Brooklyn Friends School vs German-American School Manhattan - Elementary School

	B Brooklyn Friends School New York, United States	G German-American School Manhattan - Elementary School New York, United States
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year $31,630 - 65,575	Fees / year $32,500 - 42,500
Age range	Age range 2 - 18 years	Age range 2 - 11 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum	Curriculum IB (PYP), American Curriculum, Bespoke Curriculum, German Curriculum
Pupils	Pupils —	Pupils —
Typical class size	Typical class size —	Typical class size 12
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language German, English
Opened	Opened 1867	Opened 2018
Bus service	Bus service Yes	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location Downtown Brooklyn, New York. Main Building at 375 Pearl Street serves Early Childhood through Middle School; Upper School is located at 116 Lawrence Street.	Location German-American School Manhattan operates two Tribeca campuses: GSM Kita Preschool & Kindergarten at 85 Warren Street and GSM Dual Immersion Elementary School at 74 Warren Street. It is described as a Premier Tribeca Location with access via most subway lines. The Kita campus is at 85 Warren St and the Elementary campus is at 74 Warren St, New York, NY 10007.
Stages	Stages Early Childhood; Grades K-1; Grades 2-4; Grades 5-8; Grades 9-12	Stages The program serves children from age 2 through 5th grade. GSM Kita Preschool & Kindergarten serves ages 3–5 (2 years German immersion) and GSM Dual Immersion Elementary School serves Grades 1–5.
School type	School type Independent day school rooted in Quaker values	School type Bilingual IB World School (Preschool and Lower School) in Manhattan.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support —	Additional learning support Subjects are taught in German and English by native speakers; teachers address each child's individual needs with attention to language level and developmental skills.
Country affiliation	Country affiliation United States	Country affiliation —
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation Quaker (Religious Society of Friends)	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure —	School day structure —
Bus service details	Bus service details Private bus service on select routes; $4,200 per child for the school year	Bus service details —
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Annual tuition (2026–27) — by program - Grades K–12 (Day school): USD 65,575. - Early Childhood (2s): Half Day (9:00–11:50 a.m.) USD 31,630; Full Day (9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.) USD 47,050. - Early Childhood (3s): Half Day (9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.) USD 35,150; Full Day (9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.) USD 49,750. - Early Childhood (4s, full day): USD 57,660. Application fees and how they are collected - A non-refundable application fee is required at the time of application; the application is submitted through the school's online application system (Ravenna) and the fee is collected as part of that process. Billing schedule and payment terms - Families contract for the full academic year via an enrollment contract and must submit the signed contract together with the required enrollment deposit to reserve a place; the enrollment deposit is non-refundable. - The school provides payment-plan options administered through a tuition-management vendor (TADS). Families select a plan on their enrollment agreement; specific installment schedules and due dates are set on the enrollment contract and by the Business Office. - Typical plan structures available through the tuition-management vendor include payment-in-full, two large installments, or multi-month installment plans; the vendor withdraws payments on scheduled dates and invoices detail the chosen plan. The Business Office will notify families of the available plan options and exact due dates on the enrollment materials. Payment methods and fees - Payments are processed via the school's tuition-management service (TADS). Accepted methods include ACH/bank transfer, paper check or money order, and credit card (Major cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover) when enabled for a given family account. A convenience fee applies for credit-card payments as set by the tuition-management vendor. Boarding fees - Brooklyn Friends School is a day school; boarding is not offered. There are no boarding fees. Other costs and typical additional fees - Lunch: Lunch service is included in the tuition for Grades K–12. - Extended Day / Afterschool (BFX) and specialty after-school offerings: these programs require separate registration and additional fees; the Extended Day program (BFX) is billed separately and fees vary by schedule (examples from a recent BFX session show per-day pricing for terms). Expect separate term- or session-based charges for after-school Xplorations and specialty classes. - Summer programs and camp carry separate charges and deposits distinct from the school-year tuition. - Athletics: team uniforms are provided on loan with a deposit; the deposit is returned when the uniform is returned or carried over to the next season; failure to return