Reimagining Admission at GUS: Doing Better
Since our founding in 1977, Glen Urquhart School has a long history of partnering with families to make a GUS education accessible. For the last five years, guided by our Strategic Plan (2019-2024) and DEI Strategic Plan (2021-2026), we have been working to deliver on, and improve upon, that commitment by reimagining our entire admission process to make it more equitable, transparent, and accessible. Additionally, at GUS, our child-centric approach puts students at the center of their learning, and we are proud to reflect that same philosophy in our admission process with an approach that is individualized to each family.
“As an educator and a parent, I believe in our unique educational approach that allows students to learn and grow with confidence and joy,” Gretchen Forsyth, Head of School. “I am thrilled that our reimagined admission process will support all families, with fairness and transparency, as they look for something distinctively different for their children.”
In 2022, we launched Family Individualized Tuition (FIT), a tuition model that ensures every family’s financial investment in a GUS education is in equitable proportion to their economic resources. FIT replaces the traditional financial aid model of discounting tuition or offering "awards," allowing all GUS families to contribute meaningfully. The FIT portal is accessible year-round, at any point during the admission process, whether you are beginning your inquiry or submitting your application. FIT also provides a three-year financial outlook so families can understand the long-term impact of their investment in a GUS education earlier in the admission process.
After reimagining tuition at GUS, we moved to continuous enrollment in 2023. Instead of requiring families to complete and sign a full enrollment contract year after year, continuous enrollment allows families to sign once, with the option to opt-out each year. The simplicity and convenience of continuous enrollment, paired with a three-year financial outlook from FIT, ensures a transparent and reliable process for families.
This school year, we are proud to further expand access to our school by offering rolling admission to students in first through eighth grade. Families interested in exploring a GUS education will no longer be tied to a rigid admission timeline that sets arbitrary application deadlines and withholds acceptances and financial aid packages until late spring, but one that meets them where they are. With the shift to rolling admission, complemented by FIT and continuous enrollment, families will be able to begin planning for their family’s future with an understanding of what it will mean to them financially, without months of waiting. Whether they begin exploring the prospect of a GUS education in July or December, families will be empowered to make informed decisions for their family, on their own timeline.
At GUS, the admission process has always been about partnering with prospective families. With the transition to FIT in 2022, the adoption of continuous enrollment in 2023, and now with rolling admission beginning this fall, that sentiment rings more true than ever. In alignment with our vision to do better, it is our hope that reimagining our admissions process will allow more families to explore whether GUS is the right educational fit for them.
Learn more
The GUS application for school year 2025-2026 is open! If you have any questions about the admission process at GUS, please don’t hesitate to contact Director of Admission, Emily Glore, at admission@gus.org or 978-927-1064.