How to Apply

Maranatha Christian Academy is an influential school of collaborators, innovators, and explorers grounded in Christian faith empowering the co-creators of tomorrow. Maranatha’s emphasis is to provide a challenging college-preparatory program, while at the same time admitting students with diverse abilities, therefore each student will be considered on an individual basis.

Our admissions process is simple and we are here to help you at each and every step. The goal of our admissions process is to identify students whose lives will be enriched through participation in Maranatha's educational program and who meet our admissions criteria. To help us in this, we require every family to go through the entire process outlined below.

Contact Admissions:

Steps to Admission and Acceptance

Students who meet our admissions criteria are invited to submit an application. 

  • Apply Online. At the end of the application you will be asked to pay a one-time non-refundable $75 application fee to hold your student’s class enrollment.
  • Admissions will request School Records for your student(s).
  • Required documents can be uploaded at the end of the online application:
  1. Birth Certificate
  2. Physical/Well-Child Check Up/or Sports Physical (most recent)
  3. Immunization Record
  4. Custody Documentation (if applicable)
  • If your student has not taken the MAP Assessment during the previous school year, we will schedule a abbreviated version of the assessment through our Learning Support Services Center.
  • MAP results will be emailed to parents within 48 hours of test completion.
  • MAP scores, coupled with school records, will be reviewed by the Principal or Dean of Academics before an Interview is scheduled.
  • After your application is complete, including all documents have been received, prospective students will interview with the Principal or Dean for
    their respective grade. At Maranatha, we strongly believe in community. The interview is one way for the Principal or Dean to learn more about your student and your family and to begin the community connection.
  • Offers of admission are based on class availably and student fit.
  • When you receive an acceptance email, it will include instructions to our online enrollment packet. The packet must be fully completed, electronically signed, and a $500 nonrefundable deposit paid (this deposit will be applied to your student’s tuition) before your student is officially enrolled.
  • Your student’s admission, classroom/grade position, and attendance cannot be guaranteed until the enrollment packet is complete, submitted, and $500 deposit paid.

Maranatha and Living Word Maranatha Early Learning Center admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic, or any other programs administered by the school.

Students are not typically considered for mid-year transfers in 12th grade. Exceptions may be made for families who are relocating. 

Admissions Criteria

Selecting a school for your child is an important decision.  We are honored that you are considering Maranatha Christian Academy. The success of our partnership and the success of your student’s experience begins with clear expectations.  

Our longstanding and thorough admissions process allows us to explore if Maranatha Christian Academy is a good fit for an applicant and if the applicant is a good fit for Maranatha.

Spiritual Commitment
  • The parent should be familiar with the Mission, Core Values, and agree with the Faith Statement of Maranatha Christian Academy.
  • At least one parent must profess Jesus Christ as their Savior.
  • For grades 5-12, the student must also profess Jesus Christ as Savior. 
  • The student will be required to participate in and be open to spiritual growth. 
  • The student and at least one parent must be active and faithful in church attendance. 
Academic Standards

Students transferring from another school are required to provide academic records, which include report cards, learning plans, and test scores. A student’s academic history should demonstrate consistent academic progress and provide evidence that the student will be able to succeed in our learning environment. 

Age requirements and Academic Assessments: 

To supplement the academic records, student applicants may be required to take an entrance assessment. 

  • Students entering Kindergarten must be five years old by September 1 and will take a formal kindergarten readiness test (KRT). 
  • Students entering Grades 1 through 12 will take an academic placement test.   
  • Students with special physical or academic needs (e.g., an active IEP/ Individual Education or 504 Plan) will be evaluated on an individual basis to determine the suitability and capacity of our program to meet the student’s needs.   
Behavior Standards

Maranatha is not just a school; it's a community where each student and staff member contributes to what makes up the culture of the school. A positive school culture is highly valued by our community; therefore we seek families who demonstrate a desire to be a positive, engaging, and contributing member of our community.  

Student(s) and at least one parent must be in good standing with their current school and exhibit behavior, both in and out of school, that is consistent with Maranatha’s Christian values and Culture in Action.  

  • Students with prior conduct infractions must have successfully completed a full school year with no behavior incidents.  
  • Maranatha does not accept students recently expelled from other schools. 
  • The student will be required to adhere to the rules of Maranatha, as stated in the handbook, and sign a student Honor Code. 
  • The parents will be required to cooperate with Maranatha in the enforcement of the disciplinary rules, as stated in the handbook. 
Financial Responsibility

All financial obligations to MCA must be kept current. If the student is transferring from another private school, a note on the school letterhead may be required stating that financial obligations have been cleared. Families who previously withdrew from MCA and did not fulfill their tuition contract must clear all financial obligations before an admissions application will be accepted. 

Admissions Decisions

Applicants should not assume that an application alone guarantees admission to Maranatha Christian Academy. If a student’s report card, transcript or other information provided on the application indicates that the applicant will not meet the MCA admissions criteria at this time, the admission process may be stopped until all admissions criteria are met. 

After an applicant has gone through the entire process, the Admissions Committee will review the applicant file. Admissions decisions are defined as follows: 

Accept

Acceptance is offered if the student and parent(s) meet all MCA admissions criteria and there is available space in the applicant's grade. The Admissions Director will issue an email of acceptance to the parent/guardian listed on the application when a student has been accepted. Acceptance may be revoked if the student’s final report card shows a drop in academic or behavioral performance.

Wait Pool

New applications are forwarded to the admissions office, and a determination is made regarding available openings in the grade level desired. In the event there are no available openings in the grade level desired, an email is sent or phone call to the parent/guardian(s) indicating the inclusion of their child(ren) in the waiting pool.

When an opening becomes available in a grade level, the parent/guardian(s) of qualified waiting-pool students will be contacted by phone, and placement will be offered. A decision to accept placement must be made within five business days; if a decision is not reached or placement has been declined, another student in the waiting pool will be contacted.

Deny

When a student (and/or parent) has completed the full admissions process and does not meet the admissions criteria for MCA, a phone call to the parent/guardian informing of the denial or a denial letter will be sent. All parent communication regarding denials is handled by the Admissions department. We are happy to clarify our admissions policies and procedures, however, due to the confidential nature of the admissions process, we are unable to discuss the specific qualifications of any applicant, including reasons for admissions decisions. In the case of siblings who are not accepted, every effort will be made to contact the families by phone as a courtesy and to discuss other siblings’ possible attendance at Maranatha. The denial decision is for one school year only and students are welcome to re-apply for future grades.

Stop the Process

If a student’s report card, transcript or other information provided on the application indicates that the applicant will not meet the MCA admissions criteria at this time, the admission process may be stopped. Out of respect for the applicant, the Admissions Director will notify the parents that the process has been stopped. Applicants are welcome to reapply when the criteria are met.