ADMISSION NOTES FOR UPPER SCHOOL: Admission requirements to the Upper School are listed below but it is important to understand how the criteria for admissions work. Students entering the Upper School are facing four years of challenging college-preparatory academic work. All of our courses are Honors courses or Advanced Placement courses which require consistent work and study habits to keep up with the expectations. In our admission process, we seek students who have strong basic skills, proven study skills and work habits through their performance in middle school and also have a desire to attend a smaller high school where anonymity simply does not exist. Students who do best in our environment tend to be those who can focus their attention in class and in study times, who enjoy the closeness with faculty and peers that comes with small classes, and who engage themselves in more than just the academic life of the school. Many of our Upper School students can be termed "Renaissance persons" as they do, in fact, develop a wide range of talents and leadership in the school.
TIME FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS: Due to limited space availability, applications for admission will be accepted once the parent has gathered sufficient information upon which to make a decision. Applications for admission during the current School year will be considered only if spaces are available. Application submission does not guarantee admission. This is determined by entrance assessments specific to each grade level.
APPLICANT POOLS: Those applicants for whom no space is immediately available will be assigned to the applicant wait pool. Places will be filled from this group of qualified students as they occur.
PREFERENCES IN ADMISSION: In considering applications, the Admissions Committee will grant preference to students who have brothers or sisters already enrolled at Marywood-Palm Valley School. Equivalent applicants will be admitted based on the date of application.
Applicants will not be considered for admissions until the following have been completed:
- The completed application form and fee are submitted.
- Academic records/standardized test scores from the previous school are received.
- Required entrance tests are completed or copies of acceptable standardized tests are submitted.
- The requisite recommendations from previous teachers are received.
- The family is interviewed by the Head of School or Director of Admissions.
Once the student has been accepted, but before the student attends, parents must also submit the following:
- A signed Enrollment Contract.
- The California School Immunization Record.
- The Field Trip/Emergency Waiver and Release.
All information contained in these documents shall be held in strict confidence and used only as necessary to serve the student's well-being.
