Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church
Day School
a child looking at a black, white and red impressionistic painting in a museum

MAPCDS parents have the unique advantage of our Director of Exmissions to guide and support them through the process of applying to ongoing independent, public and parochial schools. This undertaking officially begins the spring before families apply, with an informational meeting led by Adrienne Wing, our Director of Exmissions. Here, families learn about admissions procedures and timelines and how to research schools and develop an initial list of those they find most compelling. Next, Ms. Wing meets with each family individually to help finalize the school list, and then provides regular, personalized support as needed throughout the process. Under her expert guidance, parents know what to expect and are well-prepared for each step of the process, including parent essays, interviews, children’s school visits, and financial aid applications. Parents are warmly supported throughout the admissions cycle, from initial steps through final decision notifications.

In the last five years, MAPCDS students have attended:

Avenues: The World School
The Allen-Stevenson School
Bank Street School for Children
BASIS Independent
The Birch Wathen Lenox School
The Brearley School*
The Browning School
The Buckley School
The Caedman School
The Calhoun School
The Chapin School
Collegiate School*
Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School
The School at Columbia University
Convent of The Sacred Heart
The Dalton School*
Dwight School*
Dwight-Englewood School
Ethical Culture Fieldston School*
Fieldston Lower School
Friends Seminary

Grace Church School
NYC Gifted and Talented
The Hewitt School*
Horace Mann School*
Hunter College Elementary School
LREI
Lycee Francais De New York
Marymount School of New York
The Nightingale-Bamford School*
The Riverdale Country School*
Saint Ann’s School
Saint David’s School*
St Bernard’s School
The Spence School*
Speyer Legacy School
Stephen Gaynor School
Town School
Trevor Day School
The Trinity School
United Nations International School

Children in the Class of 2024 will attend schools marked by *.

"Having done exmissions for a long time, Adrienne knows the process extremely well and is a great resource to have on your side. She is very open minded and flexible in her approach and is truly focused on what is best for the child and their family. Applying to an independent school, especially during the pandemic, is time consuming and stressful – Adrienne, the teachers, and the school helped us navigate through and prepare us for all of that and we are extremely happy with the outcome."

Arthi & Vishal Idnani

"As I look back on the process of applying to kindergarten, I don’t think I could have done it without Adrienne Wing’s exmissions support. She took the time to get to know our daughter and us as a family. She was able to provide insight into what schools might be a good fit based on the qualities we were looking for, which helped us narrow our focus. Adrienne’s strong connections with the rest of the ISAAGNY schools were evident throughout the process, and she was able to give us a heads up about schools that had expressed interest in us as a family. We ultimately received several exciting offers and are thrilled with the school we chose."

Gail H.

"Great attention to detail went into the exmission process. Expectations of the process were defined in the spring, and Adrienne shared what to do at the right time so you do not feel behind. She prompts you every step of the way. The times in the process when you get anxious, you can send an email at 11PM on a Saturday and have an answer the next morning. She checks in when she does not hear from you. It is lovely having such the MAPCDS support system in place for your child and as a parent."

Maysa

"As parents who were completely new to the independent school application process in New York City, we found Adrienne’s help and guidance invaluable. She helped us take charge of the process through information sessions and consultations months before the application season took off. Adrienne thoroughly understood our daughter including her strengths and weaknesses and was able to translate this knowledge into helping us a craft a thoughtful and targeted list of schools where the best fit for our family would be likely. In addition, she proactively worked with us throughout the process to effectively navigate the various aspects of the application including parent and child interviews, personal statements, and implementing the most effective communication with our targeted schools. Adrienne made herself available at short notice throughout this marathon process including in the evenings and weekends to review our applications or to update us on the process. Her knowledge of the children at MAPCDS, her strong relationships with admissions committees at ongoing schools, and her willingness to advocate for families as the Director of Exmissions makes all the difference. We were very happy with the outcome of the process for our daughter which resulted in multiple acceptances including one of our top choices."

Naresh and Priyanka P.

"As we began searching for the best school for Ines’ next chapter, it quickly became clear how difficult, time consuming and intense that process was going to be. Luckily, we had a wonderful, sage, and patient Exmissions Director in Adrienne Wing who was able to guide us towards the places where Ines might thrive. Most importantly, Adrienne was instrumental in helping Ines secure a place at her “first choice” school. We are so proud of Ines and the amazing young person she has become, but we are also very, very grateful to MAPCDS and in particular, Adrienne, for getting us to the finish line with aplomb."

