About the School:

What makes Hutchins Academy different?

Hutchins Academy offers a unique curriculum centered around Great Books and Socratic discussion. Class sizes are small enough to allow every student a chance to participate and express themselves. Instead of teaching disjointed facts, we aim to give students a chance to consider some of humanity’s most important questions, and help all our students lead successful, reflective and thoughtful lives.

Where will Hutchins Academy be located?

We are located at 900 N. Franklin Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood.

Is Hutchins Academy a not-for-profit institution?

Yes. The Hutchins Education Foundation (DBA Hutchins Academy) is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation and has been approved as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Is Hutchins Academy religiously affiliated?

We are not affiliated with any religious organization and provide a non-religious secular education.

Will Hutchins Academy be an accredited school?

We intend to apply for accreditation from Cognia (FKA AdvancED), the primary national accreditor of independent schools, during our first year of operation. We will begin the voluntary nonpublic school recognition process with the Illinois State Board of Education after our first year of operation.

Admissions:

What type of student is Hutchins Academy looking for?

We are looking for students with intellectual curiosity, creative thinking, and a strong desire to consider and discuss important questions. Students need not have perfect academic records. Our program provides offerings not available in most public or private schools, as such we are not overly concerned with a student’s middle school grades or test scores. We aim to accept students from all academic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

When will your application be available?

We plan to begin accepting applications for Fall 2022 in Spring 2022. You can fill out our Interest Form, and we will email you when our application process is open.

Do students need to take any tests to apply?

No tests are required to apply. We will accept PSAT or equivalent test scores, but submission of such scores is entirely voluntary.

How much will your tuition be?

$18,000 per year/$9,000 per semester, plus a $1,800 annual book fee. The book fee covers the cost of all books and other course materials required for the academic year.

Will financial aid be available?

Yes. Our financial aid application will be available alongside our admission application.

How big do you expect your first class to be?

We anticipate accepting 25 students into our first class.

Academic Program:

How much homework will students be expected to complete?

We aim for students to spend no more than 7 hours per day on schoolwork, equal to the length of the school day. Students will spend approximately 3 hours in Socratic discussion and 3 hours reading, writing or working on collaborative projects.

Will Hutchins Academy students be required to take standardized tests like the Prairie State Assessment, PARCC, or SAT?

No. Standardized tests such as these do not fit with our holistic approach to student assessment. Students at private schools in Illinois are not legally required to take any standardized tests.

Support:

Are donations tax deductible?

Donations to Hutchins Academy are tax deductible. Hutchins Education Foundation (DBA Hutchins Academy) was approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt organization in 2019.

How will donations be spent?

Donations will cover costs associated with opening and operating the school, such as facility costs, personnel costs, and marketing costs.

Will Hutchins Academy admit low-income students?

Yes. We will offer financial aid to as many qualifying families as possible and work to attract students from all socioeconomic backgrounds.