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
Jump, crawl, climb, repeat! 🏃♂️💨
The PreK students channel their energy into purposeful play during their specialized motor skill development courses on Tuesday mornings.
Navigating through engaging obstacle courses allows them to master essential physical milestones, including balance, coordination, and strength.
It is a fantastic way for them to build confidence in their movements while developing the gross motor skills that support their overall growth.
Book a school tour now to learn more about our holistic approach to education.
#FrenchAmericanAcademy #GrossMotorSkills #EarlyChildhoodEducation #PhysicalDevelopment #ActiveLearning #PreK #SchoolLife #ChildDevelopment
While the snowstorm has our campuses closed today, we’re taking a cozy moment to highlight one of our favorite Englewood traditions! ❄️🏫
Every Monday, our dedicated Eco-Delegates take the lead by writing a weekly "Eco-Message" on the board at our school entrance.
It’s their way of keeping sustainability at the heart of our community and inspiring us all to make greener choices, one week at a time. 🌱✍️
Even with the snow piling up outside, these small but mighty messages remind us to stay mindful of our planet.
Stay warm and safe, everyone!
#EnglewoodCampus #EcoDelegates #GreenSchool #Sustainability #EcoFriendly #SnowDayTraditions #StudentLeadership
🔥 Mastering the Math Arena: The Matador Challenge! 🧮⚡
The classroom energy was electric as our students are taking on the Matador competition!
Matador is a fast-paced mental math game where students must use a set of numbers and different operations ($+$, $-$, $\times$, $\div$) to reach a target number as quickly as possible.
Beyond the excitement of the game, the students honed a sophisticated set of skills:
Mental Agility: They practiced calculating complex sequences in their heads without the help of paper or calculators.
Operational Flexibility: Students learned to see numbers as building blocks, experimenting with different combinations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to find the most efficient path to the target.
Logical Reasoning: The competition required them to work backward from a result, developing strong problem-solving and "reverse-engineering" skills.
Grace Under Pressure: They practiced maintaining focus and precision in a timed, competitive environment, building confidence in their own mathematical intuition.
Watching them strategize and celebrate each "Matador!" moment shows that math isn`t just a subject, it`s a thrilling mental sport! 🧠💪
#MatadorMath #MentalMath #MathSkills #GradeSchoolMath #ProblemSolving #BilingualEducation #FAALearning
If you are free on February 7 at 9:00 AM and have been thinking about visiting our Englewood Campus, this is the perfect chance ☀️ Start your morning with a light breakfast and join us for our Open House.
Spend your morning touring the school and learning about our bilingual curriculum and research-based approach. Meet our Head of School, teachers, and admissions team, and discover how our students become truly bilingual, even without speaking French at home, within a community representing over 55 nationalities.
Late applications are accepted, and no French knowledge is required at our Englewood Campus.
→ Register now. Link in bio.
⚡ Science in Stereo: Co-Teaching at The Heights! 🇫🇷🇺🇸
Innovation isn`t just about what we learn, but how we learn it!
Our Grade 9 students recently dove into a fascinating science lab through our unique co-teaching model, where French and English teachers lead the lesson side-by-side in both languages simultaneously.
Why is co-teaching great for our students?
Dual Perspectives: Students process complex scientific concepts through two linguistic lenses, deepening their cognitive flexibility.
Seamless Immersion: Language isn`t a separate subject, it`s the tool used to unlock the mysteries of the physical world.
Enhanced Support: With two experts in the room, students receive more personalized guidance during hands-on experiments.
💡 The Project: Inspired by the pioneering work of Michael Faraday, our young scientists recreated historical experiments to produce electricity. Using nothing but a magnet and a copper coil, they witnessed the power of electromagnetic induction firsthand! 🧲🔋
It was a brilliant morning of "Eureka!" moments, spoken in both French and English.
#STEM #BilingualEducation #Grade9 #CoTeaching #ScienceLab #MichaelFaraday #FAALearning #FrenchAmericanAcademy #Electromagnetism
🔢 Building Math Skills, One Cube at a time! 🧊✨
Our Grade 1 mathematicians have been busy mastering the world of tens and units!
Using hands-on manipulatives is a key part of how we learn, and these colorful cubes make abstract concepts come to life.
By grouping cubes into tens and individual units, our students are learning to:
✅ Compare different values.
✅ Add and Subtract with confidence.
✅ Order numbers from smallest to largest.
Turning math into a tactile experience helps our learners build a solid foundation for more complex operations ahead.
It’s amazing to see their "aha!" moments as they visualize exactly how numbers are built! 🧠💡
#Grade1 #EarlyMath #HandsOnLearning #TensAndUnits #MathManipulatives #FrenchAmericanAcademy #YoungMathematicians
✨ The Power of Two: Bilingual Co-Teaching in PK2! 🇫🇷🇺🇸
There is something truly special about the bilingual co-teaching sessions at the French American Academy!
In PK2, the students are immersed in both French and English simultaneously, allowing them to absorb both languages naturally as they play, explore, and create.
Their schedule is packed with big adventures:
Fine Motor Skills: The PK2 students strengthened their hands through tactile play and creative crafts.
Math Moments: They practiced counting together in both languages! 🔢
Personal Space: The children added a personal touch to the classroom by decorating their very own coat racks. 🎨
Library Time: The students visited the library to choose and borrow books, sparking an early love for reading. 📚
Watching the youngest learners navigate two languages with such ease and joy is a testament to the co-teaching model.
It is incredible to see how much they can accomplish when learning in two languages at once!
Schedule a school tour now to see our school!
#PK2 #BilingualEducation #CoTeaching #EarlyChildhood #FrenchAmericanAcademy #FineMotorSkills #LearningInTwoLanguages #JerseyCityParents
✨ Community in Action: A Recap of Service at The Heights! 🏙️🤝
Last Friday, our Middle and High School students stepped out of the classroom and into the community for a powerful and productive Community Day.
From volunteering with little ones to supporting local non-profits, our students lived out our school values through service and reflection.
Here is how our grades made an impact:
Grade 6: Provided essential volunteer support at the downtown community event.
Grade 7: Visited the York Street Project’s daycare, acting as teacher assistants and sharing stories with the youngest learners. 📚🧸
Grades 8 & 9: Partnered with Smart Choice Solutions, an organization dedicated to supporting youth with mental health and social-emotional needs.
Students helped prepare donation resources and organized for the upcoming MLK Day celebrations. 🛠️❤️
The afternoon brought everyone back together for our Staircase of Inspiration project.
Working in cross-grade groups, students researched iconic civil rights leaders and selected powerful quotes to be displayed on our school staircase, reminding us all to keep climbing toward justice and equality. 🪜💪
We are so proud of the empathy, leadership, and hard work our students displayed!
#CommunityDay #FAATheHeights #ServiceLearning #YorkStreetProject #SmartChoiceSolutions #GivingBack #MLKDay #StudentLeaders #JerseyCityCommunity
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.