~Duncan and Nora

"The Kindergarten application process in New York city is inherently stressful! We have been through it twice, so we know firsthand. But Adrienne is the consummate guide, partner, and advocate in the process. She started preparing us a year in advance, providing us with an overview of the process, answering questions, and highlighting important first steps. And from there she held our hand every step of the way! She helped us to refine our school list, reviewed our personal statement, and provided us with interview tips. She was incredibly sensitive to our anxieties and concerns and helped us to stay grounded. Adrienne knows each school incredibly well, has established relationships with the admissions directors, and is not shy about going to bat for families when she knows that a school is the right fit. Most importantly, it was abundantly clear to us that Adrienne not only understood who we are as a family and appreciated our educational aspirations for our children, but she truly knew our children. She is not only the Director of Exmissions, she is an educator. She spends time in the classroom observing the children. She gets to know who each child is as a learner and has a nuanced understanding of the type of ongoing academic environment that will allow them to thrive. And in the end, thanks to her expertise and advocacy, we couldn’t be happier with the outcome for both of our children."

Gabrielle Page and Keith Downing

"Adrienne was always available and responded with lightening speed on any questions we had. We felt as though it was a true partnership, and that was invaluable during what can be a stressful and anxiety filled few months.

One of the best things about Adrienne was that she aligned expectations extremely well. When we got our letters, it was basically exactly what we expected which made it such a relief. Adrienne clearly has expertise in not only understanding which are the right schools for your child but also which ones are worth pursuing and how.

After everyone in NYC whispering about how some people don’t get into any schools or how crazy stressful the whole process is, thanks to Adrienne, it was relatively smooth and we ended up at our number one choice. And we actually had a choice!"

Lillian and Victor A.

"Adrienne Wing guided us in the Kindergarten admissions process with wisdom and a healthy, welcome sense of humor. As our daughter has a summer birthday, we worried at first about admission to any of our top school choices but Adrienne really listened to us, got to know our daughter as an individual and gave us helpful feedback, even offering to speak to us on the weekend. From helping us refine our initial list to reviewing wording for our application essays to talking to schools on our behalf, she was a warm guide and great advocate. In the end, our daughter was accepted into six schools and we were thrilled with the one we chose."

Elissa and Mike D.

"We have been with MAPC Day School for a few years now, and have had the opportunity to observe first hand the wonderful community and the support provided in every step of our children's development by the teachers and staff. This past year we went through the exmissions process for our son - we started with a lot of excitement, and a little trepidation, given the myriad choices available. Adrienne spent the time to explain the options, listen to our thoughts, give us feedback and guidance along the way. She was obviously helped by the knowledge she has accumulated about us as a family and our son. At the end, we were faced with a number of excellent choices, and were able to select the one we felt was the best fit for our son and our family values. We will be happy to recommend MAPCDS to any family considering the right environment for their child."

Ivelin and Ralitza

"We came to MAPCDS from aboard two years ago. The school combines its child-centered philosophy with a deliberate curriculum that fosters inquiry and discovery. Our family couldn’t be happier with our daughter’s education here. Same is true for our experience of exmissions. Adrienne instilled calmness and order throughout the process. We received well planned and individualized assistance from her. She made herself available at every step of our application and actively advocated for our child. Her knowledge of our child and experience with exmissions and ongoing schools played a large role in placing our child at our first choice school. During this somewhat emotional period of time, Adrienne reminded parents to keep conversations and emotions away from children as much as possible. We feel our graduating community went through the period with its usual warmth and tightness."

Jane Zhang and Yan Jiao

"While we are sad (and nervous) to leave this wonderful nurturing and fun learning environment, our transition was made as effortless as possible by Adrienne. Having not grown up in NYC, we were quite nervous and anxious about the process. Adrienne guided us through, holding our hands the entire time. Her first advice was to visit the schools as early as possible to get a sense of what our options are and to keep an open mind. Visiting schools helped us create a shortlist of places where we felt we could potentially belong. We then had a discussion on which schools made sense for us to apply and Adrienne didn’t hesitate to step in when she felt it may not be a good fit. Once we were ready to apply, she took the time to read our essays and give thoughtful edits and guided us through the interview process. The fact that Adrienne took the time to get to know our child well and us as a family, gave us the confidence to remain calm through the process (which can often be brutal for parents). We knew she was always acting on our best interest and will be there for whatever help we may need. Ultimately, we got into all of our top choices and hardest part was choosing where to go! We are grateful for our experience here and can only hope that we find a similar caring and nurturing community going forward."

