When fall is here and you have a toddler at home, you know it’s time to apply for preschool programs. Applications to the top preschools in the country will be rolling in by the minute. And like any other parent, you’ll want nothing but the best preschool for your kid too.

The Episcopal School
Located in New York, it is one of the most prestigious schools in the country. This Upper East Side preschool program comes from the time where manners and traditions were the foundations of the curriculum. Children are asked to shake hands when they arrive at school.

92nd Street Y
This is another prestigious school located in the Upper East Side that is considered the Ivy League for babies. They celebrate a Jewish culture and heritage. They even observe Shabbat and have Jewish holidays. They also enroll in Jewish families into the school. Children over the age of 2 in the month of March are admitted into the school.

Avenues: The World School
This school earned its name as Manhattan’s best schools after it opened its state of the art facility in 2012.

City and Country Lower School
This Greenwich Village institution has been progressive for over a century. They receive hundreds of applicants every year so be sure you apply for this on early. They have classrooms filled with clay, paper, wood, sand, water and a lot more to promote creative activities. The children are given strong lessons on reading, writing, science, math and social studies. They even organize field trips on a regular basis.

Saint Ann’s School
The Brooklyn Heights school emphasizes on imagination and play with language, art, creativity, and imagination. Admissions are highly competitive and there are criteria you must meet to get a seat here. They accept children that are 3 years by the month of September.

School admissions are a critical time in any parent’s life. You can go visit and take tours to the best of the elementary schools and choose the preschool program that you feel is best for your child.