Admission Process

Submitting an application through the link below is the first step of the admission process. You will start by creating an account with our school portal, called myGDS. Once your application has been processed, you will have access to your admission checklist in the myGDS portal. The portal will also provide access to all required paperwork. There is a non-refundable application fee of $75.

Enrollment contracts for each upcoming school year are issued in January, however GDS uses a rolling admission cycle until a grade level is full. Families are highly encouraged to begin the admission process as soon as possible. Some grade levels currently have wait pools.

Admission application for the 2025–26 school year

The forms listed below can be found in your admission portal once you have begun the application process. Required paperwork for all applicants includes:

• Parent Questionnaire
• Teacher Feedback Form(s)
• Transcript copies from current year and previous two years (if applicable)
• Additional paperwork will vary by the age/grade of the applicant and may include:
  • Completion of a writing prompt
  • Previous writing sample

Bengal Tots–Junior Kindergarten

Preschool applicants and their parents/guardians will have a virtual appointment with a member of our Preschool team.

Kindergarten–Grade 4

Lower school applicants will have a virtual, age-appropriate screening with a member of our lower school faculty. Admission screenings are done by appointment after January 1. 

Grades 5–12

Applicants for Middle and Upper School are required to submit previous standardized testing scores. These may include, but are not limited to EOY/EOG, ERB, PSAT, or SAT scores.

Additional assessments or materials may be requested.

To experience all that GDS has to offer, both socially and academically, applicants for grades 1–12 will spend a day visiting with students in their current grade.

Once all parts of the admission process are complete, families can typically expect a decision within two weeks. Applications for all grades are accepted throughout the year if there is space available. Initial decisions for completed applications are made at the first of February, and continue throughout the spring and summer on a rolling basis. Admission decisions are made separately from decisions about need-based financial assistance.