Some of New York City’s most prestigious private girls’ schools have begun opening their doors to transgender students.

The Brearley School on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, which is among the most academically rigorous institutions in the city, announced on Monday that all applicants who consider themselves female are welcome to apply. And if students no longer identify as female after they enroll, they can continue on at the school.

The Spence School, another elite school on the Upper East Side, announced a similar policy in May.

“Brearley reaffirms its mission as a leader in girls’ education, and going forward will consider all applicants who identify as girls,” the school said in a policy statement called a Statement on Gender Diversity. “In the instance that a current Brearley student no longer identifies as a girl, the school is committed to supporting the child and the family as appropriate to navigate the challenges inherent in being a transgender student in a girls’ school.”

Indeed, the statement was firm that Brearley, which was founded in 1884 as a girls’ school, remained one.