| Frequently Asked Questions | (click on the question to see the answer) |
| Q. | How old does my child have to be to apply to Harley? | | A. | Harley begins with a Nursery program. Children who are 3 years old by December 1 may apply to either the three day (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) or the five day class. Both classes are full day. |
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 | Q. | What is the cutoff for birthdays? | | A. | All students must be the appropriate age by December 1 of the year they enroll. |
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| Q. | What are the school hours? | | A. | All grades, including Nursery, begin at 8:05 a.m. and finish at 3:00 p.m. |
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| Q. | Do you have an after-school program or vacation coverage? | | A. | Harley offers before- and after-school care for all students in the Lower School, plus an after-school program for Middle School students. There is no charge for before-school care. Fees for after-school care depend on use. Harley also offers Vacation Camp for students in Nursery through Grade 4. There are numerous camps and activities available during the summer. |
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| Q. | Do you offer Open Houses and tours? | | A. | Call the Admissions Office at 442-1770 to schedule a tour at any time, or join us for an Open House held at various times throughout the year. Or visit the Admissions Events section for upcoming dates. |
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| Q. | How much does it cost to apply? | | A. | Each application must be submitted with a non-refundable $50 application fee. |
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| Q. | Do you have any financial assistance or scholarships available? | | A. | All families with students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 may apply for financial aid. All grants are based on demonstrated financial aid need. |
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| Q. | Will applying for financial aid hurt my chances for admission? | | A. | No. Admission to the Harley School is need blind. Admissions decisions are made first, and after those decisions have been made, financial aid requests are evaluated. However, due to the number of requests for aid, we are not always able to provide aid to all qualified students. |
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| Q. | Do you offer merit scholarships? | | A. | We do not offer merit scholarships. All grants are awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial need. |
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| Q. | How can working parents with a modest income afford Harley? | | A. | The financial aid program at Harley offers scholarships to students from families who have demonstrated financial need. Our aid packages range from partial grants to more substantial grants for families with greater need. |
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| Q. | What percentage of the student body receives financial aid? | | A. | 35% of the student body receives financial aid. |
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| Q. | What colleges do Harley graduates attend? | | A. | Harley students attend a wide variety of colleges and universities in all geographic areas of the United States. They attend small elite liberal arts colleges as well as large public universities and the Ivy League. Our school motto is “Become what thou art.” Our faculty and college counselors encourage our students to follow their passions.
The College Counseling Office works with each student and his or her parents to help make a wise college choice based on the student’s interests and talents. Our graduates report a high level of satisfaction with their college choices. |
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| Q. | Why should I choose an independent school? | | A. | The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) has created a section on their Web site outlining the value and importance of an independent school education. Visit this section at: http://www.nais.org/parents/index.cfm?Itemnumber=149250. |
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| Q. | Why should I choose the Harley School? | | A. | The Rochester area is filled with wonderful schools, and most children could be happy at any number of those schools. However, what we offer is a warm, decent and caring community that is devoted to children—devoted to really ‘knowing’ each of them and helping each grow to his or her fullest potential. We hold children accountable to be their “best selves”—both as hard-working students in the academic sphere and as kind, cooperative members of an educational community. We teach a social curriculum that emphasizes ethical conduct in addition to our superior academic and fine arts programs. Small class sizes and strong faculty-student relationships are a hallmark of the Harley School. |
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| Q. | When is foreign language introduced? | | A. | Foreign language is introduced in our Nursery program. |
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| Q. | What do you look for in an applicant? | | A. | There is no such thing as a typical Harley student, nor do we have a typical applicant. Our curriculum is designed to be developmentally appropriate at every age. We are looking for students who will benefit from and be successful in our program. We base that assessment on the application folder, including the school records, teacher recommendations and the admissions test. In the end, we are looking for hard workers, who will constructively contribute to the life of the school. In addition, we are looking for families who will be positive members of our community. |
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| Q. | Do you have to pass an admissions test to be accepted at Harley?
| | A. | In addition to a campus visit/interview and a report from a student's current teacher(s), Harley requires that each applicant complete age/grade-appropriate admissions testing. There is no "test" for nursery candidates; we only require the visit/screening and a checklist from the current school or daycare (if applicable). Kindergarten candidates will complete a kindergarten readiness screening. Candidates for Grades 1 through 12 must complete admissions testing.
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| Q. | What are your application and testing deadlines? | | A. | We don't have a specific deadline for application or for admissions testing. We encourage families to apply in the fall before they wish to enroll, but the school will continue to accept applications until a grade is fully enrolled. |
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| Q. | When we will know if a student is accepted? | | A. | Families already at Harley must reenroll by mid-March. After that, the school will offer any available spaces to candidates who have completed the process and are eligible for admission.
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| Q. | How do you decide which students are offered a space? | | A. | Eligibility for admission is determined by the Admissions Committee. Once a candidate is eligible for admission, he or she is placed in the waiting pool. The school will then offer a space to the candidate who best meets the needs of the class at the time. Gender balance, personality, educational needs, and strength of candidacy are all considered in the decision. Harley gives preference to eligible candidates who have a sibling at the school or are children of faculty or alumni. |
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| Q. | What is the average class size? | | A. | The average class size is 12 students. However, a high school Latin class, for example, as well as other electives, may have only 3 students. The student-to-teacher ratio is approximately 1:7. |
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| Q. | Where do Harley students live? | | A. | Harley is a warm and welcoming school. Our students come from many different neighborhoods—both urban and rural. Children come from 30 different school districts and 5 counties. |
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| Q. | Is there transportation to Harley? | | A. | Harley does not have its own buses. Families who live within a 15-mile radius of the school are eligible for transportation through their home school district. |
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