Feel free to reach out to us at any point during the application process.

You may begin an application at any time.

ADMISSIONS@THELANGSCHOOL.ORG

or call us at

212-977-7777 (Main Number)

917-283-2471 (Admissions)

or book a 1:1 phone or zoom call

Make a date to tour the school and/or attend one of our virtual Open Houses.

You may begin an application without attending a Tour or Open House first.

Click the button below to access our online application portal.

You'll be asked to complete a brief inquiry form.

Once submitted, you'll receive an email verification form with information about how to access the admissions portal.

The application includes a "Release" section that allows us to speak with your child’s school, neuropsychologist, and other critical providers.

We will work with you to time these conversations.

We understand you may not be ready to tell your child’s current school about your decision to apply to another school.

There is no assessment or entry exam that is required as part of the application process.

We do require the submission of a number of supporting documents that are outlined below.

NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL REPORT

Submit your child’s most recent neuropsychological evaluation. A psychoeducational evaluation is also a good start.

REPORT CARDS

Please send us your child’s school report cards from the last two years, if available.

Note that we're more interested in the narratives than the grades.

OTHER DOCUMENTS

Submit any other evaluations or documentation (e.g., a digital portfolio) that might help us better understand your child.

Neuropsychological vs. Psychoeducational Evaluations: What’s the Difference?

In short, a psychoeducational evaluation asks,

• “What is this student’s intellectual and academic ability, and how do they learn?” It’s designed to identify learning strengths and weaknesses, diagnose specific learning disorders, and recommend educational supports or accommodations.

• Primarily educational and often used for school accommodations (IEPs, 504s) and academic planning.

• Core Questions:

  • What is the student’s intellectual ability (IQ)?

  • What are their academic strengths and weaknesses?

  • Is there a specific learning disorder (e.g., dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia)?

  • What supports, interventions, or accommodations will help them succeed in school?
    

A neuropsychological evaluation asks,

• “What is going on in this child’s brain, cognition, and emotional life that affects learning and daily functioning?” It goes deeper and aims to provide a comprehensive picture of how the student thinks, learns, and copes.

• Broader, medical + cognitive + emotional focus: Examines brain-behavior relationships, looking deeply at attention, memory, executive function, language, visual-spatial skills, processing speed, and emotional functioning.

• Often used when there’s complex or unclear difficulties (e.g., ADHD, autism, TBI, seizures, mood disorders, unexplained academic struggles).

• Core Questions:

  • How are different brain-based cognitive functions (attention, memory, processing, executive function) working?

  • Are there neurological or developmental conditions (ADHD, autism, brain injury effects, etc.)?

  • How do emotional or behavioral factors impact functioning?

  • What is the integrated picture of the child’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioral profile?

Both types of evaluations can look similar on the surface (both often include IQ and academic testing), but neuropsychological testing is more expansive, typically performed by a neuropsychologist and often used when there are complex or overlapping concerns (e.g., ADHD + anxiety, autism, brain injury, or unexplained academic challenges).

Why a Neuropsychological Evaluation Is Preferable for Admission to The Lang School

The Lang School serves twice-exceptional (2e) learners—students with advanced cognitive potential alongside learning, attentional, social-emotional, or other neurodevelopmental challenges. To determine whether a student will thrive at Lang, the admissions team needs a full picture of how the child thinks, learns, and regulates themselves, not just their academic profile.

Why neuropsychological testing provides a better fit:

• It clarifies the child’s learning profile beyond IQ and academics – Lang looks for students with superior cognitive strengths (often in one or more subdomains, even if the overall IQ is uneven).

• It identifies co-occurring challenges – such as ADHD, autism, or executive functioning weaknesses, which can shape classroom support needs.

• It informs individualized programming – The detailed cognitive and emotional data helps Lang design tailored supports and determine whether their model can meet the student’s needs.

• It strengthens the case for placement – For families seeking district funding, a neuropsychological evaluation provides diagnostic evidence and a rationale for why a highly specialized setting like Lang is appropriate.
  

In short:

• A psychoeducational evaluation shows what a child can do academically.

• A neuropsychological evaluation shows how and why they perform the way they do—and whether Lang is the right fit to support their growth.

Tests Typically Included

Psychoeducational Evaluation

Focuses on intellectual ability + academic achievement.

Common tests:

• Cognitive / IQ:

  • Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V)

  • Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC-II)

• Academic Achievement:

  • Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement (WJ-IV)

  • Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-4)

  • Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (KTEA-3)

• Basic Processing Skills:

  • CTOPP-2 (phonological processing)

  • GORT-5 (oral reading fluency)

  • KeyMath-3 (for math skills)

• Optional screeners:

  • Beery VMI (visual-motor integration)

  • BRIEF-2 (parent/teacher forms for executive function)

Neuropsychological Evaluation

Includes everything in a psychoeducational evaluation, plus a deep dive into cognitive, attentional, and emotional functioning.

Possible components:

• Cognitive / Executive Function:

  • Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS)

  • NEPSY-II (attention, memory, social perception, sensorimotor skills)

  • Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (set-shifting)

  • Tower of London (planning/organization)

• Attention & Processing:

  • Conners Continuous Performance Test (CPT-3)

  • Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA)

  • Processing Speed measures (e.g., WISC Coding, Symbol Search)

• Memory & Learning:

  • Children’s Memory Scale (CMS)

  • California Verbal Learning Test – Children’s Version (CVLT-C)

  • Rey Complex Figure Test

• Language & Visual-Spatial:

  • Boston Naming Test

  • Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-5)

  • Judgment of Line Orientation

• Fine Motor & Visual-Motor:

  • Beery VMI (detailed scoring)

  • Grooved Pegboard Test

• Emotional & Behavioral:

  • Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-3)

  • Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)

  • Reynolds Child Depression and Anxiety Scales

• Adaptive Functioning:

  • Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Vineland-3)

Pay our $130.00 application fee. (Need-based waivers are available.)

Why is there an application fee? The fee covers costs associated with the processing, coordination, and review of the application.

Our team will review the application and supporting materials.

If we think Lang may be a good fit for your child, we will invite him/her/them for a full day visit (our Grade 1 visits are often morning half-day visits).

If we don't think that Lang is a good fit for your child, we'll try to provide recommendations about other programs that may be better aligned to support your child.

Our team will review your child's application, supporting documents, and insights from the visit to determine if The Lang School is a fit. If it is, when we meet to discuss your child’s invitation to enroll at Lang, we will share our insights and the next steps for the educational pathway we'll design for your child.