How to Apply

Throughout the fall we will host a series of virtual events and post digital content to the admission pages of our website to help prospective families understand the admission and financial aid processes and hear from our faculty, administrators, parents, and students. We invite you to join any event that is of interest to your family and will help you better understand what we mean when we say Greenwich Country Day School develops ethical, confident learners and leaders with a strong sense of purpose. 

Learn more about our virtual events including our Tiger Tuesday information sessions. 

Follow these steps to get started and please make note of the stated deadlines. If any aspect of the admission process is difficult for you to complete due to current circumstances, please let us know. 

Important First Step: Submit Your Application

Applying to Nursery or Pre-Kindergarten:
Submit your application and fee through the GCDS Admission Portal.  If you have previously applied to GCDS, please use the same username and password associated with your previous GCDS online application. Be sure to confirm the GCDS age requirements for your grade level of interest before starting your application.  Fee waivers available with demonstrated need. 
 
After submitting your application you will receive a link to schedule your Zoom interview.

Note: If you also have a child applying to GCDS for Kindergarten-Grade 11, you will apply through the SAO. Please make sure that the parent or guardian listed first, and their associated email address, is the same on your SAO and GCDS Portal applications.

Applying to Kindergarten - Grade 11:
Submit your application through EMA’s Standard Application Online (SAO). Be sure to confirm the GCDS age requirements for your grade level of interest before starting your SAO application.

A few notes to get you started with the SAO:

1. Complete the Student Profile and submit the $75 non-refundable fee as soon as possible, but no later than December 15.  Fee waivers available with demonstrated need. 
   
   After submitting your application, you will receive a link to schedule your Zoom interview.
    
2. The required supplemental forms are due January 15. 

If you have additional questions about completing your SAO application, please refer to the Standard Application FAQs. For technical assistance contact the SAO Family Hotline at (609) 683-4440.

In response to the pandemic all parent/guardian and student (Grades 6-12) interviews will be conducted through Zoom. Students applying to Grades 6 or higher should plan to be interviewed via Zoom on the same date and time as their parents/guardians. Families with children applying to both Middle and Upper School should schedule a Zoom interview for each division.

Current GCDS parents are invited but not required to schedule an interview. Sibling applicants to Grades 6 or higher must schedule a Zoom interview. 

Schedule Upper School
Interview   Schedule Nursery- Grade 8
Interview

Note: If any member of your group may benefit from a specific accommodation, such as an interpreter, please notify the Admission Office as soon as possible at (203) 863-5610.

Testing and/or student screening remain a required and helpful part of our process. For the safety of our applicants, testing and screening will be conducted virtually for most grade levels. We remain committed to being responsive to health guidelines and the needs of our applicant families. These requirements may be adjusted as needed.

Nursery-Grade 2
Candidates will have video and/or Zoom assessments to evaluate readiness for our academic program. Details will be shared with applicant families in late fall.

Grades 3 and 4:
All applicants for grades 3 and 4 are required to take two sections of the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) CTP 5 test.

• CTP 5 Testing will be offered at GCDS on Saturday, December 5, 2020. Registration will be limited and may only be open to GCDS applicants.

Please note:

• The CTP 5 is administered at several participating independent schools in the Greenwich area. Families may register to test at any school serving as a test site and request that scores be sent to any of the participating schools. 
• To register, download and send the Common Admissions Testing and Registration form and $75 fee to the school where the testing will take place. Fee waivers are available for GCDS applicants who test at GCDS; contact the GCDS Admission Office for additional information.
• CTP 5 testing should be completed by January 15. Early registration is encouraged as space is limited at all test sites. 

Grades 5–11
Students applying for grades 5-11 are required to take either the Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) or the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT).  In some cases, we may accept the results from another standardized test or educational evaluation that a student has completed in the past year.

Note: GCDS will not serve as a test site during the 2020-2021 admission season. Both the ISEE and SSAT offer “At Home” test options.

• To register, visit www.iseetest.org or www.ssat.org. 
• Please list GCDS as a score recipient using the following school codes: ISEE 071009 or SSAT 3580. 
• Early registration is encouraged as space is limited at all test sites. 

Current Teacher Recommendations help us better understand each child as a learner and as a community member. The appropriate, required recommendation forms can be found within your online application site. From  the online site, parents can email a request for the required recommendation form(s) and school records directly to the appropriate adults and school officials. We strongly suggest that parents do not initiate this request prior to November 1. The deadline to receive Teacher Recommendations and School Records is January 15.  

Note: If the applicant’s current school does not allow teachers or school officials to provide recommendations, please ask one individual who has worked with your child in a setting outside the classroom (eg. a sports coach, a religion teacher, or music instructor) to complete the SAO Personal Recommendation.
 

Students applying to Grades 9-11 should upload a piece of written work submitted during the 2020-21  academic year. The writing sample does not have to be graded by a teacher.

In addition, although not required, we welcome the submission of any creative work that represents the academic or extra-curricular interests of the applicant. Students can upload multimedia submissions through their GCDS SAO application. 

Login to the GCDS Admission Portal (N-PK) or the SAO (K-11) to monitor the status of your application and receipt of supplemental forms. 

GCDS will notify families of admission decisions by March 1. We appreciate the time and attention that your family will devote to this process and your interest in GCDS. Our Admission Team looks forward to working with you and your family as you make this important decision for your child.