Dwight School

Learning

Building, logging and reflecting

Kindergartners plan and build in the Invention Center using lessons about simple machines. In the Studio, they try science, technology, art, engineering and woodworking.

Dwight is an IB school from preschool through Grade 12, and every child works toward a capstone: an Exhibition in the primary years and a Personal Project in Grade 10.

The Grade 10 summer assignment shows what that asks of a child. Students log at least 25 hours toward a learning goal and a product goal, starting with five over the summer, and record each hour's progress, the skill used and the evidence.

The assignment says the process matters far more than whether the goals are met.

In Grades 11 and 12, students choose the full IB Diploma or Dwight Courses, and Dwight Courses students can mix in Diploma-level classes. Most Diploma courses run two years, and Diploma students also write an extended essay, take Theory of Knowledge and complete service work.

Dwight Courses classes last one year with more flexibility, and those students still finish an independent research capstone, parts of a knowledge course and service work, so the route still ends in substantial work.

Students pick during Grade 10, and the choice is finalized before summer. For the full Diploma, the school recommends a subject-teacher endorsement, solid Personal Project work and MYP grades of 4 or above, yet it describes access as open with a placement process.

Ask how a student near those markers is placed. Diploma students commit to the full two years and every assessment.

Applying

Applying for Fall 2027

Families apply through Ravenna. Early Decision is binding: if Dwight admits your child and offers an enrollment contract, you agree to enroll and withdraw every other application.

Early Decision families hear after 4 p.m. on December 8.

Kindergarten applicants attend a playgroup, parents join a group interview, and the child's current teacher submits a recommendation.

The Kindergarten program says children must turn five before September 1; the FAQ says by September 1. If your child has a September 1 birthday, ask which rule applies.

Middle School applicants take part in a group interview and collaborative project followed by a family tour, while parents have a virtual interview. Grade 5 applicants take Dwight's own assessment on interview day, and Grades 6 through 8 submit ISEE or SSAT scores.

The page still tells families to send testing by January 15, 2025, so ask admissions for the current date rather than assuming it matches the school-form dates above.

Upper School applicants interview with an admissions director for 30 to 45 minutes, by Zoom or on campus, and the choice does not affect the decision. They submit ISEE or SSAT scores, and teacher recommendations must come from both a math and an English teacher.

Dwight's page for families relocating from overseas asks students to take the ISEE or SSAT but names no grades. The Kindergarten page lists no test, so ask which applies before registering.

Aid

Costs and aid

The K–12 fee lists add a $75 application fee, $1,500 nonrefundable registration, $1,975 technology charge and $150 Parents Association fee. Confirm which recur and whether the PA fee is per child or family.

A $750 I-20 fee applies to students needing that visa form. Grades 11–12 list a $750 IB fee; ask whether your child’s route triggers it.

Lunch is included through Grade 7.

Aid is need-based and runs through Clarity, with a $65 fee. Preschool aid is partial.

Families who enroll without aid can apply later after a significant change, not for needs known at admission. Awards of 50 percent or more add benefits such as lunch and textbooks.

Early Decision aid awards arrive with the admissions decision, with priority consideration for available funds.

The tuition page has recipients reapply every two years; the June 2026 admissions policy says annual review. Confirm the renewal schedule.

School day

Afternoons and international families

Kindergarten runs from 8:30 to 3:30. The K–4 activities page gives 3:00–4:30 as its general window, with exceptions; confirm the handoff for your child’s chosen activity.

Club House drop-in extends the day to 5:30.

In Middle School, clubs meet from 3:00 to 4:00 and other programs run to 4:30. Clubs are included in tuition; other programs cost extra.

Activities take place at the CPW campus or the athletic center, so ask which site your child will use and how pickup works.

Dwight is a day school with no boarding or homestays. International students must live with immediate family in New York, and the school interviews and screens family guardians.

Support

How Quest works

Quest is Dwight's learning-support program. Each Quest student meets one-on-one with a Quest teacher during the school day, three times in every six-day cycle, with the same teacher for the year and, when possible, through middle or high school.

Quest teachers stay in touch with classroom teachers, deans and families. Support continues whether a student takes the Diploma or Dwight Courses in Grades 11 and 12.

The program is built for students with learning differences, and the school says other learners use it too. Seats are limited, and flagging interest does not guarantee a place.

Mention it in the parent statement or email the K–8 or Upper School admissions office. Dwight publishes no Quest price, so ask what it adds.

Languages

English and home languages

Language study begins at age two, and mother-tongue instruction is offered in several languages. Applicants who are not native English speakers are assessed by the EAL team before admission and placed in supplemental English support as needed.

In Lower School, beginning and intermediate students get EAL help five times per six-day cycle, with a specialist joining a reading or writing class once. Older students get similar support plus a writing lab each cycle.

Dwight's testing date, Quest seats and IB placement

Dwight's Quest support and IB Diploma placement both have limits, so confirm seat availability, deadlines and which campus your child would use.