Hongwanji Mission School Admissions

On behalf of the Admissions Committee, thank you for visiting our website. HMS is a private co-educational, independent, Buddhist-based school located in Nu'uanu Valley, adjacent to downtown Honolulu. HMS offers year round enrollment opportunities on a space available basis.

Campus Tour: We strongly encourage prospective families to visit our campus as part of the admissions process. During the all day campus visitations, children get the best feel of the school. Please call our administration office at 532-0522, extension 0, to schedule a tour with the Admissions Director.

We encourage all applications to be submitted by early December and payment and all required documentation as soon as possible thereafter. Carefully review and follow the instructions on all forms.

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Hongwanji Mission School Admissions Process
Grade Level	PS/PK	K	1-8
Application	Applications can be submitted in the fall for the following school year. Please review the information below to make sure your child meets the requirements. You'll be asked to electronically submit: Birth certificate or passport Current school year progress report Last year progress report Standardized test scores (if applicable) Contact information for teachers/caregivers to fill out reference reports Application fee
Age requirements	Must be three (3) years old by October 31 of the school year Child must be independently toileting on a regular toilet independently (training toilets are not available)	Must be five (5) years old by December 31 of the school year	Age requirements are flexible.
Social Readiness Observation	Group behavior observation (one parent may stay with child) for about 45 minutes Able to sit still to listen to a story Plays appropriately with others	Group behavior observation without parent for about 45 minutes to one hour Able to sit still to listen to a story Plays appropriately with others	Classroom visitation day Applicants are asked to spend an entire school day at Hongwanji Mission School with the applicant's current grade level students Socially appropriate for HMS
Academic Readiness	Readiness assessment administered by the admissions team About 15-20 minutes PK students are asked to separate from parent for assessment	Kindergarten readiness assessment administered by admissions team About 30 minutes to administer Child must be able to separate from parent for assessment	Grade level assessment administered by admissions team Reading comprehension Math readiness Writing readiness Scored according to child's age
Caregiver/ Teacher Reference Reports	Inform your child's teacher/caregiver an email will be sent to them to fill out a reference report.
Parent Interview	Conducted by head of school Parents' expectations/educational philosophy
Admission Committee Review	The committee members will review each applicant file and make recommendations. If accepted, the child may be asked to attend our summer school. Other factors that may be considered are whether the student is affiliated with the temple or school (e.g., sibling of current student, child of staff, minister, or temple member, etc.)
Financial Aid	Go to www.factsmanagement.com and select 'Parents' and 'Financial Aid' Submit an application and all the required documents - Tax Form 1040 from current and previous year - deadline: May 31. The Financial Aid Committee meets in mid-June to make a decision.

Hongwanji Mission School Admissions

Other Admissions Links

HMS Introductory Brochure