How to Apply
STEPS
- Program and Place Video
- Virtual Admission Visits
- Self-Guided Family Tour
- Online Application
- Parent / Guardian Interview
- Student Assessments / Visits
- Notifications & Family Decision Deadline
- 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.
Virtual Admission Visits
Mid-October - January
A vital part of learning about MCDS is at our Virtual Admission Visits where you will have the opportunity to meet our Head of School, Katherine Dinh, as well as our Admission Team. These visits will include small break-out "tour groups" hosted by current MCDS parents. We ask that you view the Program and Place Video prior to attending one of these Virtual Admission Visits. This event is a required part of the Admission process.
Click here for virtual admission visit dates. Please submit an inquiry through our online admission portal, Ravenna, for a link to reserve your space.
If you require special accommodations or a Spanish or Mandarin language translator, please email us at admission@mcds.org.
Self-Guided Family Tour
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.
Online Application
After a campus tour, prospective families will 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 2021-22 school year is closed. We will open the admission season for the 2022-23 school year 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 Interview
Parent/Guardian Interviews will be offered virtually for the 2020/21 Admission Season.
After a tour and once an online admission account 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 family; any/all parents or guardians are expected to attend.
Student Assessments / Visits
Kindergarten
In response to the continued impact of COVID-19, a number of Bay Area independent schools are changing our approach to Kindergarten Screening this year. In the past, families were required to visit each school in person in order to complete their required kindergarten assessment. For the 2020-21 admission season, MCDS will accept one set of Shared Kindergarten Videos in lieu of the previously required kindergarten visit. Videos can be filmed on a cell phone in the comfort of your home or any other setting. No special preparation, materials, or equipment will be required. Detailed instructions on how to complete this requirement will be communicated directly to parents when they apply.
Grades 1-5
Grade 6
Virtual Assessment: Grade 6 applicants are required to attend virtual Admission Day that will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2021 from 9:30 am to 11:00 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.
Supplemental Testing Information: Applicants are required to delegate any standardized test scores collected over the past two years, in addition to transcripts. Tests such as STAR, CAASPP or ERBs all suffice. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Lowell Abbott at labbott@mcds.org.
Grade 7
Virtual Assessments: Applicants to grade 7 will be required to attend Admission Day, which is held virtually on Saturday, January 30, 2021 from 9:30 am to 11 am. More details are provided in your Ravenna dashboard.
Supplemental Testing Information: Applicants are required to delegate any standardized test scores collected over the past two years, in addition to transcripts. Tests such as STAR, CAASPP or ERBs all suffice. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Lowell Abbott at labbott@mcds.org.
Grade 8
Notifications & Family Decision Deadline
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 18, 2021. Families will have until 10 a.m. on March 25 to accept or deny admission offers.
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. For this admission season, we will be offering virtual meetings. 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 Hub 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.
ENTRY POINTS
We encourage you to apply if you feel MCDS would be a good place 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; however there is not an absolute cut-off date. We have a developmental program that is appropriate for a range of children and waiting an extra year is not necessarily an automatic benefit.
- 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 twenty 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 based on attrition, so therefore difficult to predict exact number of yearly openings.
MCDS does not currently accept applications to eighth grade.
DATES & LINKS
Important Dates
- Oct 23, 2020: MCDS sibling, faculty, staff applications due for Kindergarten applicants only
- January 14, 2021: Applications due for new families
- January 14, 2021: Applications due for
indexed tuition - March 18, 2021: Admission Notifications available in your Ravenna account at 12:00 pm PST
- March 25, 2021: Family Reply deadline is 10:00am PST sharp
Helpful Links
- Log in to your Ravenna Hub account (current applicants only)
- Apply for
indexed tuition (MCDS School Code is 4858)