How to Apply

Start a conversation with Admissions Director josie.agshapiro@parkdayschool.org or 510-653-0317 x101.

Browse Online Viewbook

Request Printed Viewbook

Tour Registration

• Weekday Parent Tours take place on Thursday or Friday mornings beginning at 8:45am. Tours occur weekly October – December, and monthly thereafter. Following a tour of classrooms and campus, there is a 10am Q&A with school leadership.

• Weekend Open Houses take place on weekend dates in November and December from 10am to 12pm. Activities are available for students, and adults visit classrooms and/or participate in mini-classes with Park Day teachers.

• Other events, including  family mixers, are offered in January and/or early February.

• Contact josie.agshapiro@parkdayschool.org
  to schedule a visit during the spring and summer.

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

A complete application includes:

• Parent/Guardian Application form and application fee due by January 13 ($65 by the early December deadline; $90 thereafter. Contact us if a fee waiver is needed.)
• Teacher recommendations (one for K-6th, two for 7th & 8th) and complete transcripts for two years (grades 1-8 only) due no later than January 17.
• Financial aid applications are due by January 17 through the SSS system. Learn more about affordability. Our SSS school code is 5669.
• All aspects of the parent application can be completed online, and school forms can be emailed electronically from the application portal directly to your child’s teacher.

Download Kindergarten Recommendation Form

Download 1-8 Recommendation Form

Download Transcript Release Form

Teacher recommendation forms are required for all applicants, and are due no later than January 17.

• Email your child’s teacher an electronic recommendation form through the online application portal in the “Action Items” section.
• We use the shared EBISA 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 EBISA schools.
• Transcript Release Forms are required for grade 1-8 applicants. As a time-saving measure to facilitate the application process, you are encouraged to also upload transcripts directly through the online application.
• 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 EBISA 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

Learn About Student Visit

Upon receipt of your application, you will be invited to sign up for your child’s visit and assessment.

• Visit dates fill up quickly. If you have scheduling concerns, please submit your application early to guarantee a choice of dates.
• Student visits vary by age. Assessments help us observe students in a group setting and are only one aspect of our admission process.
• We know that being in a new place, surrounded by new people can be challenging. Our teachers and learning specialists are expertly trained to facilitate these visits.

• Park Day will send admission decisions electronically on Thursday, March 19, 2020.
  • Tuition information for the upcoming school year will be included in the acceptance packets.
  • 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 no later than 10:00 AM on Thursday March 26, 2020.
  • We know that choosing a school is a monumental decision, and are here to support you every step of the way.