Admissions
Your Child’s Journey
For 33 years, parents and caregivers like you have begun this journey by wondering whether Mother Caroline is the right fit. This is a major decision that can positively affect not only your student, but your entire family.
Tuition-Free
Mother Caroline Academy is a tuition-free school for students from traditionally underresourced Boston neighborhoods. Mother Caroline Academy uses the Boston Fuel Assistance Income Guidelines to help determine financial eligibility for students and their families. We require that families pay an annual enrollment fee of $550 to help defray a portion of the expenses for books, supplies, extracurricular and after-school activities. In exchange, Mother Caroline Academy offers:. The fee is due when families sign and return the decision letter offered to attend MCA.
Mother Caroline Academy offers:
Small class sizes
Professional and experienced staff and faculty, including teachers from Boston College Urban Catholic Teacher Corps
Curriculum centered on problem and project-based teaching and learning
Integration of technology with laptops for each student
Free breakfast, lunch and snack food program
After-school activities including clubs and team sports
Summer camps and enrichment programs
Visit Us
We encourage you to take a virtual tour of our campus and programs. We also schedule in-person information sessions throughout the fall and early spring.
Admissions Tours and Open Houses
Check back here throughout the school year for upcoming admission tours and open house dates for prospective families. We can’t wait to meet you!
Apply Now
Students may apply for grades 3-7. Our admissions occur on a rolling basis throughout the fall and winter for the following September. Enrollment is usually completed by the end of June due to all grades being filled. MCA does not accept students who are entering the 8th grade.
Application materials for the 2026-2027 school year are linked below.
Please review the checklist below for all required documentation for submissions.
Applications will not be reviewed until all required documentation is received.
All applicants must:
Application and Income Verification: Submit the application, including income verification. This can be completed using the online application or the paper application linked above. Please be sure to attach income verification document(s) to the paper application.
Teacher Recommendations: Send teacher recommendation form to your student's teachers. Please note that if your student has a teacher that teaches all content areas, one recommendation will suffice. Otherwise, two recommendations are required, one from a math teacher and one from an ELA/humanities teacher.
Transcript Verification: Provide school records including standardized test scores, report cards, attendance records and any relevant student support documents such as an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan.
Student and Family Interview: Participate in a personal interview of both student and parent/guardian. Please note: At the time of the interview, parents/guardians will be asked to commit to participating and being an active part of their student’s educational experience at MCA. In cases where a parent/guardian is unable to fulfill this role, another adult or relative will be asked to support the student while she receives her education at MCA.
Academic Placement Test: Participate in placement testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
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MCA teaches grades 3-8.
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Yes, MCA does not charge tuition, however there is a non-refundable enrollment fee of $550.00 that must be paid each year for students to be eligible for enrollment.
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Families can apply for grades 3-7 at MCA.
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MCA has a low student to teacher ratio of 7:1 in order to provide more individualized support to our students and prevent learning loss.
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All uniform tops must have the MCA logo on them.
The uniform includes navy blue polo shirts for grades 3 through 7; Red polo shirts for only 8th graders (short & long sleeve); grey MCA activity T-shirt for all students, and navy blue cardigan with MCA logo. Navy blue vest is optional.
For bottoms, students must wear khaki pants and/or plaid skirts (No jeggings, jeans or athletic clothing). For activity, students must wear navy blue sweatpants or navy blue shorts. For footwear, students can only wear all black sneakers and/or black school shoes (rubber sole, laces). Open toe, crocs, slip ons, flats, flip-flops are NOT allowed.
For a full list of items that are and are not allowed, please click here.
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METRO School Uniforms (MSU) located at:
745 Dudley St., Dorchester, MA 02125
Phone: 774-500-4085 email: info@metroschooluniforms.com
Uniforms can also be purchased online. Please place your order according to the student’s grade by clicking at one of the links below.
https://metroschooluniforms.com/collections/mother-caroline-academy-grades-3-7th https://metroschooluniforms.com/collections/mother-caroline-academy-8th-grade
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Although MCA does not offer school bus transportation for students, MCA does provide one M7 bus pass to each 7th and 8th grade student. For 6th grade students, families can request in writing a bus pass and will get one only if BPS Transportation approves it. For students in grades 3, 4 & 5, they are able to receive bus services only if approved directly through Boston Public Schools (BPS) Transportation.
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There is a Parent Liaison Committee that meets 3 to 4 times during the school year with the Head of School and the Administrators.
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MCA provides students and their families with guidance and support necessary for high school placement. The Graduate Support Program at MCA assists students with the high school application process, including financial aid and ensuring that students find the school best suited to their strengths and needs as a student and individual.
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Yes, we partner with Project RISE to bring a 5 week summer program to students in order to prevent summer learning loss.
