Admissions

Tuition & Affordability

Laurel is committed to enrolling academically qualified students with a wide range of financial circumstances. This is why Laurel School is proud to offer Variable Tuition, whereby tuition rates are customized according to each family’s ability to contribute to their educational expenses.

Variable Tuition is offered to families with students from Grades K-12. There are many factors that are taken into consideration for qualifying families. Laurel evaluates a family's ability to pay, including such factors as family size, number of children attending schools that charge tuition, and assets/liabilities that are not reflected in household income.

How to Apply for Variable Tuition

The application for admission and the application for Variable Tuition are separate but simultaneous. The application for admission, scholarships and Variable Tuition for Grades 9-12 is due January 13, 2025. The Early Learners-Grade 8 application and Variable Tuition (Kindergarten-Grade 8 only) is due January 20, 2025. The application window runs from September 1, 2024 through January 20, 2025. Applications may be submitted on a rolling basis after January 20, but space and Variable Tuition may be limited.

Sarah Lyman Scholarship

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Is Your Daughter a Sarah Lyman Scholar?

The Sarah Lyman Scholarship has been instrumental in attracting exceptional young women to Laurel School. The merit scholarship program was named for Sarah Lyman, the second longest-serving Headmistress (1904-1930) who was instrumental in shaping the school we are today --a nationally recognized academic institution for girls and young women. A visionary, Sarah Lyman grew the school on Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland and then in 1928, moved the school to Shaker Heights on our 11-acre Lyman Campus. An exceptional educator, she knew that academic excellence was essential for girls.

We are pleased to award the Sarah Lyman Scholarship to up to FIVE young women who show exceptional promise and who will inspire the Laurel Community. This scholarship recognizes accomplished incoming Ninth Grade students who have achieved excellence in academics and have demonstrated, through their classroom work and extracurricular activities, a true commitment to our values statement: “Committed to building a just and inclusive world, Laurel girls are courageous, creative, ethical and compassionate.” This merit scholarship covers full tuition and fees for the student’s years in the Upper School regardless of financial need. Eligible students are also automatically considered for partial scholarships.

Consideration for a Sarah Lyman Scholarship is highly selective. In recent years, the visibility of this program has increased which has made the pool of candidates both larger and stronger. Winners of the merit scholarship are young women who have proven themselves to be outstanding in multiple ways. Successful candidates will have demonstrated excellence in their current school and community settings, both academically and through participation in co-curricular activities. They must also demonstrate to the selection committee strength of character, leadership potential, and academic excellence in the classroom and on nationally-normed standardized tests.

Applicants to Laurel School have many personal and academic strengths; all of our students naturally meet an elevated standard of excellence. Merit awards recognize students who continue to stand out for academic performance, even among a student body made up of high achievers. Scholarship winners typically rank in the top ten percent of their class, maintain a grade point average at or above 3.5, and score in the top twentieth percent of independent school norms on the ISEE.

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Merit & Endowed Scholarships

Laurel School offers a variety of scholarships for prospective students entering Grades K-12. These awards are not based on a family’s financial need up to $10,000 per year. The scholarships are renewable annually through Grade 12, as long as the student continues to meet the scholarship criteria.The number of scholarships offered and the subsequent amounts will be determined by the Scholarship Committee each year. Applicants who apply after the admissions deadlines will be considered for scholarships on a first-come, first-served basis pending availability of funds.

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Dream. Dare. Do. Merit Scholarships

Available to Sarah Lyman Scholarship applicants entering Laurel in Ninth Grade, these merit awards are given to students who may not be selected as a Sarah Lyman Scholar but still exhibit exceptional talent and promise as future members of Laurel’s Upper School. Recipients will be selected by the Scholarship Committee and notified either with re-enrollment (current Grade 8 students) or on February 13, 2025 in their admissions decision letter.
The R.I.S.E. Scholarship

For girls entering Grades K-11 who actively reflect the core values of the school and are Resilient, Intellectual, Spirited and Ethical. All applicants for admission are automatically considered for a R.I.S.E. Scholarship based on a thorough and holistic review of their admission application by the Scholarship Committee. Awards will be given to students who demonstrate excellence in and out of the classroom, and who possess the spirit, passion and integrity that exemplify that of a Laurel student.
Head’s Scholarship

Given at the discretion of the Head of School and Director of Enrollment Management, the Head’s Scholarship is awarded to students who will live the mission of the school to “fulfill her promise and better the world,” will make valuable contributions to the Laurel community and will benefit from a Laurel education. Students are eligible for this scholarship by virtue of their application for admission.
Multiple Child Discount

The Multiple Child Discount is given to families with 3 or more children enrolled in the school at one time. The award is per child and is a discount of $1,000 in Early Childhood, $2,000 in Grades K-5, $3,000 in Grades 6-8 and $4,000 in Grades 9-12.