Rising Leaders Core Values Scholarship

Core Values to Believe In

The Rising Leaders Core Values Scholarship is designed to encourage the enrollment of students and families with a deep connection and commitment to Corlears School's mission and core values at an Elementary age level where students can grow as leaders in a school that culminates at fifth grade.

Corlears School is built upon the core values of belonging, curiosity, compassion, growth, responsibility, and the courage to act. Our core values have become central tenets for communal engagement across various contexts, disciplines, environments, and constituencies. These core values constitute the foundation of our school mission and shape our philosophy for teaching and learning.

About the Scholarship

The Rising Leaders Core Values Scholarship is a values-based scholarship that is awarded to applicants entering third grade. This initiative is designed to incorporate new voices of rising young leaders into our community at an exciting and dynamic time in the Corlears journey. Because Corlears ends at fifth grade, children in the upper grades are empowered with leadership opportunities they wouldn't ordinarily experience in a school not specifically designed for young children. Corlears specializes in these early years because we believe that these early years are crucial to instilling a lifelong love of learning, and we have a history of graduating high-achieving, thoughtful, and compassionate emerging leaders well-equipped for the next step in their academic journey.

This scholarship is also an opportunity for new students to capitalize on Corlears School's well-established and highly successful outplacement process, which ensures a best-fit middle school match for each of our graduates. Included in this program is the option of continuing on to The Calhoun School with no further admissions process, and significant guidance in applying to other top-tier schools throughout New York City, including single-sex, co-educational, traditional, progressive, public, and religious schools.

About Corlears School

Founded in 1968 in the Lower East Side by a pioneering group of parents and educators, Corlears School is a small New York City independent school located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Over fifty years since its founding, Corlears School has become firmly established among independent schools in New York City. The original founding families believed in the progressive approach to education and creating a rich educational foundation for young children where they could explore, ask questions, and take their learning beyond the classroom.

The Corlears community values an inquiry-based, constructivist approach to instruction, responsiveness to student exploration, and the role of teacher as a guide to student learning. Our rigorous upper grades curriculum empowers students to find their voice and advocate for themselves. They learn to recognize and act in moments of injustice, build problem-solving skills, and work through complex challenges across subjects including the humanities, math, science, technology, Spanish, and the arts. All fourth and fifth graders play the violin, and every graduate delivers a speech to the entire community at commencement.

Along with this pedagogical approach, the school has retained a deep commitment to maintaining a community that welcomes and includes children and families from diverse racial, cultural, socioeconomic, gender, sexual identity, and religious backgrounds. At Corlears, we believe that diversity is a strength, and we seek a school community that reflects the larger New York City community. We are committed to shaping a curriculum that is inclusive of diverse identities and lived experiences.

Scholarship Eligibility

All third grade applicants are eligible and will be considered. Students currently enrolled at Corlears School are not eligible as this scholarship is designed to attract new leaders and perspectives to Corlears; however, all families are invited to participate in a TEAM assessment for equitable and accessible tuition-setting. Children of Corlears employees are also not eligible. More information on affording a Corlears education can be found on our TEAM page.

Amount of Scholarship Award

Rising Leaders Core Values Scholarship amounts will be determined on an annual basis, based on the school's available funds, and the applicant pool. All scholarship families will still be responsible for building and equipment fees ($1,100) each school year. Reduced fees may also extend to after-school and summer camp programs.

Allocation of Scholarships per Year

Each academic year, Corlears School's Board of Trustees, in conjunction with the Head of School, Associate Head of School, and Admissions Director, will determine the number of Rising Leaders Core Values Scholarships available for that admissions year. The number of full and partial scholarships will be limited and vary depending on age level enrollment and other factors.

Renewal

The Corlears Core Values Scholarship will renew annually until the recipient graduates from fifth grade, as long as the student remains in good academic and community standing and the family continues to partner with school leadership and our Student Success Team. Academic and community standing will be determined by the terms of the scholarship contract, enrollment contract, Student Handbooks, and Family Handbooks. The Rising Leaders Core Values Scholarship does not transfer to a student's enrollment transfer to The Calhoun School, although our middle school partnership does ensure that Calhoun will prioritize Corlears families in their financial aid timeline.

Application Process

As a mission-driven, values-centered organization, family engagement and community service is at the core of what we value. To this end, scholarship eligibility is determined by a family’s submission of a Core Values Commitment Letter illustrating how the family embodies the school’s core values in the context of their lives (home, school, workplace, community), and how they envision their family’s engagement and service to the community.

Selection Process

All applications will be evaluated, above and beyond the qualifications for admissions, for a unique connection to, passion for, and/or ability to contribute toward one or more of the school’s core values. This evaluation will include the applicant family’s commitment letter as a precursor to the Admissions process, which entails an application, interview, recommendations, school observations, playdates/visits, and any supplemental or portfolio material submitted in support of the process. The Admissions Director will recommend applicants for admission. Accepted students who are awarded the Rising Leaders Core Values Scholarship will be notified at the time of acceptance to the school.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is applying for the Core Values Scholarship the same as applying to Corlears School? It is not. All families interested in enrolling at Corlears School must go through the admissions processes detailed on our How to Apply page.

What happens after I apply for the scholarship? All families applying for the scholarship will need to go through the standard admissions process, which is detailed on our How to Apply page. Families will receive notification of their scholarship decision along with their admission decision.

Why do I still need to go through the standard admissions process?

Corlears School is a proud member of the Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY). Founded in 1965, ISAAGNY aims to ensure orderly, professional, and equitable admissions processes at member schools. In line with Corlears School's membership in ISAAGNY and our own commitment to equity, all families must go through the same admissions process in order to be considered for enrollment.

When is the scholarship application deadline? Priority consideration for the Core Values Scholarship will be given to applicants who submit their scholarship application by December 1 and complete their child’s standard application by the ISAAGNY deadline (see our How to Apply page for details). Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

When will winners of the scholarship be announced? Winners will be determined first in conjunction with the standard admissions timeline, and then on a rolling basis if spots remain; the number of scholarships are limited and will vary each year.

Will the scholarship cover all years of my child's tuition at Corlears School? Yes, the percent of tuition covered by the scholarship on entry to Corlears will be honored through the student’s fifth grade year at Corlears.