Admission

Accreditation

The Potomac School is accredated by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS)

Key Dates for Admission to Potomac

Mid-September to Mid-February

Parents of all prospective applicants call the Admission Office at (703) 749-6313 to schedule a tour.

We ask that all students who have submitted an application to the Upper School schedule a visit to classes.

January 10

Applications must be submitted by this date.
(see the Admission Process section for grade-specific directions)

January 20

All standardized testing results, school transcripts and teacher recommendation forms must be submitted.

February 1

Deadline for financial aid applications.
(see the Financing your Education section for more information)  

January through March

The school will schedule a visit, test or interview (depending on grade) for applicants to grades Kindergarten through Grade 8.  Applicants to the Upper School are asked to call to schedule a required half-day visit.

Early March

Admission decision letters will be mailed followed soon after by financial aid decision letters.

Late March

Accepted students must submit an enrollment contract.

April to August

Enrollment contracts are offered to children on the wait list as space allows.

Early September

The opportunity to be accepted from the wait list ends.

The new admission season begins for the following year.

Quick Facts

  • K-12, coed, independent school on one 90-acre campus, three miles from Washington, D.C.
  • Founded 1904
  • Head of School:  Geoffrey Jones
  • Hours: 8:10 am -3:15 pm; sports/activities for grades 9-12: 3:15-6:00 pm
  • 4 Divisions:
    • Lower School grades K-3
    • Middle School grades 4-6
    • Intermediate School grades 7-8
    • Upper School grades 9-12
  • 1,015 students for 2012-13 school year
  • 160 full and part-time teachers and interns; 103 with advanced degrees 
  • Bus transportation system includes over 20 neighborhood bus routes and shuttle stop service throughout Washington, DC metro area
    • Maryland: Bethesda , Chevy Chase, Marlow Heights and Potomac
    • Washington, DC: 16th Street Corridor, Cathedral/Tenleytown, Eastern Market, Foxhall, Georgetown, Spring Valley and Union Station
    • Virginia: Arlington, Falls Church, Great Falls, McLean, Oakton, Old Town Alexandria, Reston, Vienna, West Alexandria and Wolftrap
  • $3.4 million in need-based financial aid awarded each year to approximately 16% of student body
  • Colleges with four or more graduates attending, Classes of 2008-2012:

    University of Virginia (25), College of William and Mary (16), Duke University (12), Georgetown University (11),  Southern Methodist University (10), Colby College (9), Middlebury College (9), Tulane University (8), Villanova University (8), Boston University (7), Cornell University (7), Elon University (7), University of Pennsylvania (7), Yale University (7), Amherst College (6), Columbia University (6), Dickinson College (6), Wake Forest University (6), Washington University in St. Louis (6), Wesleyan University (6), Brown University (5), Carnegie Mellon University (5), Colgate University (5), Dartmouth College (5), Gettysburg College (5), New York University (5), Northwestern University (5), Princeton University (5), University of Chicago (5), University of Michigan (5), Vanderbilt University (5), Virginia Tech (5), Bowdoin College (4), College of Charleston (4), Oberlin College (4), Stanford University (4), Tufts University (4), University of Colorado (4), University of Georgia (4), Washington and Lee University (4), Williams College (4)
  • Uniforms (grades 4-8) contribute to learning environment
  • Extended Day program offered K-8 (3:15-6:00 pm)
  • Extensive summer program open to public