See “How to Apply.”

We accept new students in all grade levels as space allows. 

Our early childhood teachers conduct the readiness screenings for applicants to junior kindergarten, senior kindergarten and first grade. Applicants visit the classroom and get  to tinker with the learning tools and toys, and have storytime. Teachers are looking for signs that the child is able to separate from parents and join a school program, is cooperative with peers and engaged in the playful learning around them, as well as demonstrates age-appropriate developmental readiness.

Yes, students applying to second through 12th grades are welcome to come for a shadow visit. All shadow visits are scheduled through the admissions office. 

Shadow visits are required for applicants to second through eighth grades. Applicants shadow in their current grade and are matched with a student their age. Lower school shadow visits are from 8:15 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. and include lunch and recess.  Middle school shadow visits are from 8:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. and also include lunch and recess.

Applicants to our upper school are welcome but not required to shadow a student for the day. If they would like to have a shadow visit in addition to their interview, upper school shadow visits run from 11:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.  

For middle and upper school tours, students are welcome to join; however, it is not required.  For lower school, children should wait to visit until their shadow day or readiness screening.

Both open house events and individual tours provide thorough information on our programs, showcase our campus facilities and give you a sense of our community.  Please join us for whichever option works best for your schedule. We welcome your visit to campus for any of these opportunities and look forward to meeting you!

Register for campus admissions events such as the open house here. 
All campus tours are scheduled with the admissions office by contacting admissions@nscds.org. 
 

Connecting with a current NSCD family is a great way to learn more about our school and community. Our Peer Pal platform enables you to connect with current parents who can tell you how they came to be at NSCD and what their child(ren)’s experience has been like. This is a great resource as you’re gathering more information about our school.

The school day is from approximately 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. with staggered drop-off and pickup times for lower, middle and upper school divisions. In the lower school, we offer early care before school starting at 7:20 a.m. and after-school care until 5:30 p.m. (see Early/Later Raiders). For middle and upper school, interscholastic sports practice and compete after school. 

Tuition includes technology fees, the cost of books and field trips.

Our teachers are dedicated to the field of education and many of them have pursued masters and doctorate degrees. Some of our faculty members have been at NSCD for decades and others have joined in recent years. We always have a range of highly qualified educators who are passionate about working with students and experienced in their disciplines.  Faculty at NSCD also have ongoing learning opportunities through professional development offerings. 
 

We are lucky to have families coming to NSCD from all over the Chicagoland area! Our student body draws from 47 ZIP codes. The towns where most of our students live are: Winnetka, Wilmette, Glenview, Evanston, Glencoe, Chicago and Highland Park.

We work hard to ensure every new student and family feels supported and connected from the start. New families are welcomed by their grade-level parent representatives as well as our Parents' Association Purple Wagon mentor program, which helps answer questions, make introductions and ease the transition to NSCD. The Purple Wagon also hosts a new parent welcome breakfast during the first weeks of school. 

Depending on the division, new students may participate in classroom visits, orientation programs or pre-season athletics before the school year begins. Throughout the first weeks of school, teachers, advisors and administrators work closely with new students to help them build connections, find their footing and feel at home in the NSCD community.

All NSCD students are given a school iPad for the school year. The iPad comes with a stylus and a keyboard. If upper school students wish to use their own device, they may also do so. 

Our college counseling program is incredibly personalized and distinct.  We have a college counselor to student ratio of 52:2 and 100% of our graduates who apply to colleges and universities are admitted. You can learn more about what makes our program unique here. 

For a full list of our school days and school closures, please see our academic calendar. 

You should fill out and sign a Records Release Form and give it  to your child’s current school so they can send us your child’s transcript for inclusion  in their admissions file.

We do not have a school bus for transportation to and from school. Our buses are used for athletic teams and field trips. We are conveniently located close to the public bus stop, as well as two Metra train stations.  Many students utilize public transportation to get to and from school.