Admissions Overview
Welcome to The French American Academy!
Dear Families,
A heartfelt warm welcome from the Admissions Office of The French American Academy!
Thank you for considering offering your child(ren) an international education at our French bilingual school in New Jersey!
At The French American Academy, your children, our students, will be immersed in an international environment, surrounded by a diverse community of cultures, languages, concepts, and ideas, which will challenge them to explore the world from a global perspective. Our goal is to educate our students as citizens of the world, empowering them to embrace challenges and contribute to making the world a better place. We aim to develop respectful, curious, healthy, and resilient future leaders. Our students are inspired to cultivate a growth mindset and wisdom that will enable them to lead fulfilled lives with integrity and purpose.
The FAA Admissions team is here to support you through the significant milestone of choosing a school for your child(ren), and this section will provide you with all practical information about our Admissions process.
We thank you for visiting our website and look forward to welcoming you at one of our campuses soon!
Warm regards,
Kalyana Maréchal, Ph.D,
Director of Admissions
High School Launch! Accepting Grade 9 Applications
Jersey City’s ONLY IB Candidate* High School
We are excited to announce the opening of our High School and are now accepting applications for Grade 9. Our High School welcomes students of all levels of French proficiency, from those with no prior knowledge of French to native speakers. The French American Academy is a Candidate School* for the Middle Years Program. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that FAA believes is important for our students.
*Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme, or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org.
How to Visit the School
In-Person Visit
During our 1hr in-person campus visits, you will:
- Meet our Administrators & Teachers
- Visit the campus & see the facilities
- Learn about our curriculum & teaching philosophy
- Ask any & all questions you may have
Virtual Info Session
During a 30 minute Virtual Information sessions, you will:
- Meet our Admission Director
- Learn about our curriculum and teaching philosophy
- Discuss whether the FAA is a good match for your child
- Ask any & all questions you may have
Upcoming Events & Tours
Information to Know Before Applying
Cutoff Date - Dec. 31st
At our French bilingual school in New Jersey, we adhere to the French cutoff date of December 31st. As a result, children born after October are eligible to enroll a year in advance.
Age Requirement
The earliest a student can enroll at The French American Academy is at 2 years and 6 months of age, in PreK-2.
You Don't Need to Speak French to Enroll
French knowledge is not a requirement to enter Preschool or Kindergarten.
Starting in 1st grade, we offer an Accelerated French Program (AFP) in both Elementary and Middle School for students with no prior knowledge of French. Strong English language skills and a willingness to learn are required, as the program is academically rigorous and fast-paced. Students who are bilingual or demonstrate strong language aptitude are considered strong candidates for the program.
Potty-Training
Children entering PreK-3 are required to be potty trained, but it is not required for PreK-2.
Recommendation Form & Report Card
We require parents to provide us with a teacher’s recommendation if a student attended a previous preschool or daycare. Starting from 1st grade, we also require report cards at our French bilingual school in new jersey.
Applying
Please visit our Steps To Apply page for more information on the admissions process to our French bilingual school in new jersey
2025-26
Applications are being accepted.
2026-27
Applications will start being accepted in summer 2025.
- Please Select the Desired Campus to Apply -
Why The French American Academy?
Well-Rounded Curriculum
We go beyond academics with overnight and weeklong field trips to the Arizona desert, New Orleans’ lagoon, historic sites in Quebec, and much more!
Math & Science-Focused
With dedicated STEM teachers, a math club, and our applied math curriculum, our students are challenged to understand what makes the world function.
Structured Learning
Our play/project-based approach engages student to collaborate and to develop innovative solutions to real world problems.
True Bilingual Education
Our bilingual curriculum not only allows our students to speak, read, write, count, & think in both languages, but it also gives students a cognitive & cultural edge over their peers.
Highly Trained Teachers
Our teachers have a minimum of 3+ years of experience, a masters degree, and they are ALL native speakers of French and English language.
Accredited Education
Our accreditation by both the French & American education authorities demonstrating our commitment to meeting the highest standards in French & American education.
Behind the Scenes at the FAA
🎓 Alumni Spotlight – Rayana, Class of 2021
“Understanding more than one language opens the door to understanding more than one truth. That’s the mindset I want to bring to global advocacy work.”
From the soccer field to civic leadership, Rayana’s story exemplifies how bilingual education cultivates bold and thoughtful leaders. At the FAA, she discovered her voice, building bridges between cultures, standing up for justice, and embracing every challenge with curiosity and care.
Attended FAA: 1st Grade to 8th Grade
Current School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Morehead-Cain Scholar)
🔗 Read Her Story: Meet Rayana – (link in bio)
🐝 PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN ACTION — EVEN IN PK2!
Our youngest learners took a deep dive into the world of bees through a hands-on, multi-sensory workshop that went far beyond the classroom.
From studying the bee habitat and the structure of a hive to building their own beehive from scratch, the PK2 students explored how everything in nature is connected, a true introduction to eco-systems, science, and sustainability.
They even tasted honey straight from the honeycomb 🍯 while learning about pollination, fine motor skills, and the importance of protecting our pollinators.
This is what Project-Based Learning looks like at the French American Academy: learning by doing, connecting concepts to the real world, and sparking curiosity from day one!
#ProjectBasedLearning #EarlyChildhoodEducation #BilingualSchool #STEMStartYoung #FrenchAmericanAcademy #LearningThroughDoing #EcoEducation #PK2 #HandsOnLearning #BeeHappy 🐝
🌞 WEEK 1 OF SUMMER CAMP … COMPLETE!
Our bilingual summer camp kicked off with an exciting first week at both our Jersey City and Englewood campuses, filled with learning, creativity, and global exploration.
