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Admissions

Welcome! We’re excited to meet your family

Pacific Primary accepts applications each fall for enrollment the following September. Applications for the 2027–2028 school year are due by November 1, 2026.

Key steps in the admissions process

Children must be two years old by the end of February of the enrollment year to be eligible for attendance. For the 2027–2028 school year, children must be born before March 1, 2025.

  1. Submit an application

    Applications are due by November 1, 2026, prior to the enrollment year. Once we receive your application, we’ll send a confirmation email.

    Start Application

  2. Attend a school tour

    Attend a school tour to learn more about our school and community. Tours are required for all adult family members and guardians; family members may attend on separate dates if needed.

  3. Complete the admissions questionnaire

    After your tour, you’ll be asked to fill out the admissions questionnaire and submit it along with any required paperwork.

  4. Apply for tuition assistance (if applicable)

    Complete and submit the tuition assistance application if you are seeking financial aid. Applications are considered separately from admissions decisions.

    Tuition & Assistance Details

If you are applying after the November 1 deadline, please reach out to our Enrollment Director, Tia Cerone, at admissions@pacificprimary.org or 415-409-1961 ext. 2770 to confirm that we have received your application.

School tours

Our school tours invite you to experience the heart of our community. You’ll hear from directors, teachers, and current parents as they share our philosophy and introduce you to our emergent, child-centered curriculum, which grows from students’ interests and honors each child’s unique abilities.

Classroom visits offer a glimpse of our mission and values in action: a place where curiosity is nurtured, learning unfolds naturally, and every child is seen, supported, and celebrated.

  • Tours are held on Wednesdays from 10:00–11:30 AM, beginning in December and continuing through early February, and are for adult family members only.
  • Families who apply by the November 1 deadline will receive tour sign-up details in early November.

There will be plenty of time to ask questions about any part of our program and discover what makes our school truly special.

Families and children together at Pacific Primary

Admissions considerations

Admission decisions are based on the needs of the school, not the date of the application or tour. The number of available spots varies each year, depending on how many children graduate and how many sibling and alumni applications we receive.

We give priority to siblings and high priority to alumni families. While neighborhood families may receive some consideration, living nearby does not guarantee enrollment.

We also consider the following factors to help create balanced, inclusive classrooms:

  • Age: We aim for a mix of older, middle, and younger children in each class.
  • Gender: We strive for an even distribution.
  • Diversity: We value a wide range of backgrounds, including family structure (such as single-parent and LGBTQ+ families), as well as economic, racial, and cultural diversity.

Our goal is for every child to see their family reflected in the classroom. Every family brings something unique to our community, and all contribute to the diversity that makes our school vibrant and welcoming.

Admission announcements

In partnership with the San Francisco Preschool Directors Group, and in keeping with many other preschools and independent schools in the city that offer Pre-K or Transitional Kindergarten, Pacific Primary releases admissions decisions in mid-March. Families are notified by email.

Time of enrollment

At the time of your enrollment, a non-refundable deposit is due (which is credited toward your tuition) along with a signed Enrollment Agreement. Your enrollment spot is secured once both have been processed and received. In April, a Last Month’s Tuition deposit will be due.

Questions?

Find answers on our Admissions FAQ, or visit Affording Pacific Primary for more about tuition, tuition assistance and ELFA tuition credits. For questions, or to request a paper application, contact Tia Cerone, Enrollment Director, at admissions@pacificprimary.org or 415-409-1961 ext. 2770.