How to Apply

All students who wish to enroll at PCDS must participate in a selective application process. This process occurs during the admissions season (September to February) prior to the upcoming school year for which they hope to enroll. PCDS does not have a lottery or rolling list for future enrollment. 

Each year, the PCDS admissions season runs from early September through early February. There is no advantage in submitting an application sooner rather than later within the window of that admissions season. 

In September, campus tours begin and the online application becomes available. All required application items must be finished by early February in order to be considered for admission. During the month of February, our admissions committees review all completed applications. Decisions regarding admission to the school for the following school year are posted in early March.

It is rare for PCDS to be able to accept late applications outside the admissions season. PCDS does not admit students mid-year.

The online application for admission to the 2025-2026 school year is available.

All prospective students complete an application (see below for application requirements). Through this process, we hope to understand each student as a learner and community member in order to ensure the right match between the student and our school's learning environment. Admission to PCDS is selective; a completed application does not guarantee enrollment at the school.

First Step

Complete the 2025-2026 Candidate Information Form to establish your myPCDS account and access the Admissions Portal. (If you already have an account, you'll be directed to log in.) Initiate the application by completing the required tasks.

Next Steps

Once an application is initiated, additional required tasks will appear in the candidate's checklist. (See below for an explanation of all application requirements.) Certain tasks cannot be completed until later in the admissions process. An application is considered complete when all required tasks are checked off.

All application checklist items need to be scheduled or completed by February 1 for a candidate to be considered for admission.

Entry Points
While we welcome applications for grades Pre-k through 11, the following grade levels are our main entry points with built-in spaces for new students:

Pre-kindergarten
Kindergarten
3rd grade
5th grade
6th grade
9th grade

Space in a non-entry grade is rare and depends on attrition. PCDS does not accept applications for grade 12. Please reach out to the admissions team if you have questions.

Age Requirements
To be considered for admission into our Pre-kindergarten program for the 2025-2026 school year, children must be 4 years old by September 1, 2025. (A child could be 3 years old going through the admissions process.)

To be considered for admission into our Kindergarten program for the 2025-2026 school year, children must be 5 years old by September 1, 2025. (A child could be 4 years old going through the admissions process.)

Though PCDS has non-US citizens who are enrolled at the school, PCDS does not have programming designed specifically to accommodate international students. As a day school, we do not provide housing for students, and PCDS does not issue the I-20, which is the necessary paperwork for a student visa. In addition, PCDS does not have an English language development program for students who need support with their English language skills.

The online application asks for family and student information and includes questions to be answered by parents (grades pre-k - 11) and students (grades 5 - 11). 

All required application checklist items need to be scheduled or completed by February 1 for a candidate to be considered for admission.

The $75 fee is paid online as part of the application initiation.

Fee waivers are available for families needing financial assistance and for children of PCDS alumni. Please contact the PCDS Admissions Office to receive a fee waiver code.

Campus tours are available from September to February only for families interested in applying for the 2025-2026 school year. If you are interested in PCDS beyond the 2025-2026 school year, please consider attending PCDS Open House on November 3.

Tours are scheduled online. To schedule an admission meeting/campus tour, first complete the 2025-2026 Candidate Information Form to establish your myPCDS account and access the Admissions Portal where you will schedule your tour. (If you already have an account, you'll be directed to log in.)

As part of the application process, at least one parent/guardian is required to schedule a meeting with a member of the admissions team. This on-campus meeting includes a campus tour and is our opportunity to get to know your family and your educational priorities, and also answer questions you might have about PCDS. For grades 5-11, the student should attend this tour/meeting.

Transcripts and report cards from the current school after at least the first full marking period are required for all PCDS applicants for Grades 1-11. For Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, we ask for the most recent progress reports.

If the student has done any kind of standardized testing in the past two years at their current school, please ask the school to share test score reports as part of the student’s transcript.

Download a Transcript Release Form.
Please do not submit this form to your school until after December 1.

Teacher recommendations are required for all PCDS applicants. Please note that teacher recommendations must be completed after at least the first full marking period of the current school year. Applicant families will send online recommendation requests from within the PCDS Admissions Portal after December 1.

Teacher recommendations forms are submitted by the teachers to PCDS and remain confidential.

In our effort to understand each applicant’s learning profile, the PCDS admissions committee aims to be thorough and thoughtful in its review of a student’s readiness for our school program. Access to skills-based achievement testing and/or aptitude testing is helpful in completing a student’s application to PCDS.

PCDS will administer admissions assessments on select Saturdays in January and February. Registration for assessments is available in the Admissions Portal.

If you are applying from out of the area or are unable to come to campus for a Saturday assessment: 

• For students applying to Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, or 1st grade, we will accept a completed evaluation administered by a child psychologist (such as the WPPSI).
• For students applying to grades 2 - 10, PCDS accepts the ISEE, which can be taken at a local testing center, with an independent education consultant, or online with the ISEE At-Home. Students must register and pay for the test independently and share the scores with PCDS. For students applying to grades 6 - 11, we also accept SSAT.
• A student applying to grade 11 should submit their PSAT scores in lieu of our admissions assessment.

Please contact the admissions team if you have questions or want to discuss assessment alternatives.

The shadow classroom visit gives the applicant the opportunity to observe classes, meet teachers and students, and experience a typical day at PCDS, and it's also our chance to get to know the applicant better!

A student must be an applicant to schedule a shadow classroom visit. All applicants to grades 1-11 will shadow a portion of the school day as part of the application process. The online application is available on September 1, and a student must initiate an application to register for the shadow classroom visit.

Shadow classroom visits for grades 9-11 begin in November.
Shadow classroom visits for grades 1-8 begin in January.

Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten applicants will participate in a Saturday Play Date, and they will register for that visit in the Admissions Portal.

If your family is interested in applying for need-based financial assistance, the financial aid application will become available in November and will be due February 1.

For information about the financial aid program at PCDS and the Arizona Tax Credit options, and for application instructions, please review the Tuition & Affordability page.

Please contact Kristie Berg, PCDS Director of Financial Aid, to gather more information and ask any questions.