After admission decisions arrive, families usually have only two to three weeks to decide. During this period there are three tasks: compare the admission and financial aid results from several schools, sign the enrollment contract and pay the deposit before the deadline, and manage any waitlists. Orange County private schools have no common decision date or enrollment date, so each school’s rules must be confirmed individually.
Private school decision dates vary widely by school
Private high schools: decisions from November to February
- Santa Margarita Catholic High School: admission and financial aid decisions on December 1, 2026, followed by rolling admission until the class is full
- Orange Lutheran High School: early decisions the week of November 30; regular decisions the week of January 25, 2027
- Mater Dei High School: early acceptance on January 22, 2027
- JSerra Catholic High School: early decisions on November 20; regular decisions on February 12
- Servite High School: regular decisions no later than February 20, 2027
K-8 and K-12 schools: late February to March
- The Pegasus School: decisions on February 26, 2027; enroll by March 12
- St. Mary's School: decisions on February 26, 2027
- TVT Community Day School: decisions in early March; enroll within 10 business days of admission
- St. Margaret's Episcopal School: applicants with complete files receive decisions in early March
- Harbor Day School: decisions in March
At schools that release decisions early, the enrollment deadline may fall before other schools release their decisions. For example, Orange Lutheran High School requires registration and payment within two weeks of the admission notice. When applying to several schools, decide in advance whether to enroll at a school with an earlier deadline if the first-choice school has not yet released its decision.
Five steps after private school decisions arrive
- 1
Step 1
List results and deadlines together
Place admissions, waitlists and denials, along with each school's enrollment deadline and deposit amount, in one table.
- 2
Step 2
Calculate the actual tuition
Subtract financial aid from published tuition, then add registration fees, books, bus service and other costs to compare the actual cost at each school.
- 3
Step 3
Clarify remaining questions
Attend the events schools hold for admitted families, or schedule a call with the admissions office, to ask about course placement, transportation and withdrawal terms.
- 4
Step 4
Sign and pay the deposit
Sign online and pay before the deadline. Read the tuition obligations after withdrawal carefully before signing.
- 5
Step 5
Notify the other schools
Reply politely and promptly to the schools the student will not attend, so the space can go to a family on the waitlist.
Private school deposits, registration fees and withdrawal terms
Deposits are mostly nonrefundable
Paid at enrollment
The Sage Hill School deposit is $5,810 (upper school), nonrefundable and applied to tuition; the Pacifica Christian High School deposit is $800, nonrefundable; new families at The Pegasus School pay 20% of tuition at enrollment.
Registration fees
The fee that holds the place
The new-student registration fee is $750 at Servite High School, $800 at Rosary Academy and $850 at Crean Lutheran High School, and all three state that it is nonrefundable.
Withdrawal terms
The date determines the amount owed
At Servite High School, no tuition is owed for withdrawal on or before August 1; at Orange Lutheran High School, no tuition is owed for withdrawal before June 30, and 50% is owed for withdrawal from July 1 until the start of school.
Some schools offer tuition refund protection. Tuition at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School already includes refund protection; Harbor Day School requires families on the ten-payment plan to purchase refund protection separately at $400 per student per year; TVT Community Day School requires families paying in installments to join its tuition protection plan. All amounts above are for the 2026-27 school year.
Private school enrollment and deposit arrangements by school
The Pegasus School
K-8- Decisions
- February 26, 2027
- Enrollment
- The admission page states by March 12; the tuition page states March 15
- Deposit
- New families pay 20% of tuition at enrollment
TVT Community Day School
TK-12- Decisions
- Early March
- Enrollment
- Within 10 business days of admission; submit online and pay a nonrefundable deposit
- Financial aid
- New families receive it with the contract in early March
Harbor Day School
K-8- Decisions
- March
- Deposit
- $4,000
- Financial aid
- New families receive it with the enrollment contract
- Waitlist
- Not ranked; remains active through the summer
Orange Lutheran High School
9-12- Decisions
- Early: the week of November 30; regular: the week of January 25
- Enrollment
- Complete registration and payment within two weeks of the admission notice
- Registration fee
- $550, nonrefundable
New-student registration information meeting on February 22, 2027.
Servite High School
9-12- Decisions
- Early: before Christmas; regular: no later than February 20
- Enrollment
- Submit the intent-to-enroll form in the portal and pay a nonrefundable deposit
- Withdrawal
- No tuition owed for withdrawal on or before August 1
Santa Margarita Catholic High School
9-12- Decisions
- December 1, 2026, with financial aid decisions
- Afterward
- Rolling admission until the class is full
- Events
- New-student welcome event on February 23, 2027
The website advises completing registration early to avoid the waitlist.
These arrangements come from the admission and tuition pages of each school website, checked on September 27, 2026; amounts are for the 2026-27 school year. Two pages on The Pegasus School website give different enrollment dates; follow the school's official notice.
How private school waitlists work
Few Orange County private schools publish their waitlist rules. Harbor Day School and The Pegasus School state that their waitlists are not ranked and that, when a space opens, the school admits the applicant who best fits that space; the Harbor Day School waitlist remains active through the summer, and families who do not receive a space can apply again the following year. Stratford School ranks its waitlist by application date.
After receiving a waitlist notice
Secure a place first
- Enroll on time at another school that has admitted the student; do not give up a confirmed place while waiting on a waitlist
- Understand the withdrawal terms at the school where the family has enrolled, and how much would be owed if a waitlist offer comes through
Stay in touch with the waitlist school
- Confirm, as the school requests, that the family wishes to remain on the waitlist
- Send the admissions office a brief update when there are new grades or awards
The EDUBUS Decisions and Enrollment service supports families through this stage: following up on waitlists, comparing multiple admission offers, tracking enrollment and deposit deadlines, and preparing the transition before the student starts school.