a uniform may result in forfeiture of that deposit. Additional team or trip-specific fees may apply for some competitive and out-of-town activities. - Materials, special trips, or course-specific fees: while regular co-curricular activities, student books, field trips, technology, supplies, facilities and (K–12) lunch are covered in tuition, certain out-of-town trips, optional programs, and some outside vendors or specialty activities may assess separate fees. Expect incidental program charges to be billed separately when applicable. Refund information and withdrawal - Enrollment deposit: the enrollment deposit required to reserve a place is non-refundable. Families who wish to reverse their enrollment decision must follow the contract's specified cancellation window; if cancellation occurs by the contract's deadline they will not be obligated for additional tuition beyond the non-refundable deposit. After the contract cancellation deadline, families are typically obligated for the full year's tuition regardless of attendance. - Tuition Insurance and partial refunds: the school maintains an arrangement with an external tuition-insurance provider (A.W.G. Dewar, Inc.) to provide a partial refund of tuition if a student withdraws after the school year has begun; families should review the tuition-insurance plan details and enrollment options if they wish coverage for withdrawals. Summary of practical items for parents - Annual tuition amounts (2026–27) are listed above for each program; billing and installment details are set on the enrollment contract and administered through the school's tuition-management vendor. - Expect separate, additional charges for Extended Day/BFX, afterschool specialty classes, summer programs, some out-of-town trips, and certain athletics/team items. Athletic uniform handling is deposit-based per season. (End of fees overview)	Fee details Application fee - Application fee: USD 200 (one-time, required with application). Tuition fees (school year 2025/26) - Preschool & Pre-K (full program): USD 35,500 per year. - Preschool — half day or 3 days/week option: USD 32,500 per year. - Elementary (Grades K–5): USD 42,500 per year. Note: The school's published figures are given as annual tuition amounts for the 2025/26 school year; no published per-term (semester/quarter) breakdown of those exact amounts is available. Families are required to sign the school contract and pay a first installment to reserve a spot. Billing schedule and payment terms - A signed school contract and payment of the first installment are required to reserve a place after acceptance. Acceptance notices begin to be sent December 1 and enrollment is secured once the contract and first installment are received. - No detailed published schedule for remaining installments, due dates, late fees, or tuition refund deadlines is available in the published materials for the 2025/26 school year. Boarding fees - Boarding fees: Not applicable. The school operates GSM Kita Preschool & Kindergarten and a Dual Immersion Elementary School (Preschool through Grade 5) at day-school locations in Manhattan; no boarding program or boarding fees are published. Other costs and fees - After‑school care and camp programs are offered, but specific fees for after‑school care, camps, extended day, or extracurricular programs are not published. - Uniform fees: No published uniform requirement or uniform fee is listed. - Typical ancillary charges such as lunch/meals, classroom materials, field trips, technology fees, instrument or supply fees, or activity fees are not itemized in the published fee information. - Financial assistance: Financial aid is offered to qualifying families through SSS (School and Student Services). Refund information - No published refund policy for deposits, first installments, or tuition refunds appears in the school's published 2025/26 tuition materials. The only published procedural detail is that families sign a contract and pay a first installment to reserve a spot. Fee payment options - Specific payment methods (credit card, ACH/bank transfer, online payment portal, or checks) are not itemized in the published tuition materials. The main office contact details are provided for billing or admissions inquiries: phone (646) 869-1152 and info@germanschoolmanhattan.org. Brief summary of findings and gaps in published information - Published, load-bearing figures are: USD 200 application fee and annual tuition amounts for 2025/26 (Preschool & Pre-K USD 35,500; Preschool half day 3 days/week USD 32,500; Elementary K–5 USD 42,500). - The published materials confirm that a signed contract and a first installment are required to reserve an offered place, and that financial aid is available through SSS. - The published materials do not provide a full per-term instalment schedule, itemized charges for ancillary services (meals, materials, uniforms, trips), payment-method options, detailed refund policy language, or any boarding fees (the school is a day school). These items are not published in the 2025/26 tuition materials. (For billing or contract specifics not published above, contact the school's admissions/finance office at the provided phone number or email for the authoritative contract and payment schedule.)
