Frequently Asked Questions

Our enrollment is 830 for the 2024-2025 school year.

Chapin's student/faculty ratio is 6 to 1.

Chapin is committed to diversity in its culture and its programs. An equitable, inclusive community provides the best environment for learning. Currently, 53% of our student body self-identifies as students of color, as defined by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). 

Each year we enroll students from a wide variety of schools and other secondary schools. Applicants to Kindergarten come from about 149 different schools. In the 2023-2024 application year, Middle and Upper School applicants came from more than 85 public and charter schools in New York City, more than 58 non-public schools (including independent and parochial), and 14 schools in other states and countries.

While many students who attend Chapin live in the neighborhood, students come from all parts of Manhattan, as well as the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester County, Long Island and New Jersey.

The school is located at 100 East End Avenue, between 84th and 85th Streets.

By subway: Take the Q train to 86th Street and Second Avenue or take the 4, 5 or 6 train to 86th and Lexington Avenue. Then take the M-86 bus from the corner, going east on 86th Street, and exit at York Avenue. Walk one block east to East End Avenue and two blocks south to 84th Street.

By car: Take the FDR Drive and exit at 96th Street. Stay on the service road, which will become York Avenue. Turn right onto East End Avenue and continue to 84th Street. Parking garages are located on 85th Street and on 83rd Street.

By ferry: Take the NYC Ferry Soundview or Astoria lines to the East 90th Street stop. From there, walk along the Promenade to East 84th Street (after Carl Schurz Park) and East End Avenue.

A number of options, including public and private transportation, are available to younger students who live in the neighborhood and for those who live farther from the school. Parents may choose the form of transportation that suits their family best. Chapin families currently use SNT Bus NW, Inc. and Mario's Transportation, Inc.

Chapin's rigorous liberal arts program prepares students for further academic study and encourages the development of curiosity, creativity and integrity. To read more about the curriculum in each division, please follow the links below.

• Lower School
• Middle School
• Upper School

Yes. Clubhouse is an after-school enrichment program for students in Kindergarten through Class 4. There is also an extended day program from the end of Clubhouse until 5:45 p.m.

Students in the Middle and Upper Schools participate in clubs and athletic teams that meet after school. Learn about Middle School extracurricular activities here and about Upper School extracurricular activities here. To learn more about Upper School athletics, click here.

The colleges and universities most often selected by Chapin students include Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Duke University, Georgetown University, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania and Yale University. Click here to view the 2020-2024 Chapin college matriculation and admitted list.

The application deadline for all grades is December 1.

Chapin is committed to a financial aid program that provided 8.3 million dollars in tuition aid for 20% of the student body in 2024-2025.

Yes. Kindergarten applicants must be five years old by August 31 of the year they would enroll.

Yes. In December, an open house is held for parents/guardians of children who have applied to Kindergarten-Class 3. This evening event provides families with the opportunity to learn more about our program and to meet members of the Chapin community, including students, faculty, administrators and current parents. For additional admissions events, click HERE.

Yes. When the application process is over, some students will be placed in a wait pool. These applicants may be accepted if additional openings become available.

No. We do not require personal letters of recommendation or first choice letters.

Chapin offers an early notification option to Kindergarten applicants with currently enrolled siblings, as well as daughters of alums who attended Chapin for at least three years or who graduated from the School. We adhere to the early notification dates mandated by the Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY). Families who are eligible for and interested in early notification should contact the Lower School admissions office in the spring or early in September of the application year and must have their file, including financial aid materials, if applicable, completed by December 1.

As a community-minded school, we appreciate the allegiance and commitment that sibling and alum families have to deepen their ties to Chapin. Regardless of whether or not an applicant is eligible for early notification, each child is evaluated with equal consideration by the admissions committee.

We currently partner with the following organizations:  A Better Chance (ABC), Breakthrough New York, Early Steps, Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY), Interschool, Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Mocha Moms, Oliver Scholars Program, Parents League,  Prep for Prep, REACH Prep, Summer on the Hill, Summer Steps and TEAK Fellowship.