Poughkeepsie Day School is committed to maintaining, through its admissions and financial aid programs, a student body which is diverse in racial, ethnic, religious and socio-economic ways. Accordingly we welcome applications from students of all backgrounds. Admissions decisions are made on the basis of a child's individual strengths and talents and on his or her potential to thrive here and to contribute positively to the community. The PDS string ensemble performed at last year's major school fundraising event, the Spring Gala Benefit Auction. Poughkeepsie Day School is dedicated to the full development of each individual child, with a specific commitment to academic excellence within the progressive tradition. We seek to challenge each student to the limits of his/her abilities academically, as well as to encourage artistic, physical, and social development. Learning is viewed as a process, continuing throughout one's lifetime. We are also mindful of the importance of community. Cooperative learning, collaboration and community building are hallmarks of our approach to education. Learning as a shared experience is at the center of the school's philosophy and practice. The PDS original musical, written and performed annually by students in grades 7-12 as part of the school's distinctive central study program, is always a big hit. View photos of the spring 2008 production, Such Sweet Sorrow, based on Romeo and Juliet.. Ultimately, the school seeks to promote curious and independent learners: critical thinkers who know how to ask questions and solve problems - individuals who can write and reason well, appreciate beauty, develop and express passions, and live their lives as good and thoughtful citizens within a larger community. How to apply for admission If you are interested in admission for your child(ren), begin the process by requesting information about Poughkeepsie Day School through the admissions office or via the link on the admissions page of the Web site. Once you have received your packet, call the admissions office to set up a parent visit (Step One below). The information immediately below pertains to all grades (pre-kindergarten through twelfth). Additional information relevant only to a particular grade or applicant group is indicated below each step.

Opportunities galore... Whether you're an aspiring artist or scientist, learning opportunities abound at PDS. Read about the Poetry CS and the prestigious award recently given to a PDS sophomore in that class. Want a snapshot of our upper school community? Visit "A Day in the Life." Find out why PDS teachers are second to none: Read about Laura Hicks, upper school drama teacher. Limited openings at some grade levels for 2008-09. Contact the admissions office for more information: 845-462-7600, ext. 201 or click here to e-mail. View flier (PDF) for PDS Summer Camp 2008 (June 23-27 and June 30-July 3) PDS in the News PDS marked the largest enrollment in its history this past September. Press release. Read the cover article in the March 2007 issue of Hudson Valley magazine, featuring the PDS upper school. View "Choice of a Lifetime" PowerPoint presentation. Click here to listen to and view members of the Class of 2006 speak about their PDS experiences. A collaborative,"hands-on" and interdisciplinary approach to learning has been at the heart of the PDS academic program since the school's founding in 1934. This approach is seen in action (above) as students in the 1-2 proudly display the culminating project of a year-long study of the Hudson River: an interactive museum, including this replica of the Mid-Hudson Bridge. Supported by funding from a prestigiouis Heritage Grant, the study drew on communty resources, such as the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the Institute for Ecosystem Studies, the Francis Lehman Loeb Art Center of Vassar College and the Mid-Hudson Children's Museum.

Step One: Parent Visit Parents call the admissions office to set up an appointment for a parent visit. Visits are scheduled during weekday mornings when school is in session. A parent visit typically includes a tour of the school and a discussion with the director of admissions about the program, your child(ren), and parent questions. Generally, a visit lasts about an hour. We host parent visits year round; however it is best to visit during the school year when classes are in session. The recommended time for a parent visit is during the fall preceding the year of your child(ren)'s anticipated enrollment (e.g., fall 2007 for enrollment in September 2008). Commencement at PDS is a true rite of passage, witnessed not only by family and friends but also by the entire school. One-hundred percent of graduatings seniors typically go on to attend a variety of colleges, most of which are selective, four-year, liberal arts schools. For information on our college counseling program, click here. Step Two: Application and Fee Before a student visits the school (as described under Step Four), an application for admission must be completed and returned, along with the required $50 application fee, to the director of admissions. We are happy to accept applications year round; however, it is advisable to begin the admissions process early. The first round of admissions decisions are made at the beginning of March. To be considered in this first round, a student's application folder should be submitted and complete (see Step Three) by no later than January 15 (February 1 for applicants to pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, or first grade) prior to the fall of desired enrollment. Thereafter, applications are considered on a rolling basis, if space is still available at the appropriate grade level. Applicants are asked to contribute to their applications according to their grade levels as indicated on the application form.

