FAQ

To guarantee a Kindergarten parent conversation, we ask that K-6 applications be submitted by November 20, 2026. We will continue to accept applications through December 18, 2027. Decision notifications will be posted on March 12, 2027 at 5PM.

Street parking is available directly across the street from Oakwood's Elementary Campus in front of St. Anne Melkite Greek Catholic Cathedral or on surrounding neighborhood streets. Please walk to the traffic light to cross Moorpark.

If you are placed on a wait list, promptly select the option that indicates your interest in remaining on the wait list. Should we have the opportunity to go to our wait list, we will contact you. As always, you are welcome to contact us at any time.

5th - 6th Grade Applicants Only:
Oakwood requires submission of Standardized Test scores. We highly recommend that applicants for Grade 6 take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE).

If the ISEE is not submitted, an alternative standardized test is required. We also ask that any recent standardized testing results (e.g., ERB, MAP, STAR) be submitted as part of the application.

The ISEE online registration form is available at www.iseetest.org, listing Oakwood as a score recipient. Our school code is 052146. Applicants should take the ISEE no later than January 8, 2027. Fee waivers are available upon request.

Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM–3:00 PM. After-school care is available until 6:00 PM daily.

Yes! Oakwood offers after school care from dismissal to 6:00 PM every day.

Yes! Elementary students may order lunch in advance through the online lunch program. Visit the Oakwood Kitchen page to learn more about hot lunch.

Oakwood currently offers bus service to and from Hancock Park, West Valley, Beverly Hills, Pasadena/Glendale/Los Feliz, and South Los Angeles/Culver City areas.

More routes may soon be available. In addition, zip code lists are available which families may use to create carpools. View current routes, including bus stops and times, here.

Oakwood does not require uniforms; however, appropriate school-day dress is required.

More information to come!

The school seeks to instill a sense of stewardship and good citizenship; therefore, service learning is a vital part of the Oakwood program at all grade levels. Students learn the importance of civic engagement and responsibility as well as some of the ways that social, political, and economic factors shape community life.

At Oakwood, partnership between families and the school is a long-standing tradition that enriches every aspect of our community. Parents and guardians contribute in countless ways—volunteering their time, leading events, and supporting essential fundraising efforts like the Annual Fund and Oakwood Live, our annual special
event supporting financial assistance. Whether through time, talent, or treasure, every family’s involvement helps sustain the warmth, excellence, and opportunity that define the Oakwood experience.

WAYS TO ENGAGE:
• Kindergarten Morning Meeting (Fridays)
• Parent/Guardian Coffee in the Courtyard (Fridays)
• Fall Picnic
• Bookwood
• Halloween
• PGO-DEIB
• P/G DEIB Ambassador
• Affinity/Alliance Group Leader
• Heritage Celebration Leader
• Room Parent/Guardian
• Popcorn Fridays
• Admission Committee
• Advancement - Annual Fund Class Captain
• Advancement - Special Event Committee
• Advancement - Financial Assistance
• Athletics Booster
• Care Committee
• Community Engagement
• Faculty/Staff Appreciation & Hospitality
• Leadership
• Merch
• Party Book
• Spirit Night

Although our Elementary Campus is located about one mile away, we are a K-12 school. Once your child is enrolled in the Elementary Campus, it is not necessary to apply to the Secondary Campus.

To minimize disruption to our small classes, we do not offer weekday shadow visits. Instead, prospective students are invited to attend our 9th Grade Visit Day, where they can experience campus life, attend mini-classes, and connect with current students. Families are also encouraged to explore Oakwood through virtual info sessions, open houses, campus tours, and school events. After admission decisions are released, accepted students may request a shadow visit.

To guarantee an interview and campus tour, please submit your application by Friday, November 20, 2026. We will continue to accept applications through December 18, 2026. Decision notifications will be posted on March 12, 2027, at 5 PM.

Once your application is received and processed, you may self-select a campus tour and interview date. Campus tours and interviews are held during the school day. Zoom interviews are available upon request.

The campus visit typically lasts approximately an hour and a half. Students and parent(s)/guardian(s) tour the campus separately in small groups and are led by members of the Admission Committee. Applicants will receive an individual student interview with a member of the admission committee or faculty/staff.

