Admissions

Middle School and Lower School students together

Greetings Prospective Families,

Thank you for your interest in Rawson Saunders School. While our physical campus is closed, the Admissions Office is open (remotely, of course) and we are currently accepting applications for the 2020-2021 school year. At this time, our information sessions will be held via Zoom and all shadow visits and tours are postponed. We are currently adapting our admissions requirements to fit the current circumstances.

Please submit this Online Inquiry Form or contact us at admissions@rawsonsaunders.org if you would like to learn more about our school, have questions, or if you would like to schedule a consultation over the phone.

We look forward to getting to know you better. Take care and stay well!

Who Should Apply

Rawson Saunders serves students with dyslexia in grades 1 through 12. Rawson Saunders also provides support for students who experience dysgraphia or dyscalculia in addition to dyslexia. Our students demonstrate curiosity, cooperation, and intelligence. Self-control and respectfulness are expected. Please note that Rawson Saunders is not equipped to serve students who require significant accommodations and supports related to behaviors and conduct. A pattern of behavioral challenges may result in termination of enrollment.

The Rawson Saunders admissions process is designed to identify, through dialog with parents and professionals, those students who will benefit most from our specialized approach to teaching and learning. Through a multi-step process, we become acquainted with each prospective student and their unique academic abilities and needs.

Attendance at a Rawson Saunders Admissions Information Session is encouraged for all Lower School and Middle School prospective parents/guardians. Admissions Information Session dates are listed on the right—to reserve a spot, please click the event and click the RSVP form to complete and submit. If you are interested in our Upper School or have any questions, please email admissions@rawsonsaunders.org.

How to Apply

Click below for details and the link to our online application.

Steps for Applying to Rawson Saunders

Steps for Applying to Rawson Saunders

Step 1

Completion and submission of the online application with supporting documents and application fee.

First CREATE AN ACCOUNT HERE. Once logged in, select the Admissions Progress tab where you will find a checklist of items that will need to be completed. To submit the application, simply click the Fill Out button and complete the application form. Once submitted, you will receive an email with a confirmation of your submission and a copy of your application for your records. Our Admissions Office will contact you once the application has been received.

A completed admissions file includes the following required documentation for a student to be considered at Rawson Saunders:
- A psycho-educational assessment by a licensed professional.
- Two teacher reference forms—Language Arts and Math. You can send these forms directly to the teachers from the online system.
- A copy of the student's most recent report card, including conduct grades and/or comments.
- Reports from any other educational service providers who work with the student. This may include speech, occupational, or physical therapists; special education teachers; academic language therapists; or other tutors. If the student has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) at their current school, please include a copy.
  All of these documents can be uploaded to the online system.

Step 2

Parent/Guardian Consultation

The Admissions Committee reviews each completed file and invites the parents/guardians of qualifying students to meet with the admissions staff and tour the campus. Parents may also attend an Admissions Information Session to fulfill this requirement.

Step 3

Two-Day Student Shadow Visit

Students whose profiles are determined to be well-suited to Rawson Saunders’ academic program may then schedule a two-day visit to enable the grade-level teaching team to assess in a natural classroom environment the student’s “fit” for Rawson Saunders.

Step 4

Admissions Decision

The admissions committee carefully reviews all paperwork and teacher feedback following each student’s visit. Additional information may be requested from parents/guardians. The admissions office will notify parents/guardians by phone of the decision. Those wishing to accept an offer of admissions will then submit enrollment paperwork and a non-refundable deposit to secure a place. In the event no open spots are available, accepted students may be placed on a waiting list.

Affording a Rawson Saunders Education

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and Fees

An investment in a Rawson Saunders education is an investment in your child's future. Small classes and challenging academics, including internationally recognized math and science programs, daily Academic Language Therapy, and athletic, musical and creative opportunities, are designed to facilitate dyslexic students' academic achievement and social and emotional development and lay a solid foundation for future academic success.

There is a $250 application fee. An initial payment of the new student fee, the materials fee, and a nonrefundable deposit toward the annual tuition ($3,256 for grades 1-8 / $4,000 for grades 9-12) is due on acceptance of an offer of admission. Tuition is payable monthly, semi-annually, or annually through Smart Tuition. The new student fee includes the purchase of an iPad (for grades 1-8) with accompanying case and apps as required for school. Other expenses not included in tuition and fees include the purchase of a laptop (grades 9-12) as well as field trips fees and Middle School sports participation fees.

Financial Aid
Education Loans

Financial Aid

Education Loans

Tax Credits

Tax Credits

Special Education Tax Deduction

Rawson Saunders tuition may be tax-deductible for your family as a medical expense. Click here for an article explaining possible tax benefits for parents/guardians of dyslexic and ADHD students.

IRS publication 502, under the heading of Special Education, states:
You can include in medical expenses the cost (tuition, meals, and lodging) of attending a school that furnishes special education to help a child to overcome learning disabilities. A doctor must recommend that the child attend the school. Overcoming the learning disabilities must be a principal reason for attending the school and any other ordinary education received must be incidental to the special education provided.
Under the heading of Transportation, the publication states:
You can include in medical expenses amounts paid for the transportation for, and essential to, medical care... You can include out-of-pocket expenses, such as the cost of gas and oil, when you use a car for medical reasons. You can't include depreciation, insurance, general repair, or maintenance expenses. If you do not want to use your actual expenses...you can use the standard mileage rate...You can also include parking fees and tolls. You can add these fees and tolls to your medical expenses whether you use actual expanses or use the standard mileage rate.

Please check out the IRS publication at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf and speak to your tax professional about your family's eligibility for this deduction.

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