The Montessori Institute of Atlanta

The Montessori Institute
of Atlanta

Primary Course Catalog

5. Admissions

A bachelor’s degree as well as evidence of ability to pursue graduate work is required for admission to the Primary Course.

Applicants must provide one official transcript, in a separate, sealed envelope, from each accredited college or university attended; a completed application form; a resume; three (3) letters of recommendation; an essay statement of purpose; a health form; and a non-refundable application fee. If transcripts are not in English, official transcripts in the original language and certified translations are both required. In addition, two (2) recent, passport-size photographs are required after admission

A personal or phone interview is required. The cost of the personal or phone interview is borne by the applicant.

Students will be accepted until enrollment has reached capacity, and thereafter a waiting list will be formed. Applicants who are United States citizens and whose native language is English are advised to begin the application process at least four to six months in advance. Applications received during the month prior to the course starting date may be subject to express mail costs. Other applicants should begin the process even earlier (see below).

Students are expected to adhere to any special conditions for beginning, continuing, or completing the training course. Such conditions are those mutually agreed upon after consultation with the Director of Training.

Since the program is conducted at the graduate level, the applicant is assumed to have the technical skills necessary to pursue graduate level work. Among these skills are typing and/or expertise with a word processor, simple drawing skills, handwritten note-taking on oral lectures (taping of lectures is not allowed by the AMI), and ability to write in essay form.

The student is responsible for completing the application process prior to enrollment, including providing all requested documents and making arrangements for a personal interview. No student is considered registered and eligible for the services of the course until the admissions file is complete and all fees due have been paid.

Conditional Acceptance

Applicants who have earned a bachelor’s degree with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) less than 2.75 may be conditionally admitted to an MIA course. Applicants without a bachelor’s degree may be considered provisionally, based on the applicant's academic record and/or work experience.

A student who is conditionally accepted may attend classes for the first six weeks, at the discretion of the Director of Training. The period of conditional acceptance is the first six weeks of the course.

If the student successfully completes the work assigned during this period, the student will be granted full course admission. Successful completion means up-to-date and up-to-standard work on the course albums and theory papers. In the event the student is unable to complete the work successfully durng this period, the student will not be allowed to continue in the course and will receive a refund in accordance with the refund policy (see section VI below).

Applicants Who Are Non-Native Speakers of English

The language of the course is English. In addition to the bachelor's degree, evidence of ability to pursue graduate work in English is required. Therefore, students are required to submit a score of at least 550 (paper-based); 79-80 (Internet-based); or 213 (computer-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). In addition to the TOEFL score, the Director of Training may also use the required personal or telephone interview to assess the applicant's ability to pursue graduate work in English. Information explaining the TOEFL is available by writing P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541 (609-921-9000).

Official transcripts must be translated into English and certified as equivalent to a United States bachelor’s degree. Both the original language transcript and the translated transcript must be submitted with the application. Certification of the applicant’s documentation can be obtained from the World Education Service, P.O. Box 745, Old Chelsea Station, New York, NY 10113 (212-966-6311), or www.wes.org.

In order to meet these additional requirements, such applicants are advised to begin the application process at least six months prior to the opening date of the course. Regular air mail is used. Overnight courier service may be requested for an additional fee of $20.00 (domestic) and $50.00 (international) per request.

Applicants Who Are Not United States Citizens

In addition to the requirements for all applicants, the following requirements must be met by applicants who are not United States citizens.

Students who are not United States citizens and who wish to take this course can apply for a student visa (I-20). The I-20 form required by the United States Immigration Service is issued by MIA after the following requirements are met:

1. Applicant has applied for and been accepted into the course.
2. Applicant has furnished written proof of sufficient financial resources to pay all educational, living, and personal expenses during his or her stay in the United States.
3. Applicant has paid the $200 immigration processing fee.
4. Applicant has paid the application fee and tuition deposit.
5. Applicant has followed the procedures of the United States Immigration Service to secure and maintain legal status in the United States.

Applicants for a student visa (I-20) are advised to begin the application process at least six months prior to the opening date of the course. Regular air mail is used. Overnight courier service may be requested for an additional fee of $20.00 (domestic) or $50.00 (international) per request.

The Montessori Institute of Atlanta is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant students.

Audit Policy

Interested persons may, upon request, be given permission to sit in on lectures, at the discretion of the Director of Training. Formal audit status, however, is not available.

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy

The Montessori Institute of Atlanta admits applicants of any race, color, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, handicap, or veteran status to all of the rights, privileges, programs, benefits, and activities generally accorded or made available to students. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, handicap, or veteran status in any program or activity, including the administration of its educational policies, scholarship or loan programs, or any other MIA-administered program.

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Last modified: June 4, 2008