Enrolling at Mills, start to finish
Three steps, no admissions season, and a published price list. We would rather you spent your energy deciding whether the school is right for your child than decoding the process.
Come and see a morning
Tours run during the school day, year-round, because a quiet classroom at 4 pm tells you nothing. Call 650-616-9000 or request a tour and we will find a morning that suits you.
Apply when you are ready
Complete the enrollment application and return it with the $200 new-student fee. Because enrollment is open year-round, you apply when your family needs a place — not when a school’s calendar says so.
Agree a start date and settle in
We confirm the program, schedule and start date, you sign the financial agreement, and your child begins the gentle settling-in that Montessori classrooms are built for.
Every number, published
Most schools make you fill in a form before they will tell you a price. Ours is on a page you can read right now.
At a glance
| Amount | When | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly tuition | $1,100 – $1,750 | Depends on program, days per week and length of day |
| Enrollment fee | $200 | Once, new students only |
| Materials & testing — preschool | $300 | Annually |
| Materials & testing — K & elementary | $450 | Annually |
Pay annual tuition in a single payment for a 5% discount, or in ten installments. See the full tuition and fee tables →
Four things that make this easier than you expect
- Open enrollment, year-roundSubject to availability. Families most often join us when a childcare arrangement changes, which rarely happens in September.
- Tuition is publishedYou can work out affordability before you spend a Saturday on a tour.
- One school for a decadeAges two through fifth grade in one building — so this is the last admissions process you do for a while.
- A day that covers a working day7:30 am to 6:00 pm, so you are not assembling wraparound care around a school day.
What families ask about applying
- When can we apply?Any time. Mills has open enrollment year-round, subject to availability — you are not waiting for a single admissions season, and you are not competing for a place on one date in January.
- What does it cost to apply?There is a $200 enrollment fee for new students, charged once. Tuition itself is published in full on the tuition page.
- Is there an assessment or an interview?There is no entrance test for young children. We do want to meet your child and talk with you about them, particularly for a mid-cycle start or an older child joining elementary without a Montessori background.
- Do you have a waiting list?Availability varies by program and time of year. Call the school office at 650-616-9000 and we will tell you honestly what is open in the room your child would join.
- What do we need to provide?The enrollment application, the signed financial agreement, and the immunization and emergency information California requires of a licensed facility. Everything is listed on the forms page.
Start with a summer session instead
Three optional summer sessions run each year, enrolled separately from the school year. It is the lowest-commitment way to find out whether Mills suits your child — a few weeks in the same room, with the same teachers they would have in September.
Start with a tour
Tours run during the school day, year-round, by appointment.