2026-27 Admissions is Now Open!
We currently have limited spaces available for the 2025-26 school year, particularly with second semester start dates — please email Molly at mollyclcnyc@gmail.com for more information!
Thank you for your interest in applying to Children’s Learning Center! Through our application process, we aim to give prospective parents a taste of life here at CLC. We hope that through this process, you fall in love with the community, philosophy, and spirit of CLC. Our school is affiliated with Columbia University and Morningside Gardens. We aim to nurture a diverse community of children and families, and are looking for kindred spirits!
Below, please find more specific information about the application process, including important forms and dates. If you have any questions, please email clcnycadmissions@gmail.com.
Admissions Process
CLC has two official admissions timelines: an “Early Admissions Timeline” and a “Spring Admissions Timeline.” If you know your family will be in NYC next school year, and feel that CLC could be a great fit, we recommend you take part in our Early Admissions Timeline, to secure your space in our community! If it works better for your family to make schooling decisions in the Spring, please follow the Spring Admissions Timeline (info on both below). After those timelines have ended, we engage in “rolling” admissions to fill all available spots. Each year, we admit many wonderful families on all timelines, and often admit families off our waitlists as well!
Sign up for a virtual open house (dates below), by emailing clcnycadmissions@gmail.com
Complete our online application form HERE
(if you are applying for more than one child, please make sure to submit separate applications. If you are unable to submit an application online for whatever reason, please email us at clcnycadmissions@gmail.com).
Email a photo of your child to clcnycadmissions@gmail.com
Submit a nonrefundable $55 application fee by clicking the button below.
Once you have attended an Open House and have submitted an application, you will be invited to an in-person tour of the CLC space. This year, we will also be hosting two community hootenannies - rollicking full-school singalongs featuring all the CLC hits!
Timelines
THe 2026-27 admissions season is now open!
Early Admissions:
Applications Due: Wednesday November 26th
Notification Date: Friday, December 5th
Family Acceptance Deadline: no later than 12pm, Friday, December 12th
Spring Admissions:
Applications Due: Friday, January 30th
Notification Date: Thursday, February 26th
Family Acceptance Deadline: no later than 12pm, Thursday, March 5th
All applications submitted after these dates will be considered on a rolling basis.
Open Houses (all virtual, on zoom):
At Open Houses, families learn about philosophy and daily life at CLC and engage in a Q&A session!
Our Open House Dates are:
Wednesday, October 29th, 11am
Thursday, November 13th, 11am
Wednesday, December 10th, 11am
Thursday, January 8th, 11am
Wednesday, January 21st, 11am
To sign up for an Open House, please email clcnycadmissions@gmail.com with date preferences.
touring the space:
Once families have both submitted an application + fee, and attended a virtual Open House, you will be invited to tour the CLC space in person, including a tour of our famed outdoor classroom, and ask any new questions that have come up! We work with families individually to schedule tour dates — if you are available, we would love to have you tour on a Hootenanny day, where you can catch one of our rollicking, full-school singalongs to a get a great sense of the joy and good humor that define our community!
Please note: we will be having one additional in-person Open House for Columbia-affiliated families on Wednesday, November 12th at 5pm here at the school. If you are a Columbia family and would like to join that in-person Open House please reach out directly to Molly at mollyclcnyc@gmail.com
If you would like to learn more about CLC and can’t make any of our scheduled dates work, please reach out to us at clcnycadmissions@gmail.com and we’ll work to find a good time to connect!
Tuition & Financial Aid
Tuition for our school program depends on the age of your child and your schedule. For the 2025-26 school year, tuition will range from $14,699– $33,302 for our ten month program. Upon signing a contract with us, CLC collects a 30% deposit, and the remaining 70% of tuition can be paid in equal installments September, or in one installment in September. Tuition payments are made through an online third party system.
CLC strives to make education more affordable to families, and we provide need-based financial aid, and alternate payment schedules. Please click here for instructions on applying for financial aid via Blackbaud, a third-party service which helps calculate need and awards.