The 12 Best Private Preschools in NYC and How to Get in

Manhattan-based educational consultant Wendy Levey told Insider that a lot of this has to do with what comes after preschool: "In order to get into private school kindergarten in NYC, children must have preschool experience so that they have social skills, pre-reading and math skills, and have the ability to share, be independent, and to be active learners," she said.

Levey added that certain preschools in NYC are tougher to get into than others not just because of the large number of applications they get but because of their class sizes, or how many students they allow in each year. Some programs additionally have a legacy policy, much like for colleges, where students can get a leg up if a sibling or relative went to the school previously. If a school is affiliated with a church or synagogue and takes from its own constituency first or your family needs financial aid are also factors that can work for or against an applicant. Levey said that two years into the pandemic, more families need financial aid now, which can make it more competitive to receive.

"Getting into any preschool can be arduous when numbers are high and spaces are few," Levey said. Why parents fight for a spot knowing the odds often comes down to reputation — maybe celebrities or well-known business leaders bring their kids there, or, possibly more importantly, the preschool's notorious for landing its graduates spots at the most prestigious private schools in the city.

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Cindy Chanin, the LA-based founder of Rainbow EDU Consulting & Tutoring and a former Ivy admissions rep who's heavily involved with several of New York City's most sought-after private schools, said that the best way to make your kid stand out in a sea of applicants is to enthusiastically communicate to your first-choice admissions reps that their school is your "true love" and demonstrate gratitude, such as by sending a thank-you note for considering your child's application.

Karen Aronian, a parent and former NYC public school teacher who works with select families to elevate their admissions presentations, agreed with this approach. Aronian's tips include charming your school of choice by sending them "love letters" of why and how their school is the school for your child or family, as well as determining what you can offer the school "professionally, monetarily, in service."

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"These schools differ in their approaches — parents and children who align with each school's mission, methodologies, and pedagogies are the right fit," Aronian said.

"The objective is to highlight a child's precocious abilities, originality, strengths with literacies, problem-solving and logic, creativity, talents, and social and emotional skills," Aronian added. "Preschools are cultivating a diverse community of students and families that will inform, stretch, and foster a rich learning environment."

Admittance into a top preschool requires not just a stellar picture of your child, but of you as the parent, too. 

"Your presentation is essentially PR," Aronian said. "Parents should consider how they may enrich and contribute to a school's community through their volunteerism, professional, and personalized skill set." 

Levey added that kids need to avoid appearing trained or coached. "Schools really want nice families, diverse families, and families that buy into whatever the philosophy of the school is without wanting to change it," Levey said. "Families who will respect the culture of their school, bring and pick up their children on time, come to parent-teacher conferences, and participate in school activities." 

Levey's final piece of advice? "Never tell an admissions director that your child is 'gifted' at age two because they know the alphabet," she said. "Learning the alphabet at two is rote learning. Ask that same child to start at the letter 'M' — is the child still a genius? Or telling the school that your child is a dream and shares beautifully, and then on the school playdate your child grabs toys and smashes a toy over someone else's head. Better to say, 'We are working on sharing.'"

Levey and Chanin selected 12 preschools in Manhattan and Brooklyn that, in their experience, are the most prestigious programs around. Here's what they offer, how much they cost a year, and what the application process is like.