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Applying to EC

Apply Online > Interview > Enrollment

Learn more about the process
Learn more about the timeline
Learn more about our admissions criteria

Thank you for your interest in applying to Eastern Christian School! This checklist will assist you in the application process for Eastern Christian School. If at any time you have questions, please contact our enrollment team, at 973.427.4729 or by e-mail at admissions@easternchristian.org.

Application Process

APPLY ONLINE

Applying to Eastern Christian School starts with a form that will take approximately 10 minutes. After you’ve paid the application fee, an enrollment portal will open up for you to track your application.

A completed application includes:

Birth certificate
School recommendation form (you will be prompted to provide a school admin name and email address)
Pastor recommendation form (one per family; You will be prompted to provide a pastor name and email address)
Two years of report cards or progress reports*
Recent standardized test scores*
IEP or 504 plans, if applicable*

*These pieces of information are dependent on age of child and prior schooling background. Parents will be prompted about what we need in the enrollment portal. Report cards and test scores can be sent to admissions@easternchristian.org. Please note, we do not need formal transcripts; copies are advisable.

APPLY ONLINE HERE

INTERVIEW

Once we have received all documents, forms, and fees, the school will contact you with an admissions decision or to schedule an interview. The interview will be conducted in person at Eastern Christian School with the student and at least one parent attending.

If all admissions requirements are satisfied, the EC Admissions Office will notify the parent that the student has been accepted as a new student!

ENROLLMENT

The final step

About 40 percent of our families receive some level of financial aid. At Eastern Christian School, financial aid is awarded through Variable Tuition. If you would like to apply for Variable Tuition, it is a separate application from admissions. Although not required, we recommend that you apply around the same time as admissions so that your enrollment is not delayed.

Enrollment is complete once the financial contract is signed and the tuition deposit of $500 is submitted to Eastern Christian School.

All new students entering grades 9-12 must schedule an appointment with the Academic & College Counseling office for class scheduling and to complete a math placement test and a writing essay. Please call 973.427.0900 x 6008.

Students entering all grades will be contacted by the school regarding important dates for orientation, teacher assignments, supply lists, back to school night, etc. Summer mailings go out after July 15 every year. You can also find some back to school details on our Back to School FAQs page.

Before the first day of school, you must complete the following forms:

Tuition Management Form (for tuition payments) (FAQs)
Transportation Form(s) (if participating)
Annual emergency contact and health forms (available in the parent portal over the summer)

Application Timeline

at Eastern Christian School

Apply early to secure your seat!

Preschool – Grade 12

October 1-15

Priority enrollment season for current EC families.* (Families with a child currently enrolled and staff families.)

October 16 – December 4

Early decision enrollment season for future EC families.*

December 4

Deadline for Variable Tuition submission for families applying during priority enrollment or early decision enrollment seasons.

December 4 – August

Rolling admissions until class capacity is reached.
$100 application fee.

January 8

Early decision enrollment decisions released.

Mid-Year Transfers

We consider all mid-year transfers on a per-application basis.
$100 application fee.

*During the Priority Enrollment window, applications will open first for siblings of currently enrolled Eastern Christian School students and staff and be handled on a rolling admissions priority enrollment review. Non-sibling/staff applicants applying during the Early Decision window and entering grades PK-2 will be reviewed as a group. The full admissions process (including shadow day observation and interview if granted) must be completed by December 4; please note scheduling should occur in advance to avoid delays or missed deadlines). Admissions determinations will be sent in January. Accepted families will have a limited window to enroll and claim the seat being offered.

Additional Enrollment Information

Admissions Criteria

Applicants to EC will be considered for enrollment on a student by student basis according to the following criteria as applicable by grade:

Christian Faith Commitment
Family Commitment to Christian Education
Report Cards
Test Scores
Educational Support Services Needed
School recommendation form
Pastor’s recommendation form
Discipline and attendance records

When all of the above admissions criteria is submitted as needed, an admissions determination may occur.

Based on the application details and/or grade process, a student visit, such as a shadow day or preview day, may be scheduled.

Applicants that proceed, will have a new family interview scheduled, this may occur before or after the student visit.

Assessment and Placement Testing Expectations

All kindergarten applicants, including Eastern Christian preschoolers rising to kindergarten, take a placement assessment. No preparation is needed in advance.

High School placement testing is conducted after a student has been accepted and enrolled.

When standardized test scores are not available from an applicant’s current school, testing or an assessment will be required.

