Admissions Process
Evansville Christian School seeks to partner with families who desire not simply a private education, but a distinctively Christian education for their children. The Director of Admissions helps families through each step of the admission process. If you have any questions, please contact the Admissions Office, at (812) 477-7777 or email [email protected].
Timeline for the 2023/24 Admission Cycle
Let us know you are interested in learning more about ECS by submitting an online request form. Our Admissions Office will email you grade-level specific information and will connect with you about next steps.
2023/24 Timeline
Admissions decisions consider the student’s potential for success at ECS and the parents’ desire for a Christ-centered education for the child.
Factors considered by the Admissions Committee include:
- Review of the online application.
- Review of prior school records including report cards, conduct/behavior history, attendance, etc.
- Review of achievement/standardized test scores.
- If applicable, placement test results for students who previously attended non-state accredited institutions such as homeschool or out-of-state schools.
- If applicable, review of evaluation and support plan for learning, behavioral, or medical needs.
- Positive indication from parents/students that they will support the ECS mission, expectations, and policies.
- New student interview with the principal (parent/guardian attends with the student).
Additional criteria by grade level:
- Grades 1-6: Average to above average grades; standardized assessment scores within the ECS target range for the student’s grade level; and successful completion of previous grade level.
- Grades 7-12: Minimum GPA of 2.5 or higher in core subjects (Language Arts, History, Math, and Science); standardized assessment scores within the ECS target range for the student’s grade level; positive indication on the Student Commitment Form in the online application that he/she desires to be part of the ECS student body and will support ECS policies.
- Preschool: Must be age 3 by/on August 1 and independent in the restroom
- Pre-Kindergarten: Must be age 4 by/on August 1 and independent in the restroom
- Kindergarten: Must be age 5 by/on August 1
- ECS reserves the right not to accept any student suspended or expelled from another school; with a history of excessive absences or tardiness; involved with drugs, alcohol, or illegal activities; with a history of inappropriate or disruptive behavior; or who exhibits conduct that interferes with the school’s mission or educational function.
- The Family Handbook includes information on admissions standards, transfer students, and students with resource support needs. There is a separate section with additional policies and information specific to the high school. The Family Handbook can be viewed on the Parents page at www.EvansvilleChristian.org.
- It is essential for parents and students to provide full and honest disclosure of the student’s academic needs, conduct/behavior history, attendance, other past educational history, and learning, behavioral, and medical needs/diagnosis (if applicable). Failure to do so may result in the immediate withdrawal of the student.
Step 1: Submit Online Application
All applicants must submit an online application at the link below. Upon submission of application, supporting documents, and online payment of the Application Fee, the Admissions Department will notify the parent/guardian of next steps including if space is available in the desired grade level or if there is a wait pool.
Step 2: Review of School Records & Assessments
For incoming 1st-12th grade students, parents must provide a Records Request Form to the previous school. When students apply to ECS from another school whose standardized assessments differ from ours or from non-state accredited institutions such as homeschool, they will be required to meet minimum placement testing requirements in both Math and ELA for entrance into the desired grade level.
For high school students, we make every effort when possible to award credit for homeschool classes or out-of state classes that are in line with IDOE course requirements. Letter grades from homeschool will not be included in the calculation of ECHS grade point averages.
Step 3: New Student Interview with Principal
After review of the full application and records, the Admissions Committee will decide to schedule an interview with the principal for all students of families who would be new to ECS. The applicant and at least one parent/guardian will attend.
For current ECS families enrolling siblings, interviews will be scheduled for new 1st-12th grade students. An interview is only required for PS/PK/K students who are siblings of current families when the new student has special circumstances such as resource support needs.
After a full application packet is submitted and the interview with the principal is complete, each student’s application is carefully considered by the Admissions Committee within one week. All discussions regarding applications are held in strict confidence. Parents will be notified of the admissions decision via email or a phone call. Evansville Christian School reserves the right to grant admittance only to students who we believe meet our admissions criteria.
If all admissions requirements are satisfied, the ECS Admissions Office will notify the parent that the student has been approved as a new student!
After admission is approved and families are notified, parents may secure enrollment by submitting the online enrollment agreement and by paying the non-refundable enrollment fee online through the link provided by admissions at the time of acceptance. The online enrollment agreement and fee must be submitted within one week in order to secure their child’s spot.
Families who do not meet this deadline will be subject to being placed in the wait pool if they do not submit the agreement and fee in the one week timeframe.
Evansville Christian has been blessed with growing enrollment and with a large number of applicants every year. We value our class sizes to maintain our student/teacher ratio. Therefore we have a predetermined classroom capacity regarding the number of students we can serve in each grade level. Available seats are offered first to students whose parents are members of our faculty and staff, then to new students from current ECS families, and then opened to families who would be new to ECS.
For the 2022/23 & 2023/24 school years, over half of our grade levels have applicants in the wait pool with some wait pools closed.
When a grade level is at capacity, applicants are placed in the wait pool. We do not share specific information regarding an applicant’s “place” in the wait pool or how many applicants are in the wait pool. Upon submitting an application, parents will be notified if space is available or if their child is in the wait pool. The parent will be contacted if/when a seat becomes available within the school year they have applied.
Please note that, based on the grade level, new admissions are not considered after a certain point in the school year. For example, new high school applicants typically cannot enroll after the first two weeks of the semester. We always welcome students to reapply for the next year (or next appropriate semester).
ECS has developed the following process for any family pursuing enrollment in a grade level that is nearing or currently at enrollment capacity:
- Applicants must submit an online application including the non-refundable application fee and all records applicable on the Records Request Form.
- Upon receiving all contents of the application requirements, the applicant will be placed in the wait pool. The parent will be notified of the application status.
- If a spot opens in the desired grade level either before or during the school year, parents will be notified via email and/or phone. Families will have two days to reply with their decision if they would like to proceed with the next step in the admission process.
- If the family would like to continue, then the Admissions Office will request updated school records (if applicable for the desired grade level), schedule a placement assessment (if applicable), and schedule a new student interview with the principal.
Families in the wait pool receive the same non-discrimination status as all families in our school.
The Admissions Office will explain to families their eligibility for various financial aid options. Steps to apply for financial aid programs are AFTER admission has been approved and the family has paid the annual enrollment fee.
ECS is a participant in the Indiana Choice Scholarship programs including “vouchers” and SGO Grants. Detailed information is available on the Financial Assistance Options page.
If more qualified Choice Scholarship applications are received than space is available, ECS must conduct a lottery to determine which students will be accepted. Our lottery deadline is February 1st each year. After that date, applications will be accepted based on available space. Students who have siblings at ECS or who attended ECS in the prior year, including Pre-K, are exempt from the lottery process.
Additionally, ECS offers opportunities for financial aid primarily for families who do not qualify for the Choice Scholarship programs. These programs work together to make Christian education accessible for more families.
Non-Discrimination Policy – ECS admits students of any race, religion, color, 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, religion, color, or national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, tuition assistance programs, athletics, or other school-administered programs.
