Convent of the Sacred Heart

Preparing to present

Fourth grade ends with Herstory, a semester spent getting to know a woman from history well enough to present her to an audience. Research, writing, drama and art contribute to the project; students also make a collage portrait.

The presentation comes after library work with books and online sources, backed by speaking practice that begins in Kindergarten. There is preparation behind the performance.

Learning to present

In Middle School, public speaking is built into academic projects, and students are encouraged to take at least one after-school elective each trimester.

Upper School research has a visible arc. Grade 9 emphasizes research, analysis, persuasive writing and public speaking.

In the spring of Grade 11, students develop an original research question in contemporary theology, write a formal paper and present it to peers. Grade 12 ends in a capstone: in-depth, college-level research on a subject the student chooses, presented to the school community in the spring.

One past capstone paired the way trees communicate with what that implies for environmentalism. That pairing of a specific subject with a larger question is a useful sign of what the format allows.

Faith in school life

Sacred Heart identifies itself as Catholic and independent, and says it welcomes and respects people of all faiths while teaching about the world’s religious traditions.

Middle School students of every faith have a role in worship at least once each year: reading, singing as cantor or carrying the offertory gifts. Ask what this participation means for your daughter, including if she is not Catholic.

Learning support

In Lower School, a support team identifies classroom accommodations and can refer families to outside help, and literacy and math specialists work in the classroom and in small groups.

In Middle School, a learning specialist teaches Language Workshop to small groups in Grades 5 through 8, working on organization, reading, writing and study strategies, and also meets students individually.

In Upper School, the Student Success Center offers one-on-one or small-group help with writing, reading comprehension, organization and study skills.

Admissions for fall 2027

For regular applications, the application and financial aid forms are due December 1, 2026, and required materials January 8, 2027. Early notification and the merit scholarship have earlier deadlines, below.

Lower School families have a parent interview, a tour and a child visit. Kindergarten’s hour-long playgroup includes group play, a read-aloud and a brief individual assessment, which is separate from standardized testing: Grade 1 has none, and Grades 2 through 4 take the ISEE Primary.

Children must turn 3 for Pre-K, 4 for Junior K or 5 for Kindergarten by August 31.

Middle School accepts applications for Grades 5 through 8 and advertises no larger entry grade. Families have a virtual parent interview, a tour, and an in-person visit and interview, with group visits and individual assessments for every applicant.

The ISEE is required, and the school asks you to contact admissions if getting it is a burden for any reason.

Upper School accepts only Grades 9 and 10, with Grade 9 the main entry. Families have a 45-minute parent-and-student meeting and a tour, and submit ISEE or SSAT scores.

Grade 9 also has a partial merit scholarship for girls at Catholic parochial schools, by eighth-grade teacher or principal nomination. Its application is due October 9 and its exam is October 17, 2026; details are on the Upper School page.

Siblings of current students and daughters of 91st Street alumnae may use early notification; its application deadline is November 1, 2026. The full timetable is on the Lower, Middle and Upper School pages.

Tuition and aid

For 2026–27, tuition is $40,560 for half-day Pre-K, $49,560 for full-day Pre-K, $59,230 for Junior Kindergarten and $70,850 for Kindergarten through Grade 12. It includes lunch, textbooks, instructional materials, required class trips and fees.

Need-based aid is available only from Kindergarten through Grade 12, not for Pre-K or Junior Kindergarten, and families receiving aid reapply every year. A family that enrolls without aid cannot apply until its second full year of enrollment, and any qualifying award would take effect the following school year.

The school subsidizes some extras inside an aid package, including technology, Lower School after-school and extended care, and bus transportation. Middle School after-school electives are free to all students.

After school and getting there

Extended Day is optional care for Junior Kindergarten through Grade 4, billed separately from tuition. In the fall 2026 brochures it runs from 3:00 to 5:30 Monday through Thursday and closes at 4:30 on Fridays, and it does not meet on holidays or early-dismissal days.

A full semester costs $1,750 for Junior Kindergarten and $1,500 for Kindergarten through Grade 4; drop-in care is $35 per day.

Separate from Extended Day, the school offers optional after-school clubs; its after-school page lists examples such as gymnastics, chess, coding and fencing and links the current brochures.

The main building is at 1 East 91st Street; the Athletics and Wellness Center is a separate building at 406 East 91st. The school organizes free city bus service for Manhattan-only riders in Kindergarten through Grade 6, with distance-based eligibility, and offers a private morning bus from age 5 with limited afternoon service on the Downtown Manhattan route. Route details and aid for the private bus are on the school’s transportation page.

Theology, support decisions and getting to athletics at Sacred Heart

At a Catholic girls' school, families outside the faith should ask what theology and service mean, alongside how support is decided.