How to Apply

Register for a Zoom Information Session through Ravenna (create an account first)

• October – January weekday information sessions include a welcome with Head of School, Angela Taylor, tour of campus, and Q&A with school leadership.

• Other events, including optional in-person afternoon hang-outs and playground playdates (health regulations permitting) are offered in January and/or early February for families who have submitted an application.

• Contact josie.agshapiro@parkdayschool.org
  to begin a conversation anytime.

During the spring and summer we accept rolling applications for admission in certain grades or for a place in our waitpool. If you are interested in applying through the rolling application process, please submit an application through Ravenna.

We will be happy to answer your individual questions during the parent interview scheduled upon receipt of your application. You are encouraged to sign up for a small group Zoom conversation (and video tour) with Director of Admissions or email josie.agshapiro@parkdayschool.org if you have questions prior to applying.

Kindergarten Readiness

• We recommend that children have turned five years old no later than September 30  in the year they start kindergarten.
• Call 510.496.5151 to check in about a student with an October birthday. We are happy to share more about our program and Kindergarten readiness.
• Students applying in grades 1-8 should be of an age that falls within the range of the rising class. If you have a child who is unusually old or young for their grade, call to check in.

Begin the Application

Applications are completed through Ravenna and include:

• Parent/Guardian Application form and application ($90. Contact us if a fee waiver is needed.)
• Teacher recommendations (one for K-5th, two for 6th, 7th & 8th) and complete transcripts for two years (grades 1-8 only).
• Students applying for 6th, 7th or 8th complete the Middle School Student Form via writing or with a video submission. Form available through the Ravenna application steps.
• Financial aid application priority deadline is January 14 through the SSS system. Our SSS school code is 5669. Learn more about affordability, and contact 510-496-5151 if financial aid is needed after January 14.
• All aspects of the parent application can be completed online, and recommendation forms can be delegated electronically directly to your child’s teacher through Ravenna.

Teacher recommendation forms are required for all applicants, and are due no later than Jan 21, 2021.

• Send your child’s teacher an electronic recommendation form through Ravenna (follow the Ravenna step titled “Teacher Recommendation (Required)”
• We use the Bay Area shared teacher recommendation forms. It is fine to ask your child’s teacher to make a copy of the completed recommendation form and send the same version to multiple schools if you are applying to other schools that do not use Ravenna.
• Transcript Release Forms are required for grade 1-8 applicants (print transcript release through Ravenna and upload your own copies of transcripts to facilitate the process).
• Some OUSD schools do not permit recommendations: if this applies to you, please arrange for a coach, activities teacher, or other adult who knows your child in a group setting, to fill out the teacher recommendation form.

ISEE scores are not accepted in the Park Day Admissions process.

“Over the past century, progressive schools have put a lot of effort and attention into developing effective alternative forms of assessment. Instead of the one-size-fits-all standardized exams (issued in schools and through many admissions processes)… Park Day School instead favors the sorts of evaluation supported by research and described in the landmark National Research Council report How People Learn…assessments that provide students with opportunities to revise and improve their thinking, and help teachers identify problems that need to be remedied.”

–  Excerpted from Loving Learning: How Progressive Education Can Save America’s Schools by Tom Little

Upon receipt of your 2021-2022 application, you will receive more information about the student assessment.

• The application process includes a parent interview, which you can register for once your application is complete.
• Applicant requirements including student interviews in certain grades, vary by grade level and are detailed on Ravenna.
• Assessments during our remote learning program differ from our in-person process and take place online or through video. Assessments are only one aspect of our admission process.

Should we move out of the current pandemic and be able to host in person visits, you can read more about what in-person visits are like.

• Park Day sends admission decisions electronically on a shared Bay Area schools notification date in March.
  • Tuition information for the upcoming school year will be included in the acceptance notice.
  • Families who have applied for financial assistance will be notified of any financial assistance allocation at the same time they receive their offer of admission.
  • To enroll, families must return signed enrollment contract and the required deposit within one week of receipt.
  • We know that choosing a school is a monumental decision, and are here to support you every step of the way.