GDS Admissions Overview
GDS admissions, step by step.
Start with the entry grade and the family interview. Then see what goes into the file and how testing works.
Checked against GDS's published admissions pages on November 5, 2026.
The application
What the application includes.
Families apply through the Ravenna portal. The family interview is the first required step.
- Entry grades
- The primary entry grades are Prekindergarten, Kindergarten, 4th, 6th and 9th. GDS also expands enrollment slightly in 1st and 3rd Grade, and may admit students into other grades if space is available.
- Grade 12
- Grade 12 is not an entry year, and admission to it is very limited.
- Portal
- The application portal for the 2027-2028 school year is open, and families apply through Ravenna.
- Application fee
- $75, with a fee waiver code available by emailing the admissions office with the child's name and apply grade.
- The parts
- GDS requires the application, report cards, teacher recommendations and standardized testing for each applicant.
- Supplementary materials
- Supplementary materials are transcripts, teacher recommendations, standardized testing and graded writing samples.
- Interview
- The first required step is to register for an interview that includes both the applicant and parents or guardians.
- Shadow Day
- All admitted students have a Shadow Day in March, before enrollment contracts are due.
- Deadline
- The application for prospective families is due January 6, 2027.
- Decisions
- Admission and financial aid decisions are released in Ravenna at 4:00 p.m. on February 26, 2027.
SSAT and ISEE practice
Admissions test practice.
Practice is shared across our private school sites.