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
🐜 Project-Based Saturday: Learning from Ants in PK4
In PK4, students explored the world of ants through a hands-on bac sensoriel (sensory bin) ant farm project.
This long-term observation allowed them to dive into early science and ecology: How do ants work together? What does an ecosystem need? How can we take care of living things?
Through daily observation and care, students practiced counting ants, comparing sizes, identifying roles (like worker vs. queen), and understanding basic needs like food, air, and shelter.
The project sparked curiosity and built vocabulary in both French and English while also reinforcing early math and science skills.
This type of project-based learning empowers students to ask questions, test ideas, and make discoveries.
It turns young learners into thoughtful observers of the natural world, one ant at a time. The sensory bin with real ants was a really big achievement!
#ProjectBasedLearning #PBLinPK4 #EarlySTEM #SensoryLearning #AntFarmProject #EcoAwareness #FrenchAmericanAcademy #BilingualSchool #LearningByDoing #InquiryBasedLearning #CognitiveDevelopment #GlobalCitizensInTheMaking
🌎 Summer Camp Week 2 Recap: From the Caribbean to Every Continent!
📍 At the Jersey City campus, our theme was The Caribbean, and campers brought it to life through language, music, storytelling, and science.
🏴☠️ PK campers dove into a Pirates of the Caribbean experience! They learned pirate and Caribbean-themed vocabulary in French, crafted spyglasses, and cooled off at the water park.
They also attended a special saxophone performance by our very own Mr. Alex (FAA’s piano teacher and professional jazz saxophonist) and Camp Director Khalid after learning about Adolphe Sax, French composers, and the saxophone’s evolution in American music.
🍍K to 4th grade campers expanded their cultural knowledge with a tropical fruit tasting, learned popular games from Guadeloupe (where their teacher Marie-Françoise is from), and participated in a beginner Creole session.
Their week also included STEM explorations like volcano models and string phones!
All of this, topped off with water play and music, made for a vibrant, multisensory week!
📍 At our Englewood campus, the theme was Explorateurs du Monde – World Explorers, with each day focused on a different region: Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.🌍
Campers traveled the world through traditional games (like sack races, pétanque, and hopscotch), cultural crafts, global music, and culinary workshops.
They created their own personalized tote bags and finished the week with American-inspired cooking and games. Each activity was designed to introduce campers to cultural symbols, sounds, and tastes, building awareness, curiosity, and respect for diversity.
🎨 From painting African landscapes to making maracas with rice and recycled bottles, and from watching Ponyo on Asia Day to exploring the cultural symbolism of maize on America Day, students developed creativity and global understanding through hands-on learning.
Every day ended with joyful water games, perfect for summer fun!🧠
Whether discovering how volcanoes erupt or what language pirates spoke in French, our students are building global perspectives while strengthening language skills, curiosity, and collaboration.
📢 Now Accepting Applications for 2026-27!
We hope you`re having a wonderful summer! ☀️
We’re excited to announce that applications for the 2026-27 school year at The French American Academy are now open!
💻 Visit our Steps to Apply page for key dates and details – Link in bio!
Have questions? Our Admissions Team is here to help every step of the way.
We look forward to connecting with you and wish you a joyful summer break!
#AdmissionsOpen #FrenchAmericanAcademy #BilingualEducation #ApplyNow #PrivateSchoolNJ #PreschoolTo8thGrade #InternationalSchool
🌍 Bilingual Wednesday: Two Languages, One Classroom
In PK2, students experienced a co-teaching lesson where both the French and English teachers were present; reading a story together, naming animals and continents, and asking questions in both languages.
As students responded, they seamlessly switched between French and English, reinforcing vocabulary, comprehension, and pronunciation in a meaningful context!
What is co-teaching?
At the French American Academy, co-teaching means one native French teacher and one native English teacher work together in the same classroom.
They guide students through shared lessons, exposing them to both languages simultaneously allowing children to hear, use, and understand concepts in both languages in real time.
This immersive model supports balanced bilingualism from the earliest years. It strengthens cognitive flexibility, improves memory, and allows students to connect meaning with language, not just through translation, but through context and interaction.
In PK2, learning about the world starts with words and our students are building the linguistic tools to explore it in two languages.
#BilingualWednesday #CoTeaching #PK2Learning #FrenchAmericanAcademy #BilingualEducation #EarlyLanguageDevelopment #DualLanguageClassroom #AcademicFoundations #CognitiveDevelopment #FrenchAndEnglish #LanguageThroughContext #MultilingualLearners
🌍 International Education Is More Than a Concept, it’s a Daily Reality at FAA
At the French American Academy, international education isn’t just something we talk about, it’s something we live!
This spring, students explored the United Nations in a meaningful and tangible way.
First, they welcomed a special classroom visitor: a parent of one of our students who works at the United Nations. She spoke to the students about the inner workings of the UN, its global mission, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals – goals that our school community is already familiar with through our work as an Eco-Campus.
Hearing directly from someone working on the front lines of international cooperation made global issues feel personal and real. The visit sparked deep conversations about peace, equity, sustainability, and how even young people can contribute to building a better world.
But the learning didn’t stop there. Shortly after, our students had the unique opportunity to visit the UN Headquarters in Manhattan, stepping into the heart of international diplomacy and seeing for themselves how nations come together to solve shared challenges.
This experience reflects what international education looks like at FAA:
✔️ Real-world connections to global organizations
✔️ Engagement with diverse perspectives
✔️ Hands-on learning about international cooperation
✔️ A bilingual, multicultural environment that prepares students to think beyond borders
Our goal is to raise global citizens who are aware, thoughtful, and empowered! Experiences like this bring that mission to life! FYI – It was also pijamas day on campus!
#InternationalEducation #GlobalCitizenship #UNGoals #EcoCampus #FrenchAmericanAcademy #EnglewoodCampus #BilingualLearning #MulticulturalEducation #FutureLeaders
🔢 Math Monday at FAA | A year of challenge, logic, and growth!
Before heading off for summer break, our students wrapped up the school year with a high-level math and French escape game. This was an academic challenge rooted in logic, reasoning, and applied knowledge.
To “escape,” students had to decode number patterns, solve word problems in both French and English, use arithmetic and geometry concepts, and make connections between clues, many of which required multi-step thinking.
It was a full-brain workout that demanded persistence, attention to detail, and strong collaboration.
Activities like these are part of how we challenge our students to go beyond rote learning and apply mathematical thinking in creative, real-world ways.
From PreK to Middle School, math at FAA is designed to build critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and confident learners.
✅ Good news: they all escaped with flying colors!
👏 Bravo to our clever thinkers for ending the year on such a high note!
#MathMonday #STEMatFAA #AcademicExcellence #FrenchAmericanAcademy #BilingualMath #CriticalThinking #ProblemSolving #DualLanguageEducation #EscapeGame #HighStandards #SummerReflection
🎓 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 🐝
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.
