Admissions
For 60 years, Rogers Park Montessori School has helped children discover who they are and who they’re capable of becoming. We’re delighted that your family is exploring RPMS. On this page, you’ll find everything you need to know about our admissions process.
Choosing a school is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your child. Our admissions process is designed to help your family experience RPMS firsthand, while giving our faculty the opportunity to get to know your child as a learner. Together, we’ll determine whether RPMS is the right fit.
All families interested in RPMS and a Montessori education are encouraged to apply. Financial assistance is available for families who need support: 12% of RPMS students currently receive tuition assistance.
Your first step is a short inquiry form that helps us learn a little about your family before we connect and gives us a starting point for our conversation. Next, schedule a visit to our Andersonville campus. Touring the school is the best way to experience RPMS firsthand, meet our community, and see Montessori learning in action.
We’ll send you a link to complete your application after you visit our school and chat with a member of our admissions team.
We’ll invite your child to spend some time at RPMS. This visit gives our faculty an opportunity to learn more about how your child learns, what captures their interest, and how we can best support them. It also gives your child a chance to experience an RPMS classroom.
Our goal is to create classroom communities where every child can thrive. Admission and placement decisions are made thoughtfully, taking into account classroom composition, space availability, Montessori experience, and any siblings currently enrolled.
Children gain the greatest benefit from a long-term Montessori education. Each stage intentionally builds upon the one before it, guiding children from their earliest years of learning through their preparation for high school.
We’d love to meet your family and help you discover whether RPMS is the right fit. Your journey begins with a short inquiry form, followed by a tour or open house visit where you’ll experience Montessori learning firsthand and get to know our community.
Rogers Park Montessori School seeks students and families who share our educational and philosophical vision, and who bring a multicultural and diverse experience to our classrooms.
We offer two paths for tuition assistance in the interest of extending a Montessori education to families for whom RPMS may not otherwise be affordable.
This form of need-based support is designed to supplement a family’s contribution. This fund can also bridge tuition for the current school year in the event of a family emergency.
This need-based scholarship program supports families who reflect our diversity statement. The EOF offers more substantive support for families who can make only a minimal contribution to their student’s tuition. To qualify for assistance, families must:
The RPMS Tuition Assistance Committee meets to review all applications once the required information has been processed. The information provided to the committee is strictly confidential.
RPMS is proud to offer rolling admissions and welcomes transfer students throughout the school year whenever space is available. If you’re considering a mid-year move, we’d love to connect with you and discuss whether RPMS might be the right fit for your child.
We’ll need the following information to begin the transfer process for Kindergarten through Middle School students:
Your family will be invited to continue the admissions process if we have an appropriate opening. Your child will have an opportunity to spend time in one of our classrooms while our faculty gets to know them, their learning style, and how we can best support their success at RPMS.
Our goal was to build a purpose-driven Montessori school that would serve toddlers through middle schoolers. That vision had never been fully realized in Chicago before.
—LIZ SHANAHAN, EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR
RPMS offers a variety of tuition payment options through our Veracross portal.
ONE PAYMENT
Remitted directly to the school by July 1st.
TWO PAYMENTS
Due July 1 and December 1.
MONTHLY PAYMENTS
Due July 1 through April 1. (Excluding January when deposits for the following school year are due.)
Registration Fee: $150
Building Maintenance + Emergency Fund Fee (once per family, may be rolled into first year tuition payment plan): $2,500
RPMS admits students of any race, color, sex, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.
It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
No student, on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any RPMS education program or activity.
A: There isn’t a single “best” age to begin a Montessori education. Children join RPMS at many different stages, from age 2 through Middle School, and our faculty are experienced in helping new students thrive.
Montessori is designed as a journey, with each program building thoughtfully on the last. Families who begin earlier often have the opportunity to experience the full progression—from nurturing early independence to developing confident, capable adolescents ready to flourish in high school and beyond. Wherever your child begins, we’ll meet them where they are and help them grow into who they’re meant to become.
A: Yes. Siblings of currently enrolled students receive admissions preference because we believe in the power of a long-term Montessori journey—not just for individual children, but for families. Watching siblings grow together within our community is one of the great joys of RPMS.
Admissions decisions also take into account classroom composition, available space, and the unique needs of each child, helping us create learning communities where every student can flourish.
A: Many of our families considered their strong neighborhood public schools. They chose RPMS because they were looking for a different kind of educational experience—one that intentionally nurtures each child’s unique interests, encourages independence from the earliest years, and helps students grow into confident, compassionate, self-directed learners.
At RPMS, we believe the world needs people who know how to think. That’s why our students don’t just master academic content—they develop the confidence to ask thoughtful questions, solve meaningful problems, collaborate with others, and discover their full potential.
Where children learn to follow their own lead — right here in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood.
Information about joining the RPMS community, including admissions, tuition, and financial aid.
Each stage of our Montessori journey builds confidence, independence, and a lifelong love of learning.
Our shared values guide us to peace within self, relationships, school, community, and the greater world.