Your Complete Guide to Applying
to Templeton Academy

Is Templeton Academy a college prep school?

Yes. Though we don’t think that is enough for a 21st century secondary school. In fact, Templeton Academy actually resembles the way students learn in college more closely than other “college-prep” schools do. We offer students longer classes over a ten week term, adjunct professors, and most importantly,  more control of their learning and their time. This emphasis on student agency at an earlier age is the best possible way to prepare students for college, careers, and life. For more information about this, check out our full resource, The 2030 High School Graduate: Preparing Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s World, or our blog post, What College Admissions Officers Are REALLY Looking For in a High Schooler.

What does a successful student look like at TA?

Our students are smart, driven, artistic, kind, curious. They are students who don’t just want to sit in a classroom and be talked at — they want to actively participate in their learning. Or as you’ll also see in the video, they no longer want to look at teachers as rule makers, but as partners in learning. Students who are motivated to learn about the world around them and themselves will be most successful at Templeton Academy.

Check out our video about the Templeton Experience to learn more.

What makes TA different from other high schools?

The biggest differentiator between TA and other schools is our focus on the individual student. We emphasize student agency and encourage students to fall in love with learning, not simply pass tests or get good grades.

At both the elementary and high school levels, we are interested in developing curious, kind, passionate students who are prepared to tackle challenges and think for themselves.

Most notably, we have a unique schedule in which students take two classes a day per quarter. This allows students to deeply engage with the subjects they’re studying. Instead of jumping from class-to-class in 45-minute increments, students spend 2 hours and 20 minutes each day to explore each subject. This also supports our experiential approach to learning. We take hands-on learning seriously and use the geographic location around our schools to deepen our understanding of the world and the subjects we’re studying.

We operate small schools where everyone knows everyone else and classes average only eight students. Because of this, every student is known and expected to engage every day.

Check out the full list of our FAQs here.

The purpose of the interview is to get the fullest picture possible of the student and prospective family.

This interview must be attended by both the student and the parent(s)/guardian(s). It usually lasts between 60-90 minutes and both the parent(s)/guardian(s) and the student spend time one-on-one with the interviewer.

The interview is usually conducted after the prospective family (including the student) has been to an information session and has expressed interest in moving forward in the application process.  Sometimes, the information session and interview are conducted on the same visit – usually when prospective families are coming in from outside of the area to see Templeton Academy. 

Note: For our Nashville location, Step 4 in the application process either precedes or occurs simultaneously with Step 3, and our Nashville team schedules the admissions interview by calling or emailing parents. However, the description of these two steps in the process are helpful and accurate for parents interested in either the DC or Nashville locations of Templeton Academy!

It’s not lost on us how much work this can be for all involved, so we are constantly working ourselves to make sure the collection of these important documents is as easy as possible for applicants and educators alike. Once we receive all your supplemental materials, you will get an email confirming that your application is complete, and your application will head to our Admissions Committee who will make a final decision.

You will be notified via email about the decision of the Admissions Committee!

Timeline (Notice We Do Not Think of Them as Deadlines)!

• Early Admissions: (November 1, 2019 in Nashville / December 1, 2019 in D.C.). Early Admissions is the right choice for families excited and confident that Templeton Academy is the right fit for their child. Within early admissions, families complete their application relatively early, receive a decision shortly thereafter, and then a 10% tuition discount ($13,995*) for enrolling within one month or their acceptance to Templeton Academy.

• Regular Admissions: (January 16, 2020 in Nashville / January 31, 2020 in D.C.). Regular admissions is for families who are excited about Templeton Academy and hope to have more time to explore their school options to ensure we are the right match for their child. Within regular admissions, families complete their application and receive a decision shortly thereafter.

• Third Round Admissions: (March 16, 2020 in Nashville / March 30, 2020 in D.C.). Templeton Academy recognizes that the vibrant cities we use as our campuses are growing. Because of that – and any other family needs that may arise –Templeton Academy reserves limited seats for rolling admissions. Templeton Academy is committed to being a micro-school and as such has a maximum capacity of 150 students.

Understanding Your Financial Aid and Payment Plan Options

We believe that high quality education should be available for everyone. With tuition of just $15,550 for the full academic year, Templeton Academy is one of the most accessible private high schools in the Washington, D.C. and Nashville areas. Rather than putting tuition toward building and maintaining expensive facilities and grounds, we use the city as our campus, focusing our budget on hiring the best full-time and part-time teachers.

However, we fully appreciate that tuition of just $15,550 is still unattainable to many families. Because of this, we offer flexible payment plan options and financial aid opportunities.

*Note: Families wishing to take advance of the Early Admissions discount are responsible for paying the full $13,995 upon registration

*Note: Templeton Academy requires a deposit of $250 from families of admitted students who are holding a spot while waiting to see how much financial aid they will receive.

Learn more about tuition, fees, and payment plans here.

Learn more about financial aid here.