Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 14:29     Subject: Summer birthday question
Anonymous wrote:When we toured Trinity, the parent leading the tour referred to her March child as the youngest in their class LOL - to give you a sense! TT schools definitely swing older.


This is not the case at Dalton for what it is worth. My child also has a March birthday, and while probably in the younger half of the class, there are plenty of other kids with March through (young) July birthdays in the grade.
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 11:49     Subject: Summer birthday question
When we toured Trinity, the parent leading the tour referred to her March child as the youngest in their class LOL - to give you a sense! TT schools definitely swing older.
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 10:23     Subject: Summer birthday question
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It really depends on the school. Both friends should consult their preschool director and talk to their kid’s teachers to gauge what they think.

Dalton has recently changed their website to read: “Dalton adheres strictly to a May 31 deadline for children with summer birthdays.” So if Dalton is on friend’s (boy) list, she’d have to apply this fall. I know Horace Mann and Collegiate also take young summer birthdays. Overall I’d say the May 31st is cuspiest of the cusp but should likely apply to all the schools in the fall.

Early July girl, I’d likely do a few schools to get a feel for them but prepare for a full application cycle the following fall.

My June and July kids all went as old summer birthdays at a TT school known to swing old.



This is so interesting as I have a June kid with an application in at Dalton. Our kid is tall, rather advanced and looks and acts older. They said nothing to us about a May 31st cut off.


I noticed it earlier this year- change on their website. They still follow ISAAGNY’s 9/1 deadline, but they’re just drawing a redshirting line in the sand and saying they won’t consider an old May birthday— you have to apply when you’re supposed to.

In covid things got really wild— people were holding April— I even heard of a couple March kids (meaning they’d turn SEVEN in March of kindergarten). Let’s see if other schools follow suit. I think it would honestly be helpful. We know that with *most* schools the 9/1 cutoff is BS. So just tell us what your unofficial cutoff is and maybe some of the games will end?


This is it. They won't consider redshirts born in the spring. To the prior poster, your young June kid is fine.
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 09:28     Subject: Summer birthday question
We have an October kid who started when he wasn't quite 5 yet and is now in middle school and thus far it's worked out fine; he's bored out of his mind in math class even as the youngest kid, but in other subjects he's considerably more engaged than his older sibling was.
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 09:24     Subject: Summer birthday question
Anonymous wrote:A couple months after they turn 4, or a couple months after they turn 5? In our area, the norm is starting at 5. Some of the younger 5yo kids (summer birthdays) wait a year and start when they turn 6.

My kid is a September birthday and went "on time", so he actually did start at age 4 ... but turned 5 two weeks into the school year. And he was by far the youngest in his class. He was fine with it - he's in college now so I can confidently say that there were no long-term issues for him - but it's very child-dependent.

There's no way I would start a kid in K if he'd really just turned 4.


The OP is asking if they should apply this fall at 4 and be 5yrs 4m starting kindergarten (for the May birthday) or apply next fall at 5 and be 6yrs 4m starting kindergarten.
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 09:22     Subject: Summer birthday question
Anonymous wrote:If you do school tours for K you can usually see the distribution of birthdays in the classrooms -- many will have a wall of months with kids' names under each month


I tried this when we applied a July birthday boy. You'll see May, June, July, and August birthdays on every classroom list-- but you won't see the year they were born. After talking to so many people at so many schools, most of those birthdays were olds summer, not young summer.
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 09:14     Subject: Summer birthday question
A couple months after they turn 4, or a couple months after they turn 5? In our area, the norm is starting at 5. Some of the younger 5yo kids (summer birthdays) wait a year and start when they turn 6.

My kid is a September birthday and went "on time", so he actually did start at age 4 ... but turned 5 two weeks into the school year. And he was by far the youngest in his class. He was fine with it - he's in college now so I can confidently say that there were no long-term issues for him - but it's very child-dependent.

There's no way I would start a kid in K if he'd really just turned 4.
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 09:11     Subject: Summer birthday question
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It really depends on the school. Both friends should consult their preschool director and talk to their kid’s teachers to gauge what they think.

