Admission Process
Visit Old Orchard
The admission process begins with a tour for parents; prospective students are always welcome. All tours are scheduled and general admission questions may be answered
by calling (408) 378-5935; visitors are also welcome to contact the
admission office via email.
School-year tours are scheduled in the morning on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Typically, tours start around 9 a.m. allowing visitors to observe core academic classes and to have an opportunity to meet with teachers. During Summer Break tours are scheduled Monday through Thursday.
Submit a complete Admission Application
All applicants must submit a completed application for admission
with a non-refundable $100 application fee. This includes all application forms and required supporting materials, such as recommendations, transcripts and test scores. Eligible candidates are
admitted, in part, according to the date on which the school first received
their application. Siblings receive preference for admission. You may download the entire admission packet, including all of the information provided here; or you are welcome to call or email us and request a printed packet.
We cannot begin the evaluation process until we receive a completed admission application and all supporting materials.
Arrange for your child to be evaluated
Pre-Kindergarten (K1): Applicants are evaluated individually and are accepted and enrolled as they apply. Families are encouraged to apply early. Spaces in Pre-Kindergarten are limited and the class fills up quickly. Preference is given to Old Orchard siblings. Otherwise, preference is given to eligible applicants who apply earliest. Old Orchard Pre-K students are given first priority for enrollment in Kindergarten. Pre-K Students should be 4 years old by the time they start school.
Kindergarten (K2): Applicants are evaluated in small groups in late January and early February. Among eligible applicants, first preference is given to Old Orchard siblings. Students are then offered a place at Old Orchard according to when they first applied. The school will make some exceptions to keep a good balance of boys and girls in the class but, again, it is very important to apply early. Students should be 5 years old when they start Kindergarten.
Grades 1-8: Applicants "audit" or shadow for three school days at Old Orchard. If your student wishes to join Old Orchard during the current school year, the audit should be scheduled as early as possible. If you wish to enroll for the following school year (2010-2011), the audit should be scheduled in January or February or later. We appreciate that the audit is a significant time commitment, but it works. Our retention of applicants who complete the full audit is nearly 100 percent. Private school is a significant investment for families and we know that changing schools is very disruptive to a child's education and social development. Our goal is to ensure that Old Orchard is the best school for your child and your family before you enroll.
Provide required transcripts, recommendations & supporting materials
Pre-Kindergarten: Applicants should be 4 years old by September. They are evaluated individually. Pre-school records, samples of school work and a teacher recommendation will be requested by Old Orchard, as needed.
Kindergarten: Applicants should be 5 years old by September. Kindergarten applicants are typically evaluated in small groups in January and February for admission the following school year. Kindergarten students who wish to join the class after the start of the regular school year are required to provide records and a teacher recommendation from their current school.
Grades 1 through 8:
- Grades 1-4 applicants should provide the following:
- Complete grades for the current and previous school year.
- Their most recent standardized test scores.
- One teacher recommendation from their primary teacher.
- Grades 5-8 applicants should provide the following:
- Complete grades for the current and previous two school years.
- Their most recent standardized test scores.
- Two teacher recommendations: one from their current math teacher; one from their current Language Arts/English teacher. If applicants do not have separate teachers for these subjects, they may submit a recommendation from another academic teacher or their school principal or dean.
