Learning

High School & Beyond

Personalized High School Counseling

In the spring of seventh grade, our full-time High School Transition Counselor, Amanda Richard, meets individually with each student and their family to kick off the high school journey together. These meetings set expectations, establish a timeline, and ensure everyone feels informed and supported.

Eighth graders take a dedicated High School Transition class, where they explore options, stay organized, and gain confidence in the application process. Throughout the year, Amanda and the CDS team—who know each student so well—are there to guide families every step of the way. Whether it's discussing applications, gathering recommendations, or making final decisions, we work together to ensure that each student finds a high school that is the right fit for them.

At CDS, we are proud of how our high school process celebrates each student’s individuality. By eighth grade, CDS students know themselves deeply and are able to advocate for their needs and interests. Students take an active role in identifying schools, applying, and making choices, with a strong support system behind them.

When they move on, our graduates step into their next chapter as confident, self-aware, and eager learners. We are so proud of who they are becoming!

Admission Officer at a San Francisco High School

This past fall, I've had the pleasure of meeting current CDS eighth-graders during their high school admission process. Time and time again, without prompting, these CDS students unabashedly expressed their genuine love for the school. It was a window into their CDS lives, and I was sincerely touched and impressed by their appreciation of all they have gained as CDS students.

Where Our Graduates Go

The independent and faith-based high schools offering places to the graduates of the Classes of 2021-2024 include:

Archbishop Riordan High School
The Bay School
The College Preparatory School
Crystal Springs Upland School
Drew School
'Iolani School
International High School

Lick-Wilmerding High School
Marin Academy
Nativity High School
Northfield Mount Herman
Nueva High School
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory
Sterne School

Saint Ignatius College Preparatory High School
Stuart Hall High School
Sugar Bowl Academy
University High School
The Urban School of San Francisco
The San Francisco Waldorf High School

Our students have also been accepted to various public schools, such as Balboa High School, Galileo Academy of Science and Technology, Lowell High School, Oakland School of the Arts, Oceana High School, and Ruth Asawa School of the Arts.

CDS graduates from the Classes of 2018-2020 have gone on to attend the following colleges and universities:

American University

Babson College

Bard College

Barnard College

Boston College

Boston College at Berklee School of Music

Boston University

Bucknell University

Cal Poly SLO

CCA

Colby College

Cornell University

Dartmouth College

DePaul University

Drexel University

Georgetown University

Gonzaga University

Kenyon College

Lehigh University

Lewis and Clark College

Loyola Marymount University

Macalester College
Northeastern University

NYU

Occidental College

Oregon State University

Parsons

Pitzer College

Pomona College

Reed College

Rochester Institute of Technology

Santa Barbara Community College

Santa Clara University

San Diego State University

San Francisco State University

Scripps College

Syracuse University

Trinity College Dublin

Trinity University

Tufts University

Tulane University

UC Berkeley

UC Davis

UC Irvine

UC Los Angeles

UC San Diego

UC Santa Barbara

UC Santa Cruz

University of Alaska

University of Arizona

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Edinburgh, Scotland

University of Glasgow

University of Michigan

University of Oregon

University of Sydney

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin - Madison

WashU

Wesleyan University

West Virginia University

Yale University

Children's Day School

Preschool-Grade 8
333 Dolores Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 861-5432

Children's Day School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. Learn More