparent with our communication. We send a weekly newsletter with information from all areas of the school, including a message from the principal. Our Early Years teachers use the Brightwheel app to share daily photos, videos and comments about your child’s learning that day. For our Pre-Nursery this also includes information about diapering, food and sleep.  

    Each class has a parent volunteer, who will share weekly emails with updates from your child’s class and messages from their teacher.  

    Three yearly progress reports are paired with parent/teacher consultations. You can access teacher email addresses to schedule a time for a phone call or to ask questions when needed.  
     
  • What are your teacher qualifications and how long do they stay at your school?
    All our lead teachers in our Nursery – Year 6 program are UK-trained, and all lead teachers have completed a level of post graduate work. Our Pre-Nursery team is staffed with local teachers with an expertise in early childhood education. Our specialist teachers carry additional training and qualifications in their area of expertise. While we recruit internationally to ensure we have the highest quality staff, we have a very high retention rate of 96% annually.
  • What does diversity look like at your school?
    As an international school in a large city, we have an incredibly diverse population. We have over 40 nationalities represented in our community and 45% students of color. Our enrollment is a mostly local population with about 10% of our community expatriate families.  
  • Do you support children with learning challenges or gifted?
    We view all our students as individuals and support and challenge them accordingly. Our classrooms have flexible seating, low student-teacher ratios and our curriculum is designed to be responsive to every student. Lessons are developed with the age-related expectation as the target and then to encourage the children to select the appropriate level for themselves.  

    Our learning resources department can provide 1:1 or group work at either end of the spectrum. This team of teachers are highly skilled in differentiation and will work to ensure children are getting additional support in a pull-out or push-in model or will provide opportunity for additional challenge.  
     
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LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT MAKES OUR SCHOOL UNIQUE

Visit our vibrant campus and see our learning environments and meet our teachers. We are excited to learn more about your family and show you everything our amazing school has to offer.

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