Oakwood strongly recommends that students take the ISEE. The ISEE online registration form is available at www.iseetest.org, listing Oakwood as a score recipient. Our school code is 052146. Applicants should take the ISEE no later than January 8, 2027. Fee waivers are available upon request. For those who opt to forgo the ISEE, we require that applicants sit for a timed writing assessment.

If your family opts out of the ISEE, please provide standardized testing results from the current or previous school year. We accept a variety of assessments, including ERB, CTP4, CAASPP, MAP, and similar standardized tests.

Oakwood strives for our school to reflect the diversity of the larger community, and we are committed to enrolling students from a variety of schools and backgrounds. Accepted students represent a wide range of schools, from independent, public, religious, and beyond.

If your child is homeschooled, you will need to provide recommendations and evaluations from the people working with your child. In addition, include any documentation of the topics of study, textbooks or books used, and an overview of the curriculum.

Oakwood School warmly welcomes families moving to the Los Angeles area. We are delighted to inform you that we offer the I-20 form to international students. As a day school, we do not provide boarding or homestay options, so we require all students to reside with their legal parent(s) or guardian(s) while enrolled. 

Our admissions process for international students follows the same steps as our process for local applicants. International applicants will complete all of the same application requirements, interviews, and admissions steps, along with a few additional requirements specific to international students. To ensure you receive the best support, please reach out to our admissions office before scheduling your interview. We’re here to assist you at every stage!

Testing: For students coming from non-English-speaking countries, we require the TOEFL I.B.T. with a minimum score of 80. Students applying for grades 7 and 8 should take the TOEFL Jr., while those applying for grades 9–12 should take the TOEFL I.B.T. Please ensure your scores are submitted by January 15, 2027.

In addition to TOEFL scores, the student interview is also an important part of our admission process, helping us get to know each applicant personally. We look forward to getting to know you and welcoming you to the Oakwood family!

When a student leaves Oakwood, readmission is not guaranteed. A student who has attended another school must be re-evaluated through the regular admission process and will be considered as part of the current applicant pool.

To qualify for consideration as a sibling in the application process, the applicant must have a sibling (a) who is currently enrolled in the school and (b) whom the School expects to re-enroll for the admitted sibling's entry year.

Furthermore, since the School depends on every family's good citizenship at Oakwood, in the admission decision-making process, Oakwood will take into account the quality of the sibling applicant family's partnership, participation, and support.

Finally, note that sibling admission is not guaranteed. In considering the status of a sibling applicant, and in addition to the criteria above, preference will be accorded to siblings only when all other significant criteria are judged by the Admission Committee to be equal.

We will be offering an early decision option for applicants to grades K, 7, and 9 who are either siblings of current students or children of faculty/staff.

Visits are available for Grade 7-12 applicants and parents/guardians only. If you or your child is interested, contact Secondary Campus Admissions at (818) 732-3150 or admission@oakwoodschool.org

If you are placed on a waitlist, promptly complete the waitlist form to indicate your interest in remaining on the waitlist. As we begin to hear back from families, we will develop a clearer sense of our openings and you will be contacted. We encourage you to explore all your options, but do keep us informed of your continued interest; we will keep your waitlisted application on file should any opening occur during the summer.

Applications received after the deadline will be considered only after all on-time applications have been completed. Late applications must be submitted online. Please email the admission office at admission@oakwoodschool.org to learn about the availability of spaces.

Oakwood’s Admission Committee conducts a review of candidates without knowing whether or not they are applying for financial assistance. After accepting the most compelling students, those who applied for financial assistance are referred to the Financial Assistance Committee to determine financial need. In many cases, these families are granted financial assistance awards. As awards are granted and funding becomes limited, some compelling candidates will be offered a place on the waiting list with the hope that a space and funding become available after the first round of decisions.

We typically enroll approximately 40 new students in 7th grade and 20 to 25 in 9th grade.

Admissions for all other secondary grades are based on availability due to attrition. However, space can open up unexpectedly, so we always encourage interested families to apply!

Prospective families can explore Oakwood School through our Virtual Student Information Sessions or by attending in-person events tailored to middle and high school applicants, including our Prospective Family Open House, campus tours, sporting events, and student performances."

The 1,800 sq ft state-of-the-art kitchen, servery, and dining area emphasize Oakwood's priorities for serving better food in a more environmentally responsible way. Locally-sourced and high-quality ingredients are used to prepare nutritious food from scratch. Each day fresh meals are prepared for breakfast and lunch, including vegetarian options, plus a salad bar, pasta bar, deli sandwich station, ice cream, beverages, grab-and-go items, and homemade cookies. The Kitchen is also open after school for snacks and beverages.