Dalton has recently changed their website to read: “Dalton adheres strictly to a May 31 deadline for children with summer birthdays.” So if Dalton is on friend’s (boy) list, she’d have to apply this fall. I know Horace Mann and Collegiate also take young summer birthdays. Overall I’d say the May 31st is cuspiest of the cusp but should likely apply to all the schools in the fall.

Early July girl, I’d likely do a few schools to get a feel for them but prepare for a full application cycle the following fall.

My June and July kids all went as old summer birthdays at a TT school known to swing old.



This is so interesting as I have a June kid with an application in at Dalton. Our kid is tall, rather advanced and looks and acts older. They said nothing to us about a May 31st cut off.


I noticed it earlier this year- change on their website. They still follow ISAAGNY’s 9/1 deadline, but they’re just drawing a redshirting line in the sand and saying they won’t consider an old May birthday— you have to apply when you’re supposed to.

In covid things got really wild— people were holding April— I even heard of a couple March kids (meaning they’d turn SEVEN in March of kindergarten). Let’s see if other schools follow suit. I think it would honestly be helpful. We know that with *most* schools the 9/1 cutoff is BS. So just tell us what your unofficial cutoff is and maybe some of the games will end?
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 09:03     Subject: Summer birthday question
I think Dalton’s official cut off is still Sep 1st. summer birthday cutoff only means kids born in these 3 months will be considered in both years if they qualify while a May birthday redshirted kid won’t be considered when they are 6
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 08:57     Subject: Summer birthday question
Anonymous wrote:It really depends on the school. Both friends should consult their preschool director and talk to their kid’s teachers to gauge what they think.

Dalton has recently changed their website to read: “Dalton adheres strictly to a May 31 deadline for children with summer birthdays.” So if Dalton is on friend’s (boy) list, she’d have to apply this fall. I know Horace Mann and Collegiate also take young summer birthdays. Overall I’d say the May 31st is cuspiest of the cusp but should likely apply to all the schools in the fall.

Early July girl, I’d likely do a few schools to get a feel for them but prepare for a full application cycle the following fall.

My June and July kids all went as old summer birthdays at a TT school known to swing old.



This is so interesting as I have a June kid with an application in at Dalton. Our kid is tall, rather advanced and looks and acts older. They said nothing to us about a May 31st cut off.
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 08:57     Subject: Summer birthday question
After they just turn 4 for k? Absolutely not. If you ever move, kids will be 2 years older!
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 08:43     Subject: Summer birthday question
Anonymous wrote:If you do school tours for K you can usually see the distribution of birthdays in the classrooms -- many will have a wall of months with kids' names under each month


Unfortunately that won’t help unless they also include years, since they would normally just put summer birthday kids in the next grade down.
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 08:30     Subject: Summer birthday question
If you do school tours for K you can usually see the distribution of birthdays in the classrooms -- many will have a wall of months with kids' names under each month
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 21:25     Subject: Summer birthday question
It really depends on the school. Both friends should consult their preschool director and talk to their kid’s teachers to gauge what they think.

Dalton has recently changed their website to read: “Dalton adheres strictly to a May 31 deadline for children with summer birthdays.” So if Dalton is on friend’s (boy) list, she’d have to apply this fall. I know Horace Mann and Collegiate also take young summer birthdays. Overall I’d say the May 31st is cuspiest of the cusp but should likely apply to all the schools in the fall.

Early July girl, I’d likely do a few schools to get a feel for them but prepare for a full application cycle the following fall.

My June and July kids all went as old summer birthdays at a TT school known to swing old.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 19:51     Subject: Summer birthday question
Two of my best friends are wondering whether to apply their oldest child to K this fall—a couple months after the kids turn 4—or wait until next year. One has a daughter born early July. The other has a son born May 31st. They are both considering single sex and coed UES/UWS/Hill schools. Anyone have any first hand experience on what to do with these cusp-y birthdays?