Lower School Admission

Admission Process

Learn about the foundation of joyful learning at MICDS.

Submit Application

Submit the online application.

To apply for the 2023-24 school year, please refer to the following steps.

The Lower School application is completed through the MICDS Admission Portal. The regular application deadline was January 27, 2023, for consideration in the first round of decisions for the 2023-2024 school year. For siblings of current students and for children of alumni, faculty, and staff, the Junior Kindergarten Family Early Action Option (JK FEAO) application deadline was November 22, 2022.

Applications to Lower School are still being accepted for the wait pool although we anticipate being fully enrolled at the conclusion of the first round of admission.

Regular admission decisions will be shared on March 10, 2023, and JK FEAO admission decisions will be shared on January 25, 2023. First-round family enrollment decisions for the 2023-2024 school year are due by March 31, 2023. After the first-round deadlines, MICDS practices rolling admissions based on availability by grade level.

MICDS uses the date of August 1 as the cut-off date for entry into Junior or Senior Kindergarten. Your child must be 4 years old before August 1 to enter Junior Kindergarten and 5 years old before August 1 to be considered for Senior Kindergarten.

Please note: The Lower School application fee is $90.

Start Lower School Application
Return to Admission Portal

Schedule Appointments

Schedule screening or testing, a parent interview and a classroom visit.

After submitting your child’s application, you will schedule the following appointments:

Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten: Parent Interview and Admission Screening
(A School Observation is also arranged by MICDS.)
1st Grade: Parent Interview, Admission Screening, and Classroom Visit
2nd-4th Grades: Parent Interview, Admission Testing, and Classroom Visit

We recommend scheduling well in advance to reserve times that are convenient for your family. Please complete the checklist items in the online application to schedule your appointments.

For questions about scheduling appointments or for any assistance with the Lower School admission process, please contact Kimberly Saur at ksaur@micds.org or 314-995-7422.

Apply for Tuition Assistance

Applying for tuition assistance is optional. This is a separate application and is submitted at the same time as the admissions application.

If you choose to apply for need-based tuition assistance, see the following steps and deadlines:

MICDS requires each family applying for tuition assistance to place a confidential online application through School and Students Services (SSS) by completing the Parent Financial Statement and submitting supporting 2020 and 2021 tax documentation. It is extremely important to submit the tuition assistance application on time, as there are budgetary limits to the available funds. Do not wait until a child is accepted to apply for aid. Please visit our Affording MICDS web page or read our Affording MICDS Brochure for more information on how to apply.

First Round tuition assistance application deadlines:

December 2, 2022 – The filing deadline for all currently enrolled students.
December 9, 2022 – The filing deadline for new 9th-grade applicants.
December 16, 2022 – The filing deadline for Junior Kindergarten Family Early Action Option (JK FEAO) applicants.
January 31, 2023 – The filing deadline for new applications for all other grade levels.

Adhering to the submission deadlines is essential for the first round of admission consideration. Beyond first-round admission decisions, the tuition assistance application is due with the submission of the admissions application. Application for tuition assistance will be accepted beyond the deadline however, the availability of tuition assistance may be limited.

Decisions and notification:

Applying for tuition assistance does not affect the admission decision. The admission decision is a separate process from the tuition assistance determination and is led by a separate committee. The Committee on Tuition Assistance deliberations are confidential and address only factors affecting the assessment of financial need. Prospective families can expect a tuition assistance decision at the same time as their admission decision.

Apply for Tuition Assistance