In addition, lunch and snack options are available at the Student Store. Students are also encouraged to bring a healthful, nutritionally balanced lunch from home. Both the Kitchen and Student Store are cashless, and students use their student ID cards to purchase items.

Oakwood currently offers bus service to and from Hancock Park, West Valley, Pasadena, Los Feliz, Glendale, and South Los Angeles/Culver City areas. More routes may soon be available based on interest. In addition, we provide families with zip code lists so that they can create carpools.

Oakwood does not require uniforms or other prescribed school wear. However, we do require appropriate school-day dress. Accordingly, we do not permit clothing which is inappropriately revealing, or which contains hostile or vulgar language, sexual references, or references to alcoholic beverages or controlled substances.

At Oakwood, partnership between families and the school is a long-standing tradition that enriches every aspect of our community. Parents and guardians contribute in countless ways—volunteering their time, leading events, and supporting essential fundraising efforts like the Annual Fund and Oakwood Live, our annual special
event supporting financial assistance. Whether through time, talent, or treasure, every family’s involvement helps sustain the warmth, excellence, and opportunity that define the Oakwood experience.

WAYS TO ENGAGE:
• Kindergarten Morning Meeting (Fridays)
• Parent/Guardian Coffee in the Courtyard (Fridays)
• Fall Picnic
• Bookwood
• Halloween
• PGO-DEIB
• P/G DEIB Ambassador
• Affinity/Alliance Group Leader
• Heritage Celebration Leader
• Room Parent/Guardian
• Popcorn Fridays
• Admission Committee
• Advancement - Annual Fund Class Captain
• Advancement - Special Event Committee
• Advancement - Financial Assistance
• Athletics Booster
• Care Committee
• Community Engagement
• Faculty/Staff Appreciation & Hospitality
• Leadership
• Merch
• Party Book
• Spirit Night

SAMPLE IMMERSION COURSES:

• 8th Grade Class Trip to Washington D.C.
• African Foods and Music (New Orleans)
• California Drought: The Grapes of Wrath Today (Northern California)
• California Marine and Coastal Ecosystems (Sail toCatalina Island)
• California Traditional Ecological and Indigenous Knowledge (Northern California)
• Computer Animation
• Cooking and Culture
• Discovering Mysterious Patterns Around Us
• Exploring and Debunking the Myths of the Spanish Conquest (Mexico)
• Grassroots Activism
• Images and Words: Exploring the Art and Interplay of Image-Making and Writing
• Migrant Foodways in Los Angeles
• Off the Wall: Honoring Indigenous Peoples Through Mural Making
• Plants and Fiber
• Protest Music: How Artists Accelerate Social Change
• Race, Power, and Justice in Los Angeles
• Renewal Energy (Massachusetts)
• Sustainable Fashion: Sewing, Design, and Creating a Brand
• The Pad Project at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (New York)
• Urchin Slaying: Navigating the Southern California
• Kelp Forest Ecology
• Voices of History: Holocaust & Antisemitism
• Who are We? Understanding the Legacies of Colonialism and Racism (Maryland & Virginia)

While we are not an arts school, our commitment to the arts is equal to our commitment to academic subjects. Oakwood is a strong college preparatory school whose students are particularly attractive to colleges and universities because of the balance we provide between academics, the arts, and athletics. All Secondary Campus students are required to take a minimum of three years of visual and/or performing arts. Because of our statement of philosophy and careful construction of student schedules, students don’t have to choose one passion to pursue.

Oakwood’s appreciation of diversity is expressed throughout the programs, policies, and philosophy of the school. Oakwood’s goal of increasing diversity is a priority within all constituents of our community—students, faculty, staff, and administration. In the most recent Strategic Plan of the Board of Trustees, increased diversity is an explicit goal. Oakwood seeks greater ethnic and racial diversity as well as greater socio-economic diversity. The current 7-12 student body includes approximately 50% of students of color. Oakwood also expresses its appreciation of diversity in its curriculum. Oakwood has a full-time Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion who works on the admission staff as well as with families and students in the school. Click here to learn more about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging at Oakwood.

Virtually all students go on to four-year schools, click here to view a list of colleges and universities attended by Oakwood graduates. If you would like to learn more about Oakwood’s approach to the college search process, please visit College Counseling.