FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do you have a birthday cut-off date for kindergarten applicants?
A: Yes. Children must be five years old by September 1 to be eligible to apply for kindergarten. We know that many children may be developmentally ready for a kindergarten program before they are five years old. St. Paul’s established the cut-off date of September 1 in an attempt to minimize the age disparity in grades throughout the school.
Q: How do I make arrangements to tour and visit the classrooms?
A: Please call the Admissions Office at 510-285-9617 to reserve a spot in a school tour. St. Paul’s strongly urges all adults involved in the decision about school choice to attend a tour.
Q: What kind of admissions test is administered at St. Paul’s?
A: St. Paul’s evaluates applicants for age-appropriate academic and social skills during group assessment meetings on Saturday mornings in January and February. During the assessment period, parents are invited to coffee and conversation on the mezzanine with current St. Paul’s parents and our Head of School, Karan Merry.
Q: Does St. Paul’s offer financial assistance?
A: Yes. The School offers a sliding scale tuition assistance program. Applicants must meet required deadlines to be considered for a tuition assistance grant and to receive that grant with the enrollment contract. Contact the Admissions Office- --- 510.285.9617 --- or see the calendar at the bottom of the Overview page of the Admissions tab on the school’s website.
Q: How can I receive an application for admission?
A: Applications to St. Paul’s are available at the end of the tour. For deadlines, contact Admissions Office --- 510.285.9617 --- or see the calendar at the bottom of the Overview page of the Admissions tab on the school’s website.
Q: Can my child visit the school while it is in session?
A: Only Sixth Grade and Middle School applicants may visit the School. After an application is submitted, we schedule half-day visits during the morning until 12 noon. The applicant will shadow a current student, participate in the morning activities and tour the school.
Q: My child is in a school that does not write recommendations. How can we complete that part of the application?
A: Applicants from schools that do not write letters of recommendation may have another kind of teacher fill out the recommendation form. Some suggestions are coaches, music instructors, and tutors. What we are looking for is a sense of your child’s character.
Q: Do you have an after-school program? What are its offerings?
A: The St. Paul’s after-school program begins at the time your child is out of school and ends at 6 p.m. Offerings include art, computer, music lessons, flag football tournaments, cooking, Afro-Cuban dance, reading club, silent study hall and Japanese. In 2007-2008, the cost for full-time enrollment in the after-school program was $2,200 for the Lower School and $1,700 for Sixth Grade and Middle School.
Q: If I have applied and toured the school, what are other opportunities to visit St. Paul’s before I make my decision? The school provides you with special opportunity to visit the school the week in early March. The Middle School Last Look event is on March 4 from 8:45 to 10 a.m. and the Lower School Last Look event is on March 5 from 8:45 to 10 a.m. These events are an opportunity to talk with administrators and visit classrooms.
Q: When will St. Paul’s notify me about the school’s admission decisions (including tuition assistance allocation)?
A: All admissions decisions are mailed on Thursday, March 7, 2008. Included in the admissions letter is the tuition assistance allocation for the year. You have a week to decide, and all signed contracts with a deposit are due at noon on Friday, March 14, 2008.
