Admissions

Admissions Process

The Admissions Process

While most students join The Center in the Toddler program, Early Childhood 1 “EC1” (the first year of preschool), or Kindergarten, we welcome applications at all grade levels!

Please submit an Inquiry Form below to begin your Admissions process.

1. Complete an Inquiry Form

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  • The first step of your process is completing an Inquiry Form online.

    Please submit your Inquiry Form here. Once our office processes your inquiry, you will receive an email with follow-up instructions, regarding creating or updating your applicant account, which will allow you to complete and submit your application.

    Click here to view important dates for applying to CEE.
    If you have any difficulty accessing or completing the Inquiry Form, please contact the Admissions Office by phone or email so we can help!
Please note: The admissions process outlined below reflects 2026-27 applicant information. To inquire about a late application to select grades in the 2025-26 year, please contact the admissions office. 

2. Complete an Application Online

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  • Please see below for information about 2026-27 applications.

    The online application process begins after you submit your inquiry form (please see above). The application form includes general information as well as longer questions so that we can learn more about your child and family. The 2026-27 application form will open on July 1, 2025.
     
    At the end of the application, you will be asked to submit a $100 application fee by credit card before submitting the application. If your family is applying for financial aid, the application fee will be waived automatically.
     
    Applications for 2026-27 are due by November 17, 2025.

    If you are unable to apply online or need any support, please call us so we can help!

3. Visit Campus for an Admissions Open House & Tour

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  • After submitting an online application, parents and guardians will be invited to visit campus for an Open House and Tour.

    After submitting an online application, parents and guardians will be invited to visit campus for an Open House and Tour. The event will include an information session about our school programs and community as well as a full campus tour. 

    Once a family’s application is processed, Open House and Tour scheduling is available through the CEE applicant portal. Please reach out to us if we can help you schedule your Open House visit!

4. Complete Your Parent Interview and Additional Campus Visits

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  • After attending an Open House and Tour, families are invited for interviews and visits.

    Please see below to learn more about the components and format of your family's admissions visits, which depend on your family's application grade level.

Toddler/EC Visits

  • Parent Interview

Kindergarten Visits

  • Kindergarten Child Visit & Parent Session (one appointment)
  • Parent Interview (separate appointment)

Elementary (1-6) Visits

  • Parent Interview
  • Student Visit & Assessment (separate appointment)
Parent Interviews are a 30-45 minute individual conversation between the applicant child's parent(s)/guardian(s) and a member of our Admissions Interview Team.

Our interview team is made up of administrators and faculty as well as the Admissions team. Interviewers are assigned based on availability and grade level—we are not able to accommodate requests for specific interviewers.

All parents/guardians are expected to attend the interview and should reschedule if a parent/guardian is not able to attend your initial date.

Please note: We have a limited number of interview appointments available on the same day as our Open House & Tour. Please contact us if two visits are a challenge for your family so we can do our best to accommodate a same-day interview.
Kindergarten Visits include a group Kindergarten Assessment for children and a concurrent parent session (one parent/guardian should attend, and all parents/guardians are welcome). Our Kindergarten Assessment session includes a story time, mini-PE class, and small group activities with CEE faculty and administrators. The purpose of this visit is for us to learn more about each child in our school setting.

Elementary applicants (first through sixth grade applicants) are invited to a school visit and academic assessment. Details will be shared with families in Fall.

We recognize that an admissions visit and assessment is a short period out of a child's life. We consider the visit and assessment in the context of the Parent Application, Parent Interview, the Preschool or Elementary Recommendation Form, the Elementary Administrative Recommendation Form (for C1-C6 applicants), and previous school records.

5. Submit Additional Documents (Kindergarten-6th Grade/C6 applicants only)

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  • Kindergarten-6th Grade applications require additional forms.

    Kindergarten-6th Grade applications must include a Teacher Recommendation Form completed by a current core teacher, submitted directly to, and received by, The Center’s Admissions Office (online or hard copy).

Kindergarten Required Documents

Elementary (1-6) Required Documents

Please note: The 2026-27 LAIS Forms will be available in early Fall 2025.

Additionally, students applying to Elementary grades beyond Kindergarten should submit an Administrative Recommendation Form (LAIS) as well as a Transcript/Records Request Form to their current school. The Administrative Recommendation should be completed by a current school administrator and sent by the school directly to The Center. The Release of Records Form requests that the current school send copies of the child's progress reports and any completed standardized testing to The Center.
 
The Teacher Recommendation Form, Administrative Recommendation Form, and the Release of Records Form can be downloaded from the Applicant Checklist after a family has applied to The Center.

6. Submit Your Financial Aid Application (if applicable)

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  • The Center is committed to an economically diverse community. We encourage all families to learn more about our financial aid program!

    If your family is applying for financial aid, please submit your financial aid application and documents before the new applicant family financial aid deadline of January 16, 2026.

    The financial aid process is outlined here. Please call us with any questions!

7. Notification of Admission Decisions!

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  • The Center for Early Education will notify families of 2025-26 admissions decisions on the following dates:

    The Center for Early Education will notify families of 2026-27 admissions decisions on the following dates:
    • Toddler and Early Childhood Programs - February 6, 2026, after 5:00 PM
    • Kindergarten and Elementary Programs - March 13, 2026, after 5:00 PM (shared by many Los Angeles Independent Elementary Schools)
    Financial aid decisions will be communicated at the same time as admissions notifications.


    If you have any questions about The Center’s application process, we would love to help! Please contact our Admissions Office for support.

Learn More

563 N. Alfred Street, West Hollywood CA 90048
323-651-0707
info@cee-school.org  |  admissions@cee-school.org
The Center for Early Education, a socio-economically and culturally diverse independent school for children, toddlers through grade six, strives to graduate students who are joyful, resilient, lifelong learners. The Center embraces a philosophy of education that combines a nurturing, inclusive learning environment with an increasingly challenging academic program that addresses the developmental needs of each child.