How to Apply

View the MCDS Program and Place video now

Get to know MCDS through a comprehensive video tour which will help you walk through our beautiful campus and get more information about our program. Please register for either a Campus Tour (weekday) and/or Self-Guided Family Tour (weekend) to visit our campus. Register for an event through Ravenna. 

Mid-October - January

A vital part of learning about MCDS is at our in-person Campus Tours where you will have the opportunity to meet our Head of School, Katherine Dinh, our Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Division Heads, and our Admission Team.  These visits will include an extensive on campus tour hosted by current MCDS parents. We are excited to have the opportunity to have parents/guardians on campus this year, however in following safety protocols, all indoor classrooms and buildings will be inaccessible to parents/guardians during the tour. Thus, we ask that you view the Program and Place Video prior to attending, as this will offer a closer look at our curriculum and community. This event is a required part of the Admission process. Please note that parents/guardians may alternatively choose to visit our campus during the weekend for a Self-Guided Family Tour to fulfill this admission step. Please register for all events through Ravenna. 

Click here to find Campus Tour dates. Please submit an inquiry through our online admission portal, Ravenna, to start the admission process.

If you require special accommodations or a Spanish or Mandarin language translator, please email us at admission@mcds.org.

Are you a preschool director, educational consultant, or partner program representative interested in touring MCDS? We'd love to have you attend a Campus Tour! Please email NJ Han (nhan@mcds.org) to sign up.  

Weekends from Mid-October - February

Visit the beautiful 35 acre campus in Corte Madera, just 9 miles from Golden Gate Bridge.  In accordance with social distancing guidelines, attendance is staggered at these events.  The tours are marked with wayfinding signs and self-guided.  Parents/guardians can feel free to bring children along as there are activities along the way for the whole family.  Click here to register for a Self-Guided Family Tour.  This event is optional and may also fulfill the 'campus tour' admission step.

After a visit on our campus, prospective families may continue the application process online through our admission portal, Ravenna. You may start your inquiry process here by creating your child's personal account and registering for a campus tour and other school-related events. 

Ready to apply? The admission season for the 2022-23 school year will open in early September. Click here to apply. 

NOTE:

• We do not accept applications to 8th grade.
• Application fee is $100, is payable online by credit card, and goes toward the cost of assessing applicants. 

Parent/Guardian interviews will be offered virtually for the 2021-22 admission season.

After a tour and once an online admission profile has been created in Ravenna, a 30-minute interview may be scheduled with a member of our admission team through your Ravenna account. 

These conversations offer an opportunity to meet a team member in person and engage in an informal exchange. Only one interview is needed per child; twins can be discussed in the same interview. Any/all parents or guardians are expected to attend.

After the admission checklist has been completed, applications have been processed, and assessment results have been gathered, the Admission Committee will post final decisions through your Ravenna account on March 17, 2022. Families will have until 10 AM on March 24 to accept or deny admission offers.

We welcome applicants who live outside of the Bay Area and outside of the United States.  We also want to personally meet all applicants and their parent(s)/guardian(s) during the application process. For this admission season, we will be offering virtual meetings and alternative plans for on campus visits.  This meeting is a significant priority for us as we look to make connections with new families and get to know applicants as deeply as possible. 

Through your Ravenna account, you can complete your child's application, sign up for events such as a tour, an interview and an assessment date for your child. For more information contact NJ Han at nhan@mcds.org for Kindergarten applicant families or Lowell Abbott at labbott@mcds.org for those families applying to grades 1-7.