Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, all prospective families are required to tour the school prior to applying for admission.  You may either schedule a tour or attend our Community Open House.

Exceptions are only made for families relocating from outside of Southern California.

Yes, our next Community Open House will be held in December. Click here for further details and to register.

Families who are interested in applying to Turtle Rock should begin the process one year prior to their desired entry date.

Our Nursery programs enroll year-round as space becomes available.  We begin offering placement in our Early Childhood and Kindergarten programs during the spring (March and April) for children starting in the fall.

Further information can be found on our “How to Apply” and “Admission Timeline” pages.

Please refer to our “How to Apply” page for detailed admission information for the specific program you are interested in.

With several hundred families seeking placement at any given moment, managing our application process takes an enormous amount of time and effort.  We charge a nominal fee for families to apply or join our waitlist to ensure that we are working with families who genuinely want to be a part of our community.

Given the tremendous interest in Turtle Rock (we have over 200 families apply every year for approximately 65 spaces), we wanted to create a more meaningful admission process instead of a simple first-come, first-served wait list.

Our goal is to admit families who we believe will be a great fit for Turtle Rock.  Parent interviews allow us to learn much more about you, your family and your child.  It also allows you to learn more about us!

Families who are interested in applying to our Infant or Toddler program should begin the process as early as possible.  There is no application deadline, as these programs enroll year-round whenever a space becomes available.

Each year our Infant program enrolls 8 children, and our Toddler program enrolls only 4 new children (the remaining spaces are taken by infants moving up into the toddler classroom).

Our goal is to admit children and families for whom Turtle Rock is a good fit. An admission committee of administrators discusses each application, assessment from the play group (if applicable), and parent interview. After determining which children and families would thrive in our school, we craft each class looking for a balance in socioeconomic, racial, cultural and family diversity, and gender. Turtle Rock is committed to supporting children and families who reflect Orange County’s diverse population.

Our Preschool program assists with potty-training when your child is ready; therefore, your child does not need to be potty-trained prior to entering the Preschool program. The Junior Pre-Kindergarten program and above (3+ years) requires children to be fully potty-trained.

For Preschool through Pre-Kindergarten, we have a strict September 1st birthday cutoff.

For the Preschool program, children must turn two by September 1st of the year they wish to enter. For Junior Pre-Kindergarten, children must turn three by September 1st of the year they wish to enter. For Pre-Kindergarten, children must turn four by September 1st of the year they wish to enter.

Unfortunately we are not able to make exceptions for the birthday cutoff dates.

We are looking for students who will take advantage of the opportunities offered by our challenging academic program and enriched curriculum. We welcome students of all races, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds.

An applicant must be five years old by September 1 of the year he or she enters Kindergarten.

A non-refundable fee of $125 is charged with each application.

Applications are due by January 17, 2025. We will consider late applications for open positions on a case-by-case basis.

Families who are interested in applying to our Private Kindergarten program should begin the process in September of the year prior to their desired entry date.

Yes, we accept applications from new prospective families in Kindergarten.  In cases where all other factors are equal, we will give priority to an applicant already enrolled in our Pre-Kindergarten program.

We provide pick-up service from Turtle Rock Elementary and Bonita Canyon School at no additional charge.