Shadow days are available and encouraged for applicants applying to grades 1-11. It’s a wonderful opportunity for applicants to experience a day in the life and can be scheduled on our campus visits page.

At times an applicant shadow day or visit is necessitated and utilized to provide additional insight. Observation and assessments may be included, typically in standard practice of a standard school day. Summer applicants require more individual case management. In all cases the visit should be a fun day of learning for the applicant, who can experience “life at EC” and enjoy getting to know the amazing, welcoming, and faithful people that lead and attend Eastern Christian School.

Deferred Application Decision

Eastern Christian School frequently receives a significant number of applications for a given grade. In situations where demand far exceeds available space in a given class, Eastern Christian School reserves the right to defer enrollment decisions until April 15.

Deferred Enrollment Decision

If a student has been accepted but the family chooses not to enroll the student for the specific school year they applied, they may pursue deferring a student’s start date up to 1 school year with a few necessary steps. To defer an admissions enrollment 1 school year, the application must be reopened within the year.

When re-opening an application, all grade-level eligible applicants will need to provide an updated report card/transcript and any test scores. Application updates are handled on an individual basis thereafter. The applicant may need to include any or all of the following additional items: updated school recommendation form, updated Pastor’s recommendation form, student assessment and/or shadow day and/or a follow up conversation with administrators and/or Education Support Services. Capacity constraints also apply.

A formal updated admissions determination for the new school year occurs. Enrollment for the following school year opens October 1 annually.

Wait Pool Policy

Eastern Christian School has been blessed with growing enrollment and with a large number of applicants every year. We value our small class sizes and low student/teacher ratio. While we are especially unique for a faith-based school, our resources and programs are still limited. Therefore, we have developed both seat and resource capacity guidelines regarding the number of students we can serve and thereby the constraints for each grade.

Applicants accepted to the waitpool will be contacted if/when a seat becomes available within the school year they have applied. If a seat does not become available within the school year of his/her application, the applicant will have the opportunity to roll his/her application to the following school year with a few updates, handled on an individual basis.

Eastern Christian School has developed the following process for any family pursuing enrollment in a grade level currently at enrollment capacity:

Applicants must complete the entire application process including:
- All application forms, recommendation forms, any academic support documentation and all necessary transcript information
- Some applicants will need some or all of the following: shadow day/observation visit, assessment
- An in-person interview with acceptance
Upon acceptance, families will be notified that they have been accepted, but cannot be enrolled until space becomes available for their child/ren
The Enrollment Office will notify families in the wait pool that they have been selected on a per-student basis as seats become available. Our annual re-enrollment deadline for currently enrolled families is March 31.
Upon selection, accepted families have limited window to sign their contract and pay their non-refundable tuition deposit to guarantee their spot.
Families in the wait pool receive the same non-discrimination status as all families in our school. This statement reads, “Eastern Christian School admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, programs and activities made available to students of the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, athletics or any other school administered programs.”

Non-Discrimination Statement

Eastern Christian School admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, programs and activities made available to students of the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, athletics or any other school administered programs.

Meet the Enrollment Team

If you have questions, please reach out! We would love to walk with you as you explore EC!

Leah Genuario

Director of Enrollment

Leah GenuarioGraduate 1997

Director of Enrollment

Start Date: 2013

Education: B.A. - Communication Arts, Gordon College

Deep Hope: My deep hope is to be a champion of Christian education, and with dependence on the Lord and an understanding of His sovereignty, to become a vessel that enables Eastern Christian School to thrive now and for generations to come.

Bio:
Leah was the former editor-in-chief of a leading industry trade journal, having spent 13 years in the B2B publishing industry prior to joining Eastern Christian School. A long-standing high school teacher and communications professional, she assumed a new role as Director of Enrollment Management in 2025. Leah is passionate about Christian education, recognizing its power to change lives and impact communities for God’s glory. She is married to her high school sweetheart, and they currently have two children.

Nicole Woudenberg

Admissions Counselor

Nicole WoudenbergGraduate 2011

Admissions Counselor

Start Date: 2025

Education: B.S. - Business Management, William Paterson University

Bio:

Nicole is excited to be back at EC, this time as part of the admissions team. A proud alumna, she values the strong faith foundation and supportive community she experienced as a student, and she is passionate about helping new families discover the same.

Nicole is a lifelong North Haledon resident and attends Calvary Temple International. She also volunteers as a mentor at New Hope Ministries.

Outside of work, Nicole enjoys traveling, tending to her growing plant collection, and spending time with family and friends.