Home Admissions Life after Park Day
Three Park Day alumni (one current high school student, one current college student, and one college graduate) speak about their experience transitioning from Park Day to High School.
Innovators and communicators, changemakers and thinkers—Park Day School alumni are empathetic leaders who move confidently through schooling and life. Though their educational and professional paths are varied and their work diverse, they carry with them a love of learning, confidence in who they are and what they bring to the table, a special ability to honor different perspectives, and a commitment to help the world become a better place.
The high school exploration and application process is integrated into the 8th grade year at Park Day. The 8th grade curriculum is excellent preparation for many different kinds of high schools.
Park Day School provides preparation for the high school transition and application process during a weekly 8th Grade meeting period. Many of these meetings include visits from various Bay Area high schools, as well as application support.
Park Day offers support for parents including “Introduction to the High School Admissions Process for 8th Grade Parents” and an alumni panel featuring recent Park Day graduates. The Middle School Director leads the high school placement process and offers support for families.
After graduating, Park Day School students go on to a variety of high schools around the Bay Area. We work individually with students and families to carefully select the high school program that is best for each student.
In 2020 67% of Park Day graduates chose to attend independent or parochial schools, and 33% chose to enroll in their local public high school. 90% of Park Day graduates are accepted to their first and/or second high school of choice. In recent years, the average freshman-year GPA of Park Day graduates is between 3.7 and 3.74.
The Park Day graduating class of 2020 matriculated to the following high schools:
Recent Park Day graduates have attended the following colleges and universities. Approximately 60% of Park Day School alums from the last ten years are attending colleges and universities named as top 100 schools from US News and World Reports and Forbes.
Park Day School’s approach to Progressive Education prepares students for active participation in a democratic society, in the context of a child-centered environment, and with an enduring commitment to social justice.
Park Day builds student skills to teach young people how to take risks, think critically, be flexible, and thrive in life and subsequent schooling.