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details Brooklyn Friends School offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for grades 11 and 12. Students take IB courses across six subject areas: English, World Languages (French and Spanish), History, Sciences, Mathematics, and Arts. Diploma students complete core requirements: Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and Creativity, Activity and Service. Students may follow the Diploma pathway or take IB courses for individual credit, with many combining IB coursework with BFS classes. The program runs over two years (11th and 12th grades) and emphasizes critical thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration; the Diploma is held in high regard by colleges and universities.	Curriculum details GSM is a bilingual IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) offered for Preschool (2s–4s) through Grade 5, with two campuses at 85 Warren Street (Kita Preschool) and 74 Warren Street (Dual Immersion Elementary). The curriculum blends German grade-level competencies with New York State Education standards and is aligned with IB principles. After establishing a solid bilingual foundation in kindergarten, instruction in grades 1–5 is split evenly between German and English, with native German teachers guiding German reading, writing, math, social studies, and ethics and native English teachers guiding English reading, writing, social studies, science, and math. Art, music, and movement are taught in both languages, and Spanish is introduced in Grade 3. Classes are small (maximum 20 students per class) to support personalized instruction, reflection, independence, and collaboration within an inquiry-based learning framework. The Kita/Preschool program (ages 2–4) uses a bilingual approach to early childhood learning. The school operates across two campuses: Kita Preschool at 85 Warren Street and Dual Immersion Elementary at 74 Warren Street.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio Small class sizes.	Student teacher ratio Class sizes are small. Maximum class size is 20 students per the Academics page; another page notes a maximum of 16 with an average of 12.
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression Graduates have been admitted to prestigious colleges and universities in the United States and around the world.	Higher education progression —
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented A customized Upper School program within the IB Diploma Programme allows tailoring of the course load across six IB subject areas and core requirements. Students can pursue the full IB Diploma or take IB courses alongside BFS credits.	Gifted and talented —
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions The school serves students from two years old through 12th grade. The first step in applying is to visit Ravenna, submit a preliminary application, and schedule a visit. Apply By Grade sections are available for Early Childhood (2s, 3s, & 4s); Grades K-1; Grades 2-4; Grades 5-8; Grades 9-12. The Enrollment Team includes Julia Friedman (Assistant Director of Admissions, 2s–1st Grade) & Enrollment Systems Manager; Beth Horboychuk (Assistant Director of Admissions, 1st–6th Grades); Tristan Kishonis (Associate Director of Enrollment Management & Upper School Admissions & Marketing); Jamie Pine (Director of Enrollment Management). Main Building 375 Pearl Street Brooklyn, NY 11201; Upper School 116 Lawrence Street. The school enrolls students of any race, color, national origin, or ethnicity to all rights and privileges generally accorded to students, and does not discriminate in its admissions, policies, scholarship programs, or athletic programs on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, national origin, or ethnicity.	Admissions 1. Apply: Request our application form any time. You will be asked to include the birth certificate, report cards of prior schools and a $200 application fee. Enrollment is rolling for the 2025/26 school year for Preschool through Grade 5. 2. Interviews & Playdates: For Grade 1 or higher, schedule an interview with the child and parent(s)/guardian(s). The interview should be scheduled after submitting the application two days prior. Please request an appointment from the admissions team. Prior knowledge of German is not a prerequisite for admissions K-2; students with strong academic records can be admitted without German language into Grades 3-5. For Preschool or Kindergarten (ages 2-4), open-format playdates are offered; playdates typically occur on Tue/Thu/Fri at 4 PM. 3. Acceptance: Acceptance letters of preferred admissions are sent starting December 1. Families sign the school contract and pay the first installment to reserve a spot (first come first served). 4. Admissions Timetable: For the 2026-27 admissions season, two cycles are used: Early Admissions for siblings and partner-school students; Regular Admissions across all grades. Application Submission Deadline: December 1; Acceptance Notification Date: December 15. Rolling admissions apply for the current year. 5. Current Admissions: We are currently accepting applications for the 2025/26 school year for GSM bilingual Kita Preschool (ages 2-4), GSM bilingual Kindergarten (age 5), and GSM Dual Immersion Elementary School (grades 1-5); interviews are required for the elementary. 6. Open Houses & Tours: In-person open house tours are held at 74 & 85 Warren Streets. Spring tour season includes dates such as 3/5, 3/9, 3/12, 3/26; sign up for open houses online. Virtual Zoom tours are available; community playdates are scheduled on dates such as 3/12, 4/16, 5/14, 6/11; sign up for playdates online. 7. Tuition & Financial Information: Tuition for School Year 2025/26: Preschool & PreK $35,500/year; Preschool half-day 3 days/week $32,500/year; Elementary K-5 $42,500/year. Financial aid is available to qualifying families through SSS.
Scholarships	Scholarships Financial aid is available based on need. An admissions acceptance does not guarantee a grant. If eligible, a member of the New York Quarterly Meeting may apply for aid through the New York Quarterly Education Fund.	Scholarships GSM offers financial aid to qualifying families through SSS.
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist —
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