How to Apply

Create a Ravenna account to sign up for school information sessions, visits, and to submit your application.

• The Ravenna platform allows families to manage multiple applications in one place. Complete your child’s student profile on Ravenna (including uploading their photo on the profile page).
• From the School Directory, select Park Day School and click Explore or Apply. You will then be able to register for Park Day admission events.
• Your Ravenna account will display a checklist for your application to Park Day. Each step will be marked as complete by our office as your documents are received and processed.

Register for a School Information Session

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

• In-person visits begin in November, pandemic conditions permitting. First priority registration is for those who have attended or registered for an online information session.

• If you have a specific question in advance of the information session or interview, you are invited to sign up for a conversation with Director of Admissions  josie.agshapiro@parkdayschool.org. This is an optional step and best for families with specific questions rather than for families desiring general information or a school overview.

Kindergarten Readiness

• Children must have turned five years old no later than September 30  in the year they start kindergarten.
• Students applying to 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 510-496-5151 to check in.

Begin the Application

Applications are completed through Ravenna and include:

• Parent/Guardian Application form and application fee ($65 until Dec 13, $95 thereafter). Contact josie.agshapiro@parkdayschool.org if a fee waiver is needed.
• Student Video Questionnaire (grades 2-8): Students answer questions via video, and upload video url through the Ravenna form as directed.
• Teacher recommendations (one for K-5th, two for 6th, 7th & 8th) and complete transcripts for two years (grades 1-8 only).
• Indexed Tuition applications due January 17 through the SSS system. Our SSS school code is 5669. Learn more about affordability, and contact 510-496-5151 if you’d like to apply for the tuition indexing program after the deadline.
• 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.
• Please note that Park Day does not use standardized testing as part of our assessment process. We will not consider standardized test scores even if they are submitted.

Teacher recommendation forms are required for all applicants, and are due no later than Jan 24, 2022.

• 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. PDF versions of forms available here.
• 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.

Upon receipt of your application, you will be invited to register for a parent interview, and will receive information about the student assessment.

• Parent interviews are conducted via Zoom, and registration is available following submission of the parent/guardian application. Interviews provide an opportunity for adults to talk with a member of the school leadership team to share more about your child, and ask us any questions. Length of interview will vary depending on number of questions parents may have. Conversations typically last for 15 – 20 minutes.
• Student assessment requirements vary by grade level and details are provided on Ravenna. Depending on pandemic conditions, assessments will either take place in-person or online.

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

Admissions decisions are based on elements submitted during the application process, including the screening of the child and interviews with the family to determine a student’s academic and social readiness. In evaluating children for admission to any grade or class, the school considers the child’s strengths, needs, personality, and learning style in relation to the needs and functioning of the class as a whole.

• 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 the tuition indexing program will be notified of their tuition amount 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.

After the application deadline, we accept rolling applications for the waitpool, and may have limited space available in certain grades (email josie.agshapiro@parkdayschool.org to inquire). If you are interested in applying after the regular deadline has passed, please submit an application through Ravenna. We stop accepting applications for the waitpool at the end of August.