How to Apply
Thank you for considering Marin Country Day School for your family. The admission season for the 2023-24 academic school year is open! Please create an account through Ravenna to begin the application process and register for upcoming admission events. For any questions please email us at admission@mcds.org.
STEPS
- Program and Place Video
- Campus Tour
- Self-Guided Family Tour
- Online Application
- Parent / Guardian Interview
- Student Assessments / Visits
- Admission Decisions & Family Reply Deadline
- International and Out of Town Applicants
Program and Place Video
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.
Campus Tour
October 2022 - December 2022
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 Admission Team, along with other faculty and staff! These visits include an extensive campus tour hosted by current MCDS parents/guardians where you will get a sneak peek into the daily life of the MCDS community.
Please note that the campus tour is a required application step for families in the Admission process.
Click here to find Campus Tour dates and register through Ravenna. Please submit an inquiry through 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 Jenn Welch (jwelch@mcds.org) to sign up.
Self-Guided Family Tour
Weekends from October 2022 - January 2023
Visit the beautiful 35 acre campus in Corte Madera, just 9 miles from Golden Gate Bridge. The tours are marked with self-guided signs along the route. Families are invited to bring their children along as there are activities for the whole family to enjoy. Click here to register for a Self-Guided Family Tour. This event is optional.
Online Application
Ready to apply? The admission season for the 2023-24 academic school year is open! Prospective families can start the application process online here through our admission portal, Ravenna. Begin by creating your child's personal account and registering for a Campus Tour and other school-related events.
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 Interview
Once an online admission profile has been created in Ravenna, a 30-minute online interview may be scheduled with a member of our admission team through your Ravenna account.
These conversations provide an opportunity to meet with an admission team member to learn more about your child and your family. Only one interview is needed per child; although twins can be discussed in the same interview. Any/all parents or guardians are expected to attend the interview. For additional questions about the interview, please contact the admission team (admission@mcds.org).
*In an effort to make the application process more equitable and accessible for all families, interviews for the 2022-23 admission season will be conducted via Zoom. We recognize that making an additional trip to campus during the work day can pose challenges for some families. We are excited to offer many other opportunities to welcome you to our campus in person!
Student Assessments / Visits
Kindergarten & 1st grade
We invite rising Kindergarteners and first graders to an on-campus assessment and play date for an opportunity to experience the MCDS campus and to meet teachers and peers in person.
More details will be available on Ravenna for applying families.
Grades 2-5
Grade 6 & 7
Grade 6 and 7 applicants are required to attend the Upper School Admission Day that will be held on Saturday, January 28, 2023, from 8:15 AM to 10:30 AM. Applicants will meet Upper School faculty and other students applying for admission.
Supplemental Assessments: Grade 6 applicants will be required to submit supplemental assessments. More information is provided on your Ravenna dashboard.
Grade 8
Admission Decisions & Family Reply Deadline
International and Out of Town Applicants
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. 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 Jenn Welch at jwelch@mcds.org for Kindergarten applicant families, Keets Young at kyoung@mcds.org for students applying to grades 1-4, and Lowell Abbott at labbott@mcds.org for those families applying to grades 5-7.
ENTRY POINTS
We encourage you to apply if you feel MCDS would be a good community for your child and family!
LOWER SCHOOL APPLICANTS
- Kindergarten: Children who are five by August 31 in the year they would enroll are encouraged to apply.
- 1st-4th Grades: Admission to grades 1-4 is common, but based on attrition, so therefore difficult to predict exact number of yearly openings.
UPPER SCHOOL APPLICANTS
- 6th Grade: As students move from fifth to sixth grade, the program shifts from self-contained classrooms to a departmental structure and grade-level advisor groups. This format allows us to admit approximately 20-30 new students, expanding the size of the grade which broadens the social dynamic of the class.
- 5th and 7th Grades: Admission to grades 5 and 7 is common, but is based on attrition, so therefore difficult to predict exact number of yearly openings.
MCDS does not accept applications to eighth grade.
DATES & LINKS
Important Dates
- October 14, 2022: MCDS sibling, faculty, staff applications due for Kindergarten applicants only
- January 12, 2023: Applications due for new families
- January 12, 2023: Applications due for
Indexed Tuition - March 16, 2023: Admission Decisions posted in your Ravenna account at 12:00 PM PST
- March 23, 2023: Family Reply Deadline is 10:00 AM PST
Helpful Links
- Log in to your Ravenna account (current applicants only)
- Apply for
Indexed Tuition (MCDS School Code is 4858)