Admissions
Fall 2026
Tradewinds is Hawaiʻi's first school designed specifically for gifted learners.
We open in Fall 2026 in Honolulu. Our mission: provide gifted children an uncompromising education built for how their minds work—faster, deeper, hungrier for challenge. No speed limits on learning. Multiple paths through school. The kind of intellectual environment that didn't exist in Hawaiʻi until now.
What sets Tradewinds apart
- 8:1 teacher-to-scholar ratio—small enough for genuine mentorship, large enough for intellectual community
- Nationally renowned Head of School—a gifted educator with decades of experience leading top programs
- Developmental placement, not age-based—scholars work at their level, whether that's two years ahead or five
- A cohort of true peers—gifted children finally in a room full of kids who get them
Who Tradewinds is designed for
We serve gifted and profoundly gifted children in grades 1–5. These are children whose understanding runs years beyond grade level—the ones who exhaust every book on a topic, ask questions that stop adults in their tracks, and hunger for depth that typical classrooms cannot provide. Not every child belongs at Tradewinds. The children who do are remarkable.
Admission criteria
Primary admission criterion
Tradewinds School serves students whose learning profiles align with a highly advanced, fast-paced, and conceptually rich curriculum. For this reason, our primary admission criterion is a Full-Scale IQ score of 130 or above on the WISC-V cognitive assessment. The General Ability Index (GAI), which focuses on verbal and perceptual reasoning while excluding working memory and processing speed, can be considered as an alternative. Students at or above this level typically demonstrate the depth of reasoning, intuitive capacity, rapid learning pace, and intense curiosity that allow them to benefit most fully from our program's expectations and opportunities. This benchmark also helps ensure an academic environment where peers can learn, collaborate, and explore at comparable levels of depth, complexity, and intensity.
Alternative admission option
While a Full-Scale IQ score of 130 on the WISC-V or other standardized cognitive measure may be used as one indicator of advanced intellectual ability, we also recognize that conventional IQ tests can underrepresent the strengths of students from diverse cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds. To ensure a fair and inclusive process, applicants may pursue an Alternative Admission Option in place of the Full-Scale IQ score.
Under this option, a child may be admitted by demonstrating exceptional cognitive potential through one or more of the following:
- Alternative or culture-reduced assessments such as the Stanford-Binet, Leiter-3, UNIT-2, Raven's Progressive Matrices, Hawaiian HĀ framework, or NNAT
- Portfolio evidence of exceptional reasoning, creativity, systems thinking, or advanced academic engagement in areas such as mathematics, science, humanities, or creative production
- Teacher, specialist, or parent documentation reflecting accelerated learning trajectories, deep conceptual understanding, or unusually high capacities for inquiry and self-directed learning
- Performance tasks or work samples demonstrating advanced complexity, originality, or intuitive insight beyond age-level expectations
All materials submitted through the Alternative Admission Option will be reviewed holistically by the admissions committee to determine whether the child's abilities, learning profile, and potential align with the mission and academic expectations of the program.
This pathway ensures that students with advanced intellectual capacity—particularly those whose strengths may not be fully captured by a single standardized IQ score—have a fair and meaningful opportunity to be considered for admission.
How to apply
- Complete our application with information about your child
- We'll send you a link to submit a $100 application fee
- We assess all applicants for giftedness and program fit
Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis. We encourage families to apply early—spaces are limited and we are seeing strong demand.
Tuition
Families choosing Tradewinds are investing in an education that places their children on a trajectory other local schools cannot provide: extraordinary teacher-to-scholar ratios, nationally recognized leadership, and instructional tools curated to the highest standards.
Tuition is $36,000 per year.
Financial aid is available to qualified families.
Questions?
Reach out at info@tradewinds.school. We're happy to schedule a conversation for families who want to learn more about whether Tradewinds is the right fit.
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