Admissions
The Bridges program is designed specifically for students with high ability or potential and with mild-to-moderate learning differences, also known as twice exceptional (“2e”). It is a non-therapeutic environment, yet highly advanced, attuned, and responsive to the psychological emotional needs of our students.
If you have a 2e student who could benefit from our strength-centered, talent-focused program, we accept applications and enroll students year-round.
If you have a 2e student who could benefit from our strength-centered, talent-focused program, we accept applications and enroll students year-round.
We are now accepting applications for the 24-25 school year! Fill out an inquiry form to visit our school and learn more about our program today.
THE TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT
WHO SHOULD APPLY: WHAT IS TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL?
- Twice exceptional, or 2e, students are those with extraordinary intellectual and/or creative potential in one or more areas who simultaneously face mild-to-moderate learning, attentional, and/or social differences (for example: ADHD, ASD, anxiety, mild language based challenges, executive functioning deficits, etc.).
- In looking for the right fit, we do not employ a full-scale IQ number cut-off. For many twice exceptional individuals, the full scale IQ on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) is considered invalid, as they tend to present with a “peaks and valleys” profile that can affect their overall score. Instead, we examine each subtest and indices to look for areas of exceptional strength, and our admissions process is further informed by the applicant’s achievement testing, transcripts, teacher recommendations, and parent reports, as well as their interview and visit day.
- The admissions department is always happy to review any and all documentation a parent feels comfortable sharing prior to applying to determine whether a student may be a good fit for the program. As part of the application process, we will ask for all current and historical private psychoeducational or neuropsychological testing. If you have not had your child privately tested, we ask for any psychoeducational testing that was done either when the IEP was initiated or when your child had their most recent triennial review. If a WISC-V was not administered as part of the testing, you may be required to have one done as part of the admissions process if we feel we do not have sufficient evidence of your child’s cognitive or academic abilities.
AFFORDING BRIDGES
- Base tuition for the 2023-24 Academic Year is $42,000 for Grades 4-6 and $44,100 for Grades 7-12 for contracts received by March 17 (with early enrollment incentive). After March 17, tuition is $43,000 for grades 4-6 and $45,100 for grades 7-12. Please visit the tuition page for more information.
- Bridges Academy is committed to making a 2e education possible for all 2e students. Financial aid is available and roughly forty percent of our families receive some level of financial support.
- If you indicated interest in learning more about financial aid in the application form, you will be receiving further information about our available programs, or you can visit our website to learn more. Business officer Shane Brennan (shane.brennan@bridges.edu) is available to answer any questions you may have.
- If accepted, families will be informed of their award and must sign the contract before a student can start.
EARLY ENROLLMENT TUITION INCENTIVE
- For families looking at the 2024-25 school year, we do have an early incentive application deadline of Friday, January 12, 2024 by 4pm. Families who apply during this time will be notified of acceptance on or before March 8th and can qualify for our early enrollment incentive tuition reduction if their contract is received by March 15th, 2024. Please see the tuition page for more information.
- After the early incentive deadline, the admissions committee will accept and review completed application files and families will be notified on a rolling basis subject to available space.
THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS
The admissions process is designed to identify those students we feel will best benefit from our program. Recognizing the pros and cons of evaluative methods and because of the inherent contradiction in the nature of twice-exceptional students’ learning profiles, Bridges uses a broad range of tools and procedures and does not rely solely on standard measures to determine fit.
Here are the steps to becoming a student at Bridges Academy Seattle:
Here are the steps to becoming a student at Bridges Academy Seattle:
INQUIRE
It is important to us that we know as much as possible about a student before inviting a family to apply, so we may ask to review any testing or other materials you may have for your child to best determine fit. Use the form below to connect and register for an event. If none are currently scheduled, we will be in touch within 1-2 business days to schedule a consultation. Please note that all families must have a consultation with admissions before applying.
VISIT
- We encourage you to register and join us for our formal parent events, which can be scheduled through Ravenna when you inquire. If you are unsure whether your child would be a good fit for our program, please be sure to contact us prior to the event to schedule a consultation. We are always happy to review any testing or documentation in advance of an application to best determine fit for our program, which are kept confidential.
- Students who apply will attend an interview and tour with our head or assistant head, though we do allow these to be scheduled prior to an application if you feel that would be beneficial for your family. All students who apply will be scheduled for a shadow day.
APPLY
Once both you and Bridges feel comfortable moving forward with an application, you will be invited to apply.
- Bridges Academy utilizes Ravenna for their applications. You can access our application directly here. Families will need a bypass code to submit an application, which will be provided to you after having a consultation with the admissions team.
- We will reach out to schedule a shadow day for your child. A shadow day is a full school day where the applicant will be able to experience what it might be like to attend Bridges as a student. We only schedule one student visit per division each day, so while this is a vital part of the process, visit days are limited. Shadow days are only scheduled after we have received your child's most recent IEP and, if applicable, private neuropsychological testing, which may have been shared during the exploration process. It is also helpful for us to receive teacher recommendations prior to a shadow day, but we are sensitive that you may not be ready to share that you are looking for alternative placement with your child's current school, so please let us know.
- Once a shadow day is completed and all required files are uploaded to Ravenna, the files will be sent to our committee. If you are applying for the 24-25 school year, you will be notified on or before March 8, 2024 (for early our early enrollment tuition incentive) or on a rolling basis subject to available space. For those applying for midyear or immediate enrollment, we generally allow 1-2 business weeks for a decision from the committee.
ROLLING ADMISSIONS: Bridges Academy operates under a rolling admissions policy and therefore does not have deadlines. Families who complete the application process will be notified on a rolling basis subject to available space.
We look forward to hearing from you and learning more about your exceptional child!
NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS
Bridges Academy is committed to building and sustaining a community that is free from discrimination of any kind. Bridges admits students of any race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, disability, sexual orientation, and national and ethnic origin (ancestry) 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, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, disability, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin (ancestry) in the administration of any of its school programs, its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.
REVIEW BRIDGES ACADEMY'S DIVERSITY STATEMENT
Bridges Academy is committed to building and sustaining a community that is free from discrimination of any kind. Bridges admits students of any race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, disability, sexual orientation, and national and ethnic origin (ancestry) 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, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, disability, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin (ancestry) in the administration of any of its school programs, its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.
REVIEW BRIDGES ACADEMY'S DIVERSITY STATEMENT