How To Apply

ADMISSIONS PROCESS

Our goal through the admissions process is to help you determine if The Orchard School is the best educational fit for your child and your family. The Admissions Team is here to help you through this process. Please see the steps below for application instructions. We look forward to receiving your application!

Please note: There is a $100 application fee.

It is not necessary to re-apply or submit the $100 application fee if you've previously applied. Reach out to admissions@orchard.org.

Orchard does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or age in its admissions process, its programs or its activities.

HOW TO APPLY

The admissions process is a linear process. Families must provide records, reports, and teacher recommendation forms prior to the applicant attending assessments at the school. It is the parents’/guardians’ responsibility to ensure that all steps of the admissions process are completed.

Application: Our goal through the admissions process is to help you determine if Orchard is the best educational fit for your child. Please apply online through Orchard’s website at www.orchard.org. The application deadline is on January 31, to be considered for first-round offers in March. Applications will be considered through rolling admissions as positions remain available. There is a $100 application fee for early childhood and elementary applicants.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Records and Reports: Student records (report cards/progress reports and academic testing) must be provided. If your child has had any professional evaluations, please include copies of the evaluation results. Records may be uploaded to your applicant’s file or emailed to admissions@orchard.org.

Confidential Teacher Recommendations: Each applicant’s current teacher must provide the Confidential Teacher Recommendation directly to the Admissions Office. This requirement is waived for Early Childhood applicants who are not currently in a daycare/classroom setting. Applicants for Fifth through Eighth grade must submit two Confidential Teacher Recommendation forms.

Academic Testing for Grades Five Through Eight: Applicants in grades five through eight must complete the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE At Home) and have results sent to The Orchard School. The exam is scheduled at iseeonline.erblearn.org. There is a $200 exam fee. The exam is taken at home and online. To learn more, go to erblearn.org/families/isee-at-home/getting-started/.

Student Assessment: Parents/Guardians of applicants may contact the admissions office, admissions@orchard.org (317-713-5753) to schedule their child’s participation in an assessment for EC/ES or shadow visit for MS. All prior steps must be completed before an assessment is scheduled.

Admissions Decisions: The admissions process at The Orchard School is designed to carefully consider each applicant’s social and academic readiness for our program. This is determined through a variety of activities including academic assessments, classroom activities, and social interaction during the admissions visit. The committee also reviews testing, teacher recommendations, and report cards from a current school or program. Once the committee has made admissions decisions, for the privacy of all parties involved, we are unable to discuss specific reasons we are unable to admit an applicant.

Admissions Notification: Admissions decisions for first-round offers will be sent on the first Friday in March. After this date, applicants will be considered through rolling admission as positions remain available.

Please return all materials to the admissions department at The Orchard School.

Address

The Orchard School

615 W. 64th St.

Indianapolis, IN 46260

admissions@orchard.org

Admissions Assessments

All applicants for the 2025-2026 school year will be invited to attend a required assessment.

Each applicant will be assigned an assessment time.

Questions? Contact admissions@orchard.org.

Early Childhood Highlights

Honoring Student Voice

Kindergarteners in this classroom were very curious about bees, so teachers adjusted their curriculum to build off of their students' interest. After learning that bees are able to turn sugar into wax through the glands in their abdomen, students made their own candles out of beeswax.
Spring Sing

Preschool students perform confidently in front of 200 people in our theater. They debut special classroom songs, and popular childhood classics. They also play hand drums, rhythm sticks, and shaky eggs. These Owls even perform songs in Spanish. Pretty impressive for three, four and five-year olds!
Fairy Tale Integration

The Kindergarten fairy tale study lends itself nicely to an integrated approach to learning and the creation of projects. As part of the fairy tale study, students have the opportunity to use our 27-element ropes course to experience firshand how Jack might have felt as he was climbing up and down the beanstalk!
Identity is a Year-Long Focus

From identity boxes to tree guides and from interactive art stations to identity books, each classroom displays their work in a gallery for families to observe and discuss with their child. This end-of-the-year community event helps build the foundation for an Orchard education.
Diversity and Inclusion

The study of identity is a major focus in all Early Childhood classrooms at The Orchard School. Teachers believe that by having these important discussions about identity at such an early age, children will discover the true meaning of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Nature as Teacher

Real-life experiences enable children to utilize social and academic skills and to make the connections for experiencing history, applying math and science or understanding the concept of interdependence. Classroom skills and concepts greatly enhanced when the learning moves outside.