Student Visits & Parent Interviews

Once the application and application fee are received, families are contacted by the Admission Office to schedule a visit to Grace Episcopal Day School for their children as well as a Parent Interview.

In Nursery, Pre-K and Kindergarten, applicant visits occur as playdates in small groups. These playdates are conducted by current Grace teachers and provide an opportunity to observe applicants as they interact with their peers in developmentally appropriate play and classroom activities. These small group sessions (4-5 children) last about 30-45 minutes and are conducted during two Saturdays in January and February. During these playdates, parents have an opportunity to visit informally with someone from the Admission Office or the Head of Lower School.

Applicants to Grades 1-8 visit a Grace classroom for the entire school day. During the visit, applicants will be placed with students in their current grade level in a classroom setting. First Grade applicants will visit our Silver Spring Campus, while applicants to Grades 2-8 will visit our Kensington campus. All applicants for Grades 1-8 are given an assessment that includes reading comprehension, writing and math components. Applicants for Grades 6-8 will also participate in a student interview conducted by the Office of Admission. Applicants should bring a lunch and a healthy snack; however, if the visit is on Thursday, pizza will be provided for lunch.

Applicants should dress in comfortable clothing. Tennis shoes are recommended as the applicants will most likely participate in P.E. and recess activities. Many visitors like to dress similar to Grace students. The Grace girls’ uniform includes: plaid jumper (Grades K-8), plaid kilt (Grades 4-8), tailored navy pants, tailored navy shorts (hot weather only) and white shirt (blouse/turtleneck/polo). The Grace boys’ uniform includes: tailored navy pants, tailored navy shorts (hot weather only) and white shirt (blouse/turtleneck/polo).

Parent Interviews for Nursery, Pre-K and Kindergarten do not occur during the playdates. Parents of these applicants will be scheduled for a separate Parent Interview date and time. Parent Interviews for Grades 1-8 are typically scheduled for the same day of the child’s visit, either after a parent drops-off or before a parent picks-up their child from the visit.