Admissions
Admissions Timeline
Important Dates:
Families Applying for Kindergarten for Possible Entry for the 2026-2027 Academic Year
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Application Deadlines
August 4, 2025:
Sibling Admissions Application Deadline
November 2, 2025:
New Family Admissions Application Deadline
January 9, 2026:
All Required Admissions Checklist Items Due -
Tours, Interviews, and Assessments
For the 2026-2027 Academic Year:
Campus tours and parent interviews will be offered on select weekdays in April, May, September, and October.
Please plan on being on campus for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. During that time, you will be led around the school by one of our current students, and then you will meet with a member of the Admissions Office for your parent interview. Please note this meeting is for parents only. We look forward to meeting you, and for you to learn more about Carlthorp School!
These individual tours and parent meetings provide an opportunity for us to answer your initial questions about our community, and to have you learn more about our admissions process. Following this visit, families will receive access to our online Kindergarten application.
In order to schedule your tour and parent interview, please fill out an Inquiry Form, and follow the instructions that are sent to you from the Admissions Office.
January and February 2026:
Student readiness assessments will take place on select dates. Specific assessment details will be shared as they become available with all applicant families. -
Admission Events and Visit Opportunities
Applicant parents will be invited to join us on campus for our fun and interactive Prospective Parent Coffees scheduled for January and February. Parents will also have the opportunity to visit Flag Line as well as a revisit meeting with a member of the admission committee. Please note that all of these visit opportunities are optional. Additionally, prospective students will have the chance to join fun virtual classes during the month of February. Past classes have included science, Spanish, and P.E. -
Notification Dates
March 13, 2026:
Kindergarten Admissions Decisions will be published at 5:00 p.m. on the Blackbaud Parent Portal.
March 20, 2026:
Parent Admissions Responses are due by 12:00 p.m.Fall 2026:After the first day of school in September, applications will be rolled over for consideration for the following year. Carlthorp School does not offer mid-year admissions.
Families Applying for Grades 1–6 for Possible Entry for the 2026-2027 Academic Year
List of 3 items.
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Application Deadlines
Grade-level applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year following a parent tour and interview. Families who have submitted completed applications by January 9, 2026 will have the greatest opportunity to be considered on our March decision date for the following September.
Families that apply later in the cycle will be considered for openings that arise throughout the spring and summer, as needed. -
Tours, Interviews, and Assessments
November 6, 2025:
Parents interested in applying for their child for grades 1-6 for the 2026-2027 academic year may join our Grade Level process starting November 6, 2025. Please fill out an Inquiry Form, and follow the instructions in your confirmation email to schedule a tour and parent interview. This initial meeting is for parents only.
Prospective students will be invited to undergo an admissions assessment once student openings are determined, typically beginning in February of each year.
Students who are assessed are selected from the applicant pool, and may be offered admission or be picked to enter the Wait Pool. Carlthorp School strives to select students who are the best “match” for the class, and for the space that has become available. We do not keep a ranked list in our Wait Pool. -
Notification Dates
March 13, 2026:
Admissions Decisions will be published at 5:00 p.m. on the Blackbaud Parent Portal.
March 20, 2026:
Parent Admissions Responses are due by 12:00 p.m.Spring-Summer 2026:Families with late applications will be added to our Grade Level Wait Pool and will be considered if openings arise throughout the summer.
After the first day of school in September, applications will be rolled over for consideration for the following year. Carlthorp School does not offer mid-year admissions.
Established in 1939, Carlthorp School is the oldest independent coeducational day school for grades K-6 located in Santa Monica, California.