📍 In Jersey City, the theme was Québec!
🇨🇦 Our Pre-K campers learned the names of Québec wildlife in French and built teamwork while making fruit salad sweetened with maple syrup.
🎹 Both age groups enjoyed a special music guest who explored improvisation, theme and variation, and led a joyful singalong ending with O Canada!
❄️ The K–4th graders created miniature igloos, inspired by northern living, and competed in scooter and basketball relay races during our sports sessions.
🍯 To wrap it all up, students tasted real honey from the honeycomb as part of a hands-on discovery of Canadian nature and food, tying together science, language, and sensory learning.
📍 In Englewood, the theme was Sports & Games from Around the World!
🌍 Students traveled through time, discovering the origins of sports from Ancient Greece to today, and reflected on the health and social benefits of staying active.
📚 Math and French literacy activities were adapted to the sports theme, while traditional games like pétanque (France), sack races (Ireland), volleyball with the feet (Philippines), and “Capture the Flag” (North America) brought global fun to the playground.
🎨 Creative workshops included building mini trophies and stadium models, painting, salt dough medals, and more.
💦 And of course, water play every afternoon to beat the summer heat!This is just the beginning. More fun, more languages, and more discoveries ahead! ✨
#FAASummerCamp #FrenchAmericanAcademy #BilingualCamp #ProjectBasedLearning #GlobalCitizens #SummerCamp2025 #JerseyCityKids #EnglewoodNJ #HandsOnLearning #CampVibes
🎓 Last but certainly not least graduation post: Congratulations to our Englewood 5th graders!
You’ve closed out the year with hard work, growth, and a deep commitment to learning and with that, you’ve officially graduated from elementary school!
This year, you tackled advanced math strategies, sharpened your bilingual reading and writing skills, and dove into science through hands-on experiments and inquiry.
You learned to think critically, work as a team, and express complex ideas in both French and English.
Now, you’re ready for Middle School, a new chapter filled with exciting academic challenges, greater independence, and the chance to discover more about yourselves and the world around you.
We’re proud of everything you’ve accomplished, and even more excited to see where your learning takes you next.
Bravo and good luck to each of you!
#FrenchAmericanAcademy #EnglewoodCampus #5thGradeGraduation #BilingualEducation #AcademicGrowth #MiddleSchoolReady #ProudTeachers #StudentSuccess
🎓 Big cheers to our Jersey City 5th graders!
After a year filled with academic challenges, hands-on projects, and growing independence, they’ve officially graduated from elementary school!
From mastering complex math concepts and bilingual writing to exploring science through experiments and collaborative learning, these students have built a strong foundation that will carry them forward.
Middle School is up next! A time for deeper critical thinking, new responsibilities, and discovering their unique voice. We can’t wait to see how they continue to grow!
Bravo and good luck to you all!
#FrenchAmericanAcademy #5thGradeGraduation #BilingualEducation #AcademicMilestones #MiddleSchoolReady #JerseyCitySchool #StudentGrowth
🎓 Our Englewood Kindergarteners graduated and are officially on their way to 1st grade!
This year, they explored math through games, discovered the world in two languages, practiced reading and writing, learned how to work as a team and most of all, grew into confident, curious learners. 🌍✏️💬
Now, they’re stepping into 1st grade where even more discovery, projects, and bilingual learning await.
We can’t wait to see all they’ll accomplish next! 💙
#KindergartenGraduation #EnglewoodCampus #FrenchAmericanAcademy #BilingualLearning #FirstGradeReady #GrowingInTwoLanguages #CuriousMinds
Second grades taking their notebooks and imaginations to Hamilton Park for an outdoor writing session 🌳✏️
The prompt started with:
When I close my eyes, I hear… 👂
When I close my eyes, I smell… 👃
When I open my eyes, I see… 👀
From there, each student added their own details using vivid adjectives.
Some wrote poems, others told stories or captured the moment around them 📝✨
It was simple, creative, and filled with fresh air and big ideas 🌞📚
Activities like this help students strengthen their writing skills, expand their vocabulary, and learn how to express themselves with clarity and emotion. It’s also a chance for them to connect their learning to the world around them, something we value deeply at the French American Academy.
#FrenchAmericanAcademy #CreativeWriting #BilingualEducation #HamiltonPark #OutdoorLearning #2ndGradeWriters #JerseyCitySchools
🍎 Teacher Spotlight: Betty Diodio – PK2 French Teacher – Jersey City, NJ
Meet Betty, our warm and energetic French teacher for PK2 in Jersey City! Originally from a small town in eastern France, Betty brings a rich multicultural background and years of experience from the French National Education system.
She holds a master’s degree in the science of education and passed the CRPE, France’s competitive teaching exam.
With her creative, caring, and playful style, Betty makes learning joyful and meaningful for our youngest students, encouraging early language development through games, stories, and imagination.
Whether she’s directing mini theater plays or sparking spontaneous hugs at morning drop-off, Betty creates a classroom where confidence blooms and children thrive.
Read more about Betty here: https://faacademy.org/team/betty-diodio/
#TeacherSpotlight #FrenchAmericanAcademy #EarlyChildhoodEducation #BilingualLearning #PK2Teacher #JerseyCitySchools #LearningThroughPlay #FrenchImmersion
Frequently Asked Questions
At our French bilingual school in new jersey, the Admissions Process is comprised of 3 steps :
- Online Application ($140 application fee)
- Admissions Interview (Both with Parents/Guardians and Child)
- Notification of Decision
For more details please visit our Steps to Apply Page.
Yes, we accept students during the year, given the availability of spots.
