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Enrollment

Are you interested in enrolling your child at UCNS?

  • Registration is open for the 2024-2025 school year (September 2024-June 2025)! *These students must be at least 3 years old by December 1, 2024.

Families may submit an application at any time. Our program can fill up quickly, so we encourage families to apply early in order to receive their preferred enrollment spot at UCNS. If you have other questions about enrollment and the program at UCNS, please email the Registrar at ucnsregistrar@gmail.com, call our school office (during the school year) at (607) 266-9680, or fill out our Contact Us form.

UCNS enrolls children who are 3 to 5 years old. The diversity of the greater Ithaca area is reflected in the UCNS community. Children come from all types of families and represent a variety of economic, racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Our school also enrolls children with special needs. Our foremost goal is to support the children enrolled at UCNS along with their families.

Priority Enrollment

Some families are eligible to apply for priority enrollment:

  • Families with returning students
  • Siblings of current or former UCNS students
  • Families affiliated with Cornell University (the school’s land and building are owned by Cornell)

Our priority enrollment deadline for eligible families is February 1, 2024.  Our second enrollment deadline in which all applications are considered is March 15, 2024.  All applications received after March 15th will be considered on a rolling admissions basis. Visit the Apply! page for more information on the Enrollment Timeline.

Application Requirements

Note:

Children must be at least 3 years old by December 1, 2024 in order to enroll at UCNS for the 2024-2025 school year.

To apply for enrollment for your child, please submit:

  1. An application form (contact our Registrar at ucnsregistrar@gmail.com, if you prefer to fill out a paper application.)
  2. A copy of your child’s birth certificate or passport
  3. A non-refundable $25 application fee

Note:  A copy of your child’s immunization and physical exam records are required for school attendance. In early July, a registration packet with more detailed instructions, information on required immunizations, and school forms is mailed to families enrolling their children at UCNS in the fall.

Universal Pre-Kindergarten At UCNS

UCNS is a community-based Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) site through the Ithaca City school district. Students who are eligible for UPK receive additional screenings and assessments throughout the year. Our teachers attend monthly trainings, which benefit all families. In order to be eligible for UPK, students must be 4 years old by December 1, enrolled 5 days (Monday-Friday) at UCNS, and live within the Ithaca City School District. UPK families may be eligible to receive a tuition discount.

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