Pre-Kindergarten
Our pre-kindergarten program is designed for three and four year old children. We offer both full- day (8:20 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) and half-day (8:20 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.) pre-kindergarten options. To be eligible for pre-kindergarten, children should be at least three years of age by September of the school year for which they are applying. Children must also be independent in their toileting prior to beginning school in the pre-kindergarten class.

Kindergarten
Kindergarten is a full-day program (8:20 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) Children applying for kindergarten should be five years of age by September of the school year for which they are applying. Children whose birthdays fall between September 1 and December 1 will be assessed for readiness for kindergarten admission on an individual basis.

Step Three: Recommendation Forms and School Records
All required recommendation forms described below are contained in the admissions packet. They are due by the applications deadlines described in Step Two above. It is the family's responsibility to arrange to have all recommendation forms and school records sent to Poughkeepsie Day School. No student visit (see Step Four below) will be scheduled and no application will be considered by the admissions committee until the student's application folder is complete.

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten
If the child has previously attended a nursery school or day care program, a teacher recommendation form completed by the applicant's most recent teacher or day-care provider is required.

Grades 1-12
For applicants to grades one through four, we require a principal recommendation form, a teacher recommendation form, and all school records, including any standardized or outside testing, evaluation or assessment which has been done.

For applicants to grades five through twelve, we require recommendations from the applicant's English and math teachers, a principal recommendation form, and an official school transcript, including any standardized or outside testing, evaluation or assessment which has been done.

For applicants to grades nine through eleven, we require additional materials which are described inside the enclosed application form.

Step Four: Student Visit
Once the parent(s) has/have visited, filed the application and fee, and the student's application folder is complete with the documents described above, the admissions office contacts the family to schedule the child's visit. Student visits begin in November.

PDS does not require formal admissions tests such as the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) or the examination of the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) as part of the admissions process. However, during an applicant's visit, he or she is given opportunities to demonstrate strengths and talents in a relaxed, supportive environment. Except for international exchange students who are screened in their native countries, no student is admitted to the Day School without having first visited as an applicant.

Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Grade 1
Applicants for first-round decisions are screened by scheduled appointment in small groups on a Saturday in February or March. The screening lasts approximately one and one-half hours and typically includes time for the child to become familiar with the classroom, the teacher, and other visiting students as well as a separate observation of the child by at least one teacher. Concurrently, a group session for parents is held. Please be assured that the screening is designed to be interesting and enjoyable for students; most applicants do not want to leave when it is over! Students who apply after the completion of the first round of admissions decisions are invited to visit a class at their current grade level during a morning when school is in session.

Grades 2-4
An applicant is scheduled individually for a visit during a weekday when school is in session in a class with students of the same chronological age (e.g., an applicant to first grade would spend a full morning in a kindergarten class). Typically, applicants arrive at 8:20 a.m. and stay until 2:30 pm. During the visit, the teacher assesses the applicant's strengths and weaknesses in reading, writing, and math, as well as his/her interactions and contributions in the classroom environment.

Grades 5-12
An applicant spends an entire school day visiting in classes at his/her current grade level, escorted by a PDS student. During the visit, the applicant completes screening samples in reading analysis, writing, math, and language (if he/she has begun studying an additional language).

Admissions decisions are made by a committee which meets weekly throughout the admissions season. The committee is composed of the head of shool, the director of admissions, the division heads and faculty members from each of the three divisions.

Request Information

To receive a packet of information about Poughkeepsie Day School, including an application for admission, please complete the request for information form.

Revised Fall 2007