Many kinds of families choose Prisma! Some Prisma families are experienced homeschoolers who are looking for a bit more community, or support teaching higher level academic subjects. Some Prisma families were previously enrolled in public or private schools that just weren't meeting the needs of their children: due to rigid, dry curriculum; ineffective teaching; lack of inclusion for kids who learn differently; a toxic peer culture; or some combination. Some Prisma families want to take advantage of the increased flexibility offered by learning online to travel the world, spend more time together, or pursue passions (some Prisma kids are professional actors or athletes). And some Prisma families simply realized that the old way of educating kids wasn't making sense for the 21st century and decided to join the revolution!

Before applying, you can schedule an optional info session with a Prisma team member to learn more. Your child will also have an opportunity to visit a Prisma workshop once you attend an info session.

The next step is submitting an application so we get to know your child and family. Financial aid applications are submitted as part of the regular application.

After reviewing your learner's application, if Prisma seems like a fit, a member of our team will reach out to schedule a learner interview. We want to meet both you and your child!

You'll receive a decision within a few days of completing your interview. (If you need financial aid, you'll receive your admissions and scholarship award decisions together.)

Once you decide to join Prisma, you'll begin onboarding and we'll make sure you have all the resources you'll need. New learners can join Prisma at the beginning of each cycle.

Our admissions page has more details about the application process.

Prisma is an online private school, so you are not technically homeschooling in most areas when you enroll in Prisma. Because K-12 education is regulated at the state (and even local school district) level, we aren’t able to provide a singular response for what notification you may be required to provide or what steps you may need to take where you live. We’ve found that the majority of US states simply require a family to formally withdraw their child from public school—typically by filling out a form that can be obtained either online and/or at your local public school where you state the reason for not attending public school as attending private school instead. 

A minority of US states classify students who attend an online private school not specifically based in the student’s state of residence as homeschooled. To our present knowledge, CA, LA, MA, MD, NY and PA operate this way. If you live in one of those US states, you can reach out to your local district to learn how to homeschool in your local area.

You can also read about homeschooling in your state here or in your country (if located outside of the US) here.

Yes! We have many siblings at Prisma. (We recommend that your children each have access to a computer rather than sharing one).