Admissions Criteria
The International School Nido de Aguilas invites all interested students to apply for admission to our school, regardless of gender, race, religion, creed, or national origin. Nido considers all applications for enrollment carefully to ensure a good fit for our program and the student. Admission is granted based on the student’s demonstrated readiness for our academic program and space availability. In order to create an optimal educational experience for all of our students, Nido’s admissions policies strive to achieve a balance in the gender, native language composition, and cultural diversity of our student population.
Admissions decisions are based on students’ admissions evaluation performance, previous school records, standardized test results, letters of recommendation, and other previous educational information. Specific admissions criteria by division is detailed below. In addition, priority is given to students who are children of Nido faculty and staff, children of U.S. citizens or children who are U.S. citizens, siblings of currently enrolled Nido students, and children of Nido alumni. In each category, preference is given also to students who are proficient in English. Decisions are made by our Admissions Committee.
For children who are English-language learners, Nido's English-as-a-Additional Language (EAL) services vary by division. In the Early Years School, students are not required to speak English for admissions; however, students who do speak English are given priority. In grades 1-6, spaces for EAL services are limited and students are assessed to determine if they require EAL support. If they do, admissions is dependant on EAL vacancies. In the Middle School and High School, EAL support is extremely limited, and students must pass an EAL evaluation to be admitted. If the level of English is lower than required, the student may be considered for Nido's accelerated EAL program for an additional charge.
For children with special educational needs, we encourage you to schedule a meeting with the Admissions Office before applying to Nido because we offer limited learning support through a fee-based tier system. Nido has the capabilities to support children with minor learning needs and has specialized faculty in the resource areas of reading, language skills, and math in most grades. We also work to a limited degree in conjunction with outside support specialists. However, given the academic rigor of this school, students may not be admitted if they show signs of needing specific accommodations that Nido does not offer.
Age Requirements:
- Pre-Kinder: three years of age by August 31st
- Kinder 1: four years of age by August 31st
- Kinder 2: five years of age by August 31st
- Grade 1: six years of age by August 31st
- Grades 2-12: Students are evaluated according to their age and academic level to determine placement. Generally, a student will not be admitted if he/she is more than two years older than the average age of students in his/her grade.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING START DATES:
- EYS students may only begin in the 4th quarter at the school's discretion.
- Students applying to High School must have finished the previous semester in their previous school and start at Nido at the beginning of the semester. If your student will not have completed the previous semester, or if your family will be arriving after the first day of classes in the semester, please contact the admissions office to discuss this further.