Nusrat Nabi and Zubier Alim

"Throughout our years at MAPCDS, we went through one admissions process without Adrienne and one with. Although, we were very happy with our placements in each case, the process was so much more transparent and stress free with Adrienne on our side. Aside from being a knowledgeable consultant, she is readily available to families. As working parents, we often were not able to reach out to Adrienne until after 5, but she was consistently available to us, returning phone calls and emails at unexpected hours. She was also available to read essays and offer feedback. The biggest difference we felt was that Adrienne kept us apprised of any contact with the schools, whether they were school visits or conversations that she was having with them. This transparency really helped to take the stress out of this process, which is the most you can ask for. With Adrienne’s guidance, our son was accepted at our top three choices and we are happy that he will attend our first choice school. MAP is a wonderful choice as a foundation for your child’s future educational life, both as a preschool and when seeking placement to your ongoing school."

Yumna Jafri and Zahid Ahmed

"Over the past six years our two sons have both attended MAPCDS and we have been delighted with the quality of education they have received here. Our experience with the exmissions process has been equally exceptional. The Director of Exmissions took the time to really know our sons; helped us to identify schools that would be a great fit for them; advocated for our sons throughout the exmissions process; and stayed in close contact with us to make sure she represented our perspectives with ongoing schools effectively. We are thrilled with the ongoing placements for both of our sons and highly recommend MAPCDS to any parent considering the school for their child."

Kirsten and Conrad

"From the first exmissions information session to the day of acceptances, Adrienne was so informative, accessible, and there for us. She helped us choose the schools to apply to and guided us through the process at each step with encouragement, honesty, and diligence. Adrienne got to know our daughter and family well and deeply cared about us finding the right school."

Catherine and Jonathan

"We felt very supported during exmissions time, beginning several months prior to the formal process. Adrienne hosted workshops to navigate us through the process, and to teach us all the ins and outs. She got to know our daughter very well, both directly as well as through all her teachers. She was always accessible - day and night - and given her knowledge and experience, was very thoughtful about selecting schools, culling them down based on interim feedback, and always advocating for us. I recall a time when we emailed her the evening after a school interview/playdate, and she called back at 9pm that night with her kids in the car to talk us through the answers to our questions! We were fortunate enough to place at our #1 choice, and are very happy with the outcome."

Mohini and Vikram Suresh

"As Exmissions Director, Adrienne was an integral part of our kindergarten admissions process. We are two busy working parents and she was exceedingly flexible with her time, accommodating phone calls in the evening and a lot of e-mail correspondence. She was open to reviewing all parts of the application and correspondence to the schools. After the applications were turned in the and the visits done, her feedback helped us secure a spot in all the schools to which we applied. Of course this wonderful result came with a tinge of sadness on leaving MAPCDS and the genuinely amazing classroom experience our son and truthfully our whole family has had. There are no words to describe how above-and-beyond the teachers go to endear trust, curiosity, and love."

Sara & Ryan

"MAPCDS really provided us with support throughout the duration of the exmissions process. We were able to get a hold of Adrienne at any time to help answer questions or to be a sounding board. She provided feedback that was really based on her knowing our daughter, which allowed us to get more focused during the process. Ultimately, we received acceptances from a number of schools including our top choice."

Rory O.

"Having gone through exmissions twice with Ms. Wing, it was extremely helpful to partner with someone who really knew your child and your family. She always has an open door and is approachable and honest, being an advocate for your child and an experienced advisor to you."

Umar F.

"When applying to Kindergarten, what one needs most from the Exmissions Director is tough love at the start and then warm support all the way home. That's exactly what Adrienne Wing gave us. She knew each child's particular strengths and passions. Her cogent, no-nonsense advice helped us shape a final list of schools that was right for our children. She wisely advised us to learn more about the schools we didn't know and to set aside preconceptions. Importantly, she promised and provided unconditional support, no matter where we applied. She was always kind and sincere as she welcomed my many visits to her office where she helped me keep both panic and hubris in check. Ultimately, my twins were accepted to multiple schools, which I largely attribute to a combination of Adrienne's work on behalf of our children and to all of the academic and emotional growth they had achieved through their MAPCDS experience."

Emma Froelich-Shea

"Adrienne was the calm in the storm on K admissions. She talked me off the ledge more than once when I thought everything was going wrong. Meanwhile we got into our 1st choice with our older son. And the process was seamless with our daughter. Adrienne was available to hop on a call whenever I needed. Lastly, and most important, I felt like she had great relationships with all the schools and was honest in her interactions with them and with us."