Admissions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is unique about the Avenues Online curriculum?

The Avenues Online curriculum is the product of five years of research and development by the Avenues R&D team. The program blends a Great Books curriculum (in the spirit of core curricula at Columbia University and St. John’s College) with a project-based pedagogy (inspired by programs at Stanford’s d.school and MIT) to create an engaging and rigorous interdisciplinary course of study. Designed specifically for online delivery using our proprietary platform, Avenues Online provides both high-quality interaction with world-class faculty and ample time and space for hands-on learning away from the screen.

How is the school day structured? What does a typical day look like?

In the Upper Division (grades 6-12), students typically engage in two hours of synchronous instruction every day. Flexible time can include collaborating in the digital space with their peers, connecting with their dean one-on-one, iterating with a teacher-mentor, taking LIFT fitness classes, making progress on their projects and following structured exercises in their course progressions to keep refining their skillset. Deans provide guidance on time management, helping students balance their schedules and stay on track.

In the Lower Division (toddler through 5th grade), a student’s school day totals about five hours, including daily 90-minute synchronous classes, asynchronous classes and independent work time. Every day, students have a synchronous grade-level homeroom class, or cohort meeting, in which the teacher provides instruction in literacy, numeracy and Great Works projects. Students also have synchronous language classes in Chinese or Spanish in which the teacher engages the students in discussion, exercises, storytelling and songs to build oral proficiency. There are also synchronous sessions for music, Wellness and Movement (WAM) and faculty office hours or “teacher time.” During asynchronous periods, students engage in inquiry-based, project work, deepening their knowledge and building a range of skills.

What is a dean?

Deans are full-time mentors to Upper Division (grades 6-12) students. Their sole responsibility is the social-emotional well-being and academic success of their students.

Does Avenues Online offer sports or other physical activities?

As a virtual campus, sports teams are a challenge we’ve yet to crack, but that doesn’t mean we’re not focused on physical wellbeing! Through our LIFT program, Upper Division (grades 6-12) students have the ability to schedule their own individualized workouts twice a week and to develop a regimen that can keep their bodies healthy, active and sharp. Lower Division (from toddler through 5th grade) students take asynchronous Wellness and Movement (WAM) classes.

How large are the class sizes?

In the Lower Division (from toddler through 5th grade), homeroom classes, or cohorts, typically have between 5–8 students.

In the Upper Division (grades 6-12), cohorts tend to be between four and 15 students for core modules. Deans’ groups have a maximum of ten students per grouping to allow for close-knit, peer-to-peer interactions.

When can my child start classes?

For the 2020–21 school year, we still have two entry points available for your consideration: October 26 and January 6, 2021. The application deadline for our late-start October cohort is fast approaching on Monday, October 12. Applications for a January start must be received by December 21, 2020. Families considering Fall 2021 entry can apply at any time between now and August 2, 2021.

Is Avenues’ academic program transferable to other schools?

All Avenues students will have full academic records which may be transferred to their next school. We have designed our program with global readiness and transferability in mind, meaning that our students will be equipped to thrive wherever the world takes them.

Where do Avenues students attend college or university?

Avenues New York graduates have been accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Yale, University of Sydney, King’s College London, University of St. Andrews and Keio University in Tokyo – to name a few. You may see a full list of colleges to which Avenues students have matriculated here.

What is the difference between Avenues Online and @HOME?

At Avenues Online, we provide online instruction to students around the world. Students take a combination of synchronous classes, asynchronous classes and independent work. Avenues@HOME is a program available for toddler–5th grade students in New York where we send a teacher to work with your child(ren) in person five hours a day. The curriculum is the same for both Avenues Online and Avenues@HOME.

Can Avenues Online students transfer to a brick-and-mortar Avenues campus in the future?

Upper Division (grades 6-12) students may transfer to any brick-and-mortar Avenues campus, including New York, São Paulo, Shenzhen, Studio Hamptons and others currently in development around the world.

Lower Division (from toddler through 5th grade) students who wish to transfer to a brick and mortar campus will need to be assessed by the campus admissions team. Since toddler–5th grade programs at our physical campuses include language immersion programs, students must have the appropriate language skills in order to transfer.

What is the cost of attendance?

You can find our tuition here.