Lower School Admissions

LOWER SCHOOL ADMISSIONS

REQUIREMENTS

The Lower School application process varies by grade. Please be sure to follow the information for the specific grade that you are interested in for your child. If you have any questions, feel free to contact a member of our admissions team.

Age Requirement

Students applying to Junior Kindergarten must be 4-years-old by July 31, 2020 and students applying to Senior Kindergarten must be 5-years-old by July 31, 2020. The July 31, 2020 age requirement holds true for applicants for Grades 1 through 5.

Admissions Application Form

Complete and submit your child's application through Ravenna by clicking here. If you already have a Ravenna account, you may simply login to your account.

Once the application has been submitted, you will have access to the additional required forms. The nonrefundable application fee is $125. However, if you are applying for financial assistance, the nonrefundable application fee is $50. Please contact Jacquie Wilson, Director of Enrollment, if paying the application fee presents a difficulty for your family and we will waive the application fee.

Parent/Guardian Interview

Schedule a parent/guardian interview with Theresa Tran, Associate Director of Lower School Admissions, after submitting your child’s application. Interviews may be scheduled through your Ravenna account. We encourage you to schedule your parent/guardian interview as soon as possible and before February 1, 2020. Your child’s entire file does not need to be complete before scheduling the interview.

Appointments will become available beginning October 1. Any interview scheduled between October 1 and the end of December will include a tour. Appointments made after January 1 will be interview only with tours subject to availability.

Admissions Assessment

Schedule your child's admissions assessment:

For students applying to Junior Kindergarten, Senior Kindergarten and Grade 1 register for the admissions assessment through Ravenna.
For students applying to Grades 2 - 4, the registration process involves two steps:
1. Select an assessment date through Ravenna.
2. After scheduling a date, register for the test through Educational Records Bureau (ERB).
For students applying to Grade 5, register your child for the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) by clicking here. Your child may take the ISEE at any approved ISEE testing site. To release your score to us, please enter Parker's school code (052843) on the score recipient list. The ISEE needs to be taken by February 1, 2020.

Student Visit

If your child is applying to Grades 2 - 5, please schedule his/her classroom visit through Ravenna.

File Completion

For priority consideration, submit the following documents through Ravenna by February 1, 2020:

Admissions Application Form
Teacher Recommendation(s)
Parent Questionnaire

Please mail to the Lower School Admissions Office the following documents by February 1, 2020

Birth Certificate
Immunization Records

Request that the registrar at your child’s school mail your child’s transcript directly to Parker’s Admissions Office before February 1, 2020.

EXPERIENCE LOWER SCHOOL

Campus Tours

Campus Tours are a great way to learn more about Parker. Group tours are scheduled throughout the fall and are also offered during the Open Houses. On the tour, you will see classes in action and have an opportunity to learn more about Parker’s programs. Tours typically last 45 minutes and may be scheduled through Ravenna.

The Lower School Prospective Parent Group Tours are designed for adults. However, children may attend the Lower School Open House on December 7, 2019. Families may register for all Admissions events by sending your RSVP Here .

Starting October 1, parents are invited to meet in the front office and join us on group tours from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten tours will take place on Tuesdays and Grades 1-3 and 4-5 on alternating Thursdays.

Junior Kindergarten/Senior Kindergarten: October 1, 8, 15 (9:30-10:30), November 19

Grades 1-3: October 3, 24, November 7, November 22 (Friday)

Grades 4-5: October 10, October 30 (Wednesday), November 14

Prospective Parent Coffees

Please join us in learning more about the grade level you are interested in applying to. Guests will have the opportunity to hear from our Lower School administrative team about our program as well as see students engaged in classroom activities. Coffees will be 8:00-9:00 a.m. starting at the Mission Hills campus.

September 24: JK/SK Prospective Parent Coffee

October 22: JK-Grade 2 Grade Prospective Parent Coffee

November 12: Grades 3-5 Prospective Parent Coffee

January 15: JK/SK Prospective Parent Coffee

Location: Mission Hills Campus
Considine Library
4201 Randolph Street
San Diego, CA 92103

Open House

Prospective students and parents are invited to attend the Francis Parker Lower School Open House. Families will have the opportunity to tour our Mission Hills campus as well as visit classrooms and meet our dynamic faculty. The morning will conclude with an admissions workshop led by Associate Director of Lower School Admission, Theresa Tran. Families are requested to RSVP using Ravenna.

The Lower School Open House will be on Saturday, December 7, 2019 from 8:00 am - 11:00 am.

Visitors' Day

Visitors’ Days at Parker are opportunities for interested students to shadow a current Parker student. This shadowing experience is an excellent chance for applicants to meet Parker students and faculty in order to gain an idea of what it would be like to attend our School. Visiting the campus is required for students applying to grades 2–5.

Visitors’ Days will take place from January 23, 2020 to February 4, 2020 and are one of the final steps in the admissions process. You may schedule the Visitors' Day through Ravenna after your child's application has been submitted. We recommend that applicants wear a solid-colored polo and khaki shorts or pants when visiting. RSVP Here

Academic Presentations

Join Bob Gillingham, Lower School Head; Heather Gray, Assistant Head of Lower School; and Theresa Tran, Associate Director of Lower School Admissions, for a presentation on the curriculum in the Lower School. Gain insight into the philosophy behind our academic approaches and programs, learn about the well-aligned scope and sequence across the grades and come see for yourself the development of thinking and learning Parker students experience in their Lower School years. RSVP Here

Available dates: December 17 at 8:30 a.m. or January 16 at 5:00p.m.

Mission Hills Campus:
4201 Randolph Street
San Diego, CA 92103

Campus Parking Info

The Lower School campus is located in the Mission Hills neighborhood, and public street parking is available near the school entrance. Please help us respect our neighbors by not blocking driveways and fire lanes.