2024-2025 Preschool Admissions Events
For questions about admissions for the 2024-2025 school year, please contact our Admissions Director, Erica Goodman(erica@bellevuediscovery.org)
To learn more about the admissions process at Bellevue Discovery, we encourage you to attend a Virtual Open House
OR an In-Person school visit.
Virtual Preschool Open Houses
We invite you to register for a Virtual Open House and Program Overview to learn about Bellevue Discovery Preschool. You will learn about our preschool program and curriculum and chat with Erica Goodman, our Preschool and Admissions Director.
A link to join the virtual event will be emailed to registered attendees two days before the event.
Click on the date to register for a Virtual Open House:
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
In-Person Preschool Tours
Enjoy a tour of Bellevue Discovery during our school day. Experience our preschool activities, see our teachers interacting
with our students, and chat with our Preschool Director and Early Childhood Specialist.
Please note that this is an adults-only event and has a limited number available for each tour.
In-Person Tour Registration
Click the preferred date and complete registration through Eventbrite.
The vast majority of our alumni children have moved on to gifted programs
Children applying to Bellevue Discovery are considered for admission based on their potential for success in our program. The admissions policy reflects our non-profit organization’s commitment to challenging and nurturing young
highly capable children through inquiry-based learning.
In making our admissions decisions, we give consideration for:
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High intellectual ability
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Creativity, advanced language skills and independent thinking
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Gender balance, a healthy mix of personalities and cultural diversity
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Social and emotional development
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A match between a family’s goals and our educational philosophy
The Admissions Process
Application next steps:
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Please email completed Preschool Application form (see fillable PDF below) as well as a recent photo of your child to Admin@bellevuediscovery.org.
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Submit a $100 nonrefundable application fee along with the application
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Complete the Teacher Questionnaire (see PDF below) before Child Visit Day. Child Visit Day is March 8, 2024. The Teacher Questionnaire should be mailed to Bellevue Discovery by your child’s current preschool teacher. If the teacher is unable to complete the questionnaire, you may submit a copy of your child’s most recent preschool progress report. If your child has not yet attended preschool you may ask an activity class teacher or child care worker to complete the questionnaire – ideally someone who has worked with your child within a group setting. Please give your child’s teacher a stamped envelope, addressed to Bellevue Discovery.
Bellevue Discovery Mailing Address
14150 NE 20th Street, Ste. F1-276, Bellevue, WA 98007
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Once we receive a completed application packet as well as the nonrefundable $100 application fee, we will contact you by email to schedule your Child Visit time. Admissions decisions are made based on the Preschool application and Child Visit.
BEFORE YOU GO FURTHER
The fact that we come highly recommended by alumni families, local IQ testers and the admissions directors at local independent gifted schools may not mean we are the right fit for your child or your family’s educational philosophy. Choosing a preschool for your child is a family decision that weighs many factors. Here are two factors to consider: Bellevue Discovery’s curriculum focuses on creativity more than traditional academics. Our children are highly capable, learn at an advanced level, and are prepared for kindergarten at the gifted and independent schools they move on to. However, if your family is committed to a traditional skills-based learning environment we will not be able to meet your goals.
Bellevue Discovery has a low teacher-child ratio (1:4), but we are not the right placement for a child who needs a more structured or therapeutic environment due to social or behavioral needs. If your child struggles with responding appropriately to adults to the degree that it would impact the learning of the other children in our classroom, we ask that you talk about your child’s needs with our Admissions Director before applying. We are able to make many accommodations at Bellevue Discovery, and we foster divergent thinking and self-directed learning in our children. However, on extremely rare occasions we have had to make the difficult decision to withdraw a child from our program due to the child’s social, emotional or behavioral needs.
If you have questions about our admissions process, please contact our Admissions Director, Erica Goodman, at erica@bellevuediscovery.org.