Admissions FAQ

Oakwood’s interview is one part of a holistic application, and is not a fixed step in the process. Our interviews are not assessments of a student’s intelligence nor academic capabilities, but a way to understand a student as a person.

Students who are academically strong and have been successful throughout high school are welcome to apply for admission to 12th grade. We do not admit 12th grade students once the school year has begun, and we do not enroll post-graduate students.

Yes, Oakwood Friends offers approximately $2,000,000 in financial aid every year. We are committed to creating a socio-economically diverse community, and financial aid enables us to enroll many families for whom tuition would be out-of-reach.

Admission to Oakwood Friends is not predicated on standardized test scores, and no standardized test scores are required as part of the application process. Admission to the school is based on a holistic assessment of the candidate and his or her interests, aptitudes, and potential to benefit from and contribute to the lively community of learners at Oakwood Friends. Oakwood requires a score on an English proficiency test from international students, and accepts scores from the TOEFL, TOEFL Jr. and DET by Duolingo.

Oakwood accepts students on a rolling basis as long as grades have students remaining. Our admissions office recommends you begin your application at the beginning of the year for entry in the next academic year (I.E. begin the application process in Jan 2025 for admission in Sept. 2025). Mid-year entries are accepted on a case by case by case basis. Financial aid is awarded on a first-come first-serve basis, so there is an advantage to applying earlier.

Students can begin the admissions process as early as July, two summers before the school year the student intends to apply to, but no student is offered admission until at least one official set of grades has been issued for the current year (the most recent school year the student is currently attending classes in prior to joining Oakwood).

No. Oakwood Friends enrolls students of all faiths and/or students who do not ascribe to a religion. Oakwood is diverse across all categories, religion being one of them.

Upper School students are required to join one team during the academic year. Fall sports are soccer, volleyball, and cross country. Basketball is offered in the winter, and spring sports include baseball, softball, tennis and co-ed ultimate Frisbee. Students are required to participate in a Life Sport during the term(s) they are not on a team. A variety of Life Sports are offered including (among others) martial arts, ping pong, walking and gardening.

Middle School students have a rich Physical Education program with classes meeting twice a week during the academic day. Students have the opportunity to participate in a Modified Basketball program during the winter. The team, which is coed and open to any student in grade 6, 7, or 8, plays other similar modified teams at other local independent schools. In addition, Middle School students have the opportunity to participate on many of the Upper School athletic teams.

Yes, every student has an advisor, and advisory groups are typically between four and six students in size. Advisors support students in their academic and social life at school and maintain lines of communication with each student’s parents or guardians. Advisors offer advice and assistance with academic and nonacademic issues. They also help students develop individual courses of study and set goals, monitor the student’s academic progress, and help interpret midterm and end-of-term grade reports. Advisory groups meet formally once a week for 35 minutes, and advisory groups sit together for morning Collection, Meeting for Worship, and Community Meeting.

Students residing within a 15-mile radius of Oakwood Friends are provided busing at no cost by their school district. Those residing outside that radius have several options. Those who live north of Rhinebeck can take advantage of a private bus provided by Oakwood. (Families are asked to pay a fee to offset the cost of that bus to Oakwood.) Oakwood Friends School is located on the Metro-North Hudson Line which is convenient for families residing in Westchester or NYC. Oakwood is located 6 miles from the Poughkeepsie train station, and transportation is provided to and from the train station daily. (Insert link to Metro-North Train schedule and a video/slideshow of our students commuting via train.)

There is no uniform at Oakwood Friends, but students must dress within the dress code which is based on the school’s longstanding principle of being “neat, clean and covered.”

Oakwood Friends aims to educate the, scholar, artist, athlete and the spirit in each person. Students are encouraged to take a range of elective classes every trimester. Middle school students take trimester-long courses in art, photography, music, theater, Quakerism, Philosophy and Health. At the Upper School level, electives and year-long courses bridge traditional areas of study with contemporary global issues. Students may choose from electives in every discipline including English, history, math, science, music, theater, and art

Oakwood Friends’ community is enriched by a global perspective. Our students hail from 14 different countries, from across the United States, and from the local area. Our community is comprised of individuals with a range of talents and academic abilities and from a mix of religious, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Oakwood actively seeks to enroll a diverse group of students and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, gender expression, national or ethnic origin, disability, family structure or sexual orientation.

Day students partake in all campus activities that occur prior to 5:00pm, which includes the full range of opportunities in clubs, the arts and athletics. Day students do not have access to the two-hour evening study hall that residential students have on Monday through Thursday.