Welcome

We appreciate your interest in First Baptist Academy. Selecting a school for your child can be exciting and overwhelming. Whether seeking admission to our Primary School, Lower School, or Middle School, our Admissions staff is committed to helping you throughout your journey. Our challenging college preparatory curriculum combined with our unmatched Athletic and Fine Arts programs provide a solid foundation that enables students to pursue the high school and college education of their choosing.

The Admissions staff can assist with all aspects of the admission process, including:

• Private campus tours are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment • Admissions testing and ISEE information • Student shadow days (4th-8th grades) • Financial aid applications

If you have questions or want more information, please contact the Admissions staff:

First Baptist Academy
Office of Admissions
7450 Memorial Woods Dr.
Houston, TX 77024
713.290.2522
admissions@hfba.org

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

First Baptist Academy seeks to attract qualified individuals of diverse backgrounds to its student body. Applicants are expected to meet the following requirements in order to be considered for admission:

• must be eligible to re-enroll in the school last attended • must not have been suspended or expelled from the school last attended • must live with their parent or legal guardian • must be a U.S. citizen or receive an I-20 for the purpose of attending school in the United States (fluent English required) • Applicants for Kindergarten must show developmental readiness for appropriate grade level and must be at least five years old by September 1 • Applicants for 1st grade must be six years old by September 1 • Applicants transferring from a home-based program must take and pass a proficiency test in required areas to receive credit for courses taken • Applicants accepted for Middle School must take a diagnostic math exam before a schedule is assigned

ADMISSIONS PROCESS

The admissions process at First Baptist Academy has two purposes. First, it allows the applicant to discover what FBA has to offer. Second, it provides FBA with information about the student that will help the Admissions Committee determine whether he or she has the potential to succeed at the school.

1. Visit our Campus

A visit to the campus provides an introduction to our faculty, staff, students and facilities. The applicant and family are able to experience FBA in person and gain a better understanding of the school's culture and environment. To visit the campus, you can:

• Attend the Fall or Spring Open Houses for prospective students and families. See the Community Events listing for upcoming dates. • Schedule a personal campus tour through the Admissions Office. Tours are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

2. Submit Required Documents

The following documents must be turned in to the Admissions Office before the applicant's file will be submitted to the Admissions Committee for review:

• Application with non-refundable application fee ($150) • Testing Fee (PK3 – 3rd grade) • Copy of birth certificate • Current immunization record • Teacher recommendation forms • Copy of custodial rights (applies to applicants of legally separated or divorced parents)

3. Complete Required Testing

The following placement tests are required for PK- 8th Grade applicants:

• PK3-PK5 - 30-45 minute developmental assessment • Kindergarten – One-hour developmental assessment • 1st & 2nd Grades – Selected portions of the Stanford 10 • 3rd Grade – Selected portions of the Comprehensive Testing Program 4 (CTP4) • 4th Grade – Independent Schools Entrance Exam (ISEE) Primary 4 On-Line test (administered at FBA) • 5th-8th Grades – Independent Schools Entrance Exam (ISEE)

Contact the Admissions Office to schedule a test date and time for Pre-Kindergarten-4th Grade applicants. A $100.00 testing fee is due on or before the test date. Applicants for 5th-8th Grades may schedule and take the exam on the ISEE website on their own. An $95.00 testing fee is payable to ISEE.

4. Attend Interview

A parent and student interview is required with a grade level principal once testing is successfully completed.

5. Review by Admissions Committee

An application file is reviewed by the Admissions Committee once it is complete. If the child is granted admission into First Baptist Academy, a formal letter of acceptance, an Enrollment Contract, and pertinent school information will be mailed to the parents. The Enrollment Contract must be signed and returned to the Admissions Office along with appropriate fees by the required date stated in the acceptance letter in order for the enrollment process to be complete.

REQUIRED FORMS

The forms provided below are in PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Admission Form

Application for Admission

Teacher Recommendations

Teacher Recommendation forms should be given to the applicant's current teacher(s) to complete and mail directly to the FBA Admissions Office. The form is NOT to be returned to the student. This information is highly confidential and will only be seen by the teacher and the Admissions Committee.

• Teacher Recommendation Form - Early Childhood-Kindergarten • Teacher Recommendation Form - 1st-4th Grades • Teacher Recommendation Form - 5th-8th Grades - English • Teacher Recommendation Form - 5th-8th Grades - Math

Birth Certificate

Prospective students born in states other than Texas should contact that state's appropriate agency for assistance.

• Certified Copy of Texas Birth Certificate (provided by Texas Department of State Health Services)

ADMISSION POLICIES

First Baptist Academy (a Texas non-profit corporation) admits students of any race, religion, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities available to students at the school. It does not discriminate in admissions, administration of educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletics or other school-administered programs.

WAITING POOL POLICY

First Baptist Academy reaches maximum enrollment in several grade levels and classes each year. Additional applications for admission into closed classes are placed in a waiting pool. The following policies guide the Admissions Committee in admitting new applicants as vacancies occur. These polices apply prior to the opening of school as well as after school is in session.

• To be considered for admission, the student's Application for Admission must be on file, the Application Fee must be paid, and the testing procedure must be completed. • When an opening occurs in a closed class or grade level, the Admissions Committee reviews the waiting pool and selects the most qualified candidate based on the following admissions priorities:

• children of faculty/staff of FBA or Houston's First Baptist Church • sibling enrolled at FBA • family's church membership at Houston's First Baptist Church