Most Western New York families start looking at private schools about eleven months before their child would walk in the door. That sounds early. It is roughly right, and the reason is that the two things families most want, a place at a school with limited seats and a share of a finite aid budget, both run out in the same order they are asked for.
Here is how a year of the process actually runs, and what is different if you are moving mid-year or choosing a parish elementary school rather than a competitive high school.
The short answer
For a competitive Catholic high school or an independent academy, apply in the fall a full year ahead. Applications generally open around the start of October, the busiest deadlines fall in December, and acceptance letters go out in January.
For a parish elementary school, including Saints Peter and Paul, the process is rolling and far less pressured. Families most often visit in the fall, register over the winter, and are settled by spring. Seats do fill in popular grades, so earlier is better, but you are not racing a single deadline.
A year of the process, month by month
September and October. Open house season across the Buffalo area. Tour three or four schools, ideally while classes are running. Competitive high school applications open around the start of October.
November. Narrow to two. Go back to your leading choice for a second look, alone this time, without the crowd of an open house.
December. The heaviest application deadlines for competitive high schools land here, commonly the first of the month for early rounds. Entrance testing, where a school requires it, clusters in late fall.
January. Acceptance letters for competitive high schools. Parish elementary registration opens for the following September.
February and March. Registration and deposits. This is when a seat becomes yours rather than theoretically available. Deposits are commonly non-refundable, which is the point of them.
April and May. Financial aid deadlines. This is the step families most often miss, because it sits after the excitement of an acceptance and feels administrative. Aid applications at parish schools frequently close around the first of May for the coming year, and a late application usually means waiting a full year for the next cycle.
June through August. Tuition payment plans are set up, uniforms and supply lists arrive, and paying in full before the school’s summer deadline usually earns a discount.
What is different about a mid-year move
Mid-year transfers happen more often than the calendar above suggests, usually because a family relocates or because something at the current school has stopped working. Parish elementary schools can generally take a child mid-year when the grade has room, and the process compresses into a couple of weeks rather than a year.
The two things to sort out early are records and aid. Ask the new school what it needs from the old one, and ask directly whether any aid remains in the current year’s budget, because by February most of it has been committed.
Enrollment at Saints Peter and Paul
Not sure where you are in the calendar?
Start with a visit. We will tell you honestly what is open in your child’s grade and what the next step looks like from wherever you are in the year.
How enrollment works at Saints Peter and Paul
Saints Peter and Paul runs a three-step process rather than a single deadline.
- Schedule a visit. Tour the campus and meet the administration and teachers while school is in session.
- Submit an application. The registration form covers student and family details, sacramental records where they apply, and your tuition payment choice. A $150 non-refundable registration deposit per student secures the place, collected through FACTS.
- Meet with the team. A conversation about your child specifically, their needs, and whether the fit is right in both directions.
Financial aid runs on its own clock. The Angel Fund Scholarship application, along with a recent tax return and a supporting letter, goes to the school office in the spring ahead of the school year it covers. Current deadlines are published on the enrollment page, and it is worth applying even if you expect not to qualify, because awards weigh the whole family situation.
Frequently asked questions
When should I apply to private school for next year?
For a competitive high school, apply in the fall a year ahead, since deadlines cluster in December and decisions arrive in January. For a parish elementary school, registering between January and March for the following September is typical and usually sufficient.
Is it too late to apply for this school year?
Often not. Parish elementary schools can take a child mid-year when the grade has space. Aid is the harder part, because most of the year’s budget is committed by late winter.
What do I need to apply?
Expect to provide student and family details, the previous school and withdrawal date, any individualized education plan, sacramental records at a Catholic school, and emergency contacts. A registration deposit is usually required to secure the place.
Do I have to apply for aid at the same time as enrolling?
They are separate processes with separate deadlines, and the aid deadline usually falls later. Do not let an aid decision stop you from registering, and do not let registering make you forget the aid deadline.
How long does a decision take?
Competitive high schools work to a fixed date and reply in January. A parish elementary school will often tell you at the meeting, or within days of it.
Where to start
Wherever you are in the year, the first step is the same one: see the school with children in it. Our guide to what to look for on a school visit covers what to ask, and what area schools charge covers the money side before you get to a deposit.
