If your child will be in Grades 1–6 and you’re interested in Hanahau‘oli School, we encourage you to apply. While Junior Kindergarten is the primary entry point, openings do occasionally become available in the upper grades. Children must have applied to be considered for admissions. Feel free to reach out to the Director of Admissions and Enrollment at admissions@hanahauoli.org in case you have further questions about prospective openings in a given grade.

There is no application process for Kindergarten. Openings are filled from a wait pool of the previous year’s Junior Kindergarten applicants.

Small-group interview sessions are held on Saturday mornings in January and February. Teachers observe and interact with children in simulated classroom experiences and prepare anecdotal write-ups. Four teachers work with 10–12 children in Junior Kindergarten interviews. 

Small-group interviews are scheduled for Grades 1–4 applicants on a Saturday in February.

Grades 5–6 applicants participate in half-day interview sessions during a school day.

An admissions committee consisting of the Head of School, Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management, and teachers review the applicant files. The application, teacher reference forms, school reports, and interview comments are all read and considered carefully. The committee is interested in bringing together a group that is diverse in ability and cultural background. It looks for children who will thrive in our integrated learning environment, and who demonstrate curiosity, the ability to focus, and enthusiasm for learning.

We expect to have some leaders as well as some followers, some highly verbal children as well as some quiet thinkers. Because Hanahau‘oli does not test children, the admissions reading process is a particularly challenging one for the committee. Hanahau‘oli regrets that it does not have enough space for all of the qualified and deserving children who apply each year.

Hanahau‘oli seeks families who believe in and support its philosophy and educational program and who are committed to partnering with the School for the Hanahau‘oli experience.

Certain applicants may be given priority consideration for admission provided they meet the criteria in other respects. These groups are (in no specific order): children of alumni, siblings of currently enrolled students or former graduates, and children of current faculty and staff members. Admissions, however, are not automatic for applicants in these groups.

Every year, Hanahauʻoli is committed to bringing in new families who can benefit from and give to our small school community.

A family’s financial status is not part of admissions criteria.

A financial aid committee reviews requests and grants aid on the basis of demonstrated financial need after a child has been accepted. The financial aid deadline for school year 2027–28 applicants is February 15, 2027.

Hanahau‘oli’s summer school is open to all students in the community. Many families have utilized the summer program as an introduction to Hanahau‘oli. Attendance at summer school is not a condition for favorable consideration from the wait pool, nor is it a requirement for application.