Admissions FAQs

Pace begins with Pre-First, our academic kindergarten, and continues through 12th grade. Pace has three natural entry points: grades Pre-First, six and nine. In Pre-First, we add 60 new students; in the sixth grade, we add 25-30; and in the ninth grade, we add an additional 25-30 new students. In the other grades, admission opportunities are based on attrition.

We have 1,150 students in grades Pre-First through 12. In the Lower School, there are approximately 60 students in each grade; in the Middle School, there are about 90 students per grade; and in the Upper School, there are approximately 120 students in each grade.

The Lower School’s average class size is 20 students with two full-time teachers. In the Middle School, there are approximately 17 students in any given classroom. In the Upper School, as course offerings expand, this number decreases to about 13 students per class.

Pace Academy was founded in 1958 by an interfaith group of community leaders. Although we are not affiliated with a specific church or religion, we adhere to Judeo-Christian values and place a major emphasis on character development.

Pace's strong commitment to both family and community engagement stems from our founding in 1958, when an interfaith group of community leaders envisioned an educational environment open to fresh ideas where parents partner with educators.

At Pace, we believe that a diverse and inclusive learning environment is key to quality education and that cultural fluency and compassion are hallmarks of a 21st-century leader. Beyond ethnic, cultural and religious diversity, the Pace student body embraces diversity of interests. Our students do not define themselves by singular attributes; rather, we encourage them to explore and cultivate a multitude of activities through which they can interact, relate and connect with students of many backgrounds.

Students of color make up 32% of our student body, and nearly 30% of our faculty members are people of color. Pace’s diversity programming includes: faculty workshops; a Diversity Speakers Series; partnerships with local schools and community agencies; an eighth-grade Civil Rights trip; the Isdell Center for Global Leadership with study abroad opportunities for students in all divisions; and Step Up to Bullying, a comprehensive bullying program in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League. Our diversity initiatives are supported by curricular offerings and student organizations.

For more information about Pace’s commitment to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive learning environment as well as our Action Plan for Racial Equity, please visit our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion site.

Tuition costs at Pace include lunch, fees, school pictures, school accident insurance, science and computer lab fees, school publications and academic extracurricular field trips (with one or two exceptions). In grades Pre-First through five, books are included in tuition; in grades six through 12, books are additional. Other items such as school supplies, art and photography fees, and PE uniforms are extra and are purchased separately by the student.

Each year, Pace awards over $4 million in need-based financial assistance to students in Pre-First through 12th grade, providing access and opportunity to the brightest and most remarkable young people across metro Atlanta. A separate application is required. We do not offer merit-based scholarships.

We do not provide transportation to or from school. We do provide transportation to and from our satellite athletic facility for practices and games. All of our coaches are licensed to drive Pace mini buses, and we also have staff members licensed to drive two full-sized buses.

Lower School begins at 8 a.m. Pre-First dismisses at 2 p.m., first grade at 2:30 p.m., and second- through fifth-grades dismisses at 3:05 p.m.

Middle School begins at 8:15 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. (with a before-school extra-help session from 7:45-8:10 a.m.).

Upper School begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. (with an after-school extra-help session from 3 p.m.-3:30 p.m.).

Students applying to Pre-First grade must be 5 years old by September 1.

Our admission decision is based on a child’s readiness, not his/her birthday. Applicants with summer birthdays on the young end are granted every consideration, but those we believe would benefit from an additional year of preparation may receive a “Wait-A-Year” decision. Those applicants would then reapply for Pre-First the following admissions season. Our Pre-First students' birthdays range from August (5 years, 0 months) to the previous May (6 years, 3 months).

In scheduling tours, Pace gives priority to families interested in applying for the upcoming school year. However, you are welcome to contact our office if you would like to attend a tour a year prior to your admissions year.

Students applying to the sixth and ninth grades are invited to spend a morning “shadowing” current students. For details and registration, please visit Ravenna. 

Spending time on campus is one of the most important ways to determine whether a school is a good fit for your child and family. Each type of visit, however, is different and provides different insights for different children. We recommend contacting the admissions representative for your child’s prospective division to discuss.

Yes! Please check the athletics* and arts calendars often for details about upcoming events. If you are uncertain about which events may be best to attend, don’t hesitate to contact the admissions representative for your child’s prospective division to discuss. 

*Please note that many of Pace’s athletic events take place at our Riverview campus,  5700 Riverview Road, Mableton, GA 30126.

Yes. For Lower School students, we offer various after-school enrichment programs, as well as regular after-school care. We also have after-school extracurriculars available for Middle School students.

We recommend scheduling the JATP (for Lower School applicants) at your earliest convenience. Because the norms of the tests used in JATP compare children within a narrow age range, there is no advantage to scheduling the testing later in the admissions season.

Every student has varying levels of familiarity with standardized tests. Please contact the admissions representative in your child’s prospective division to discuss. The February 4, 2023 test is the last “standard” test that we can accept for consideration of admission for the fall of 2023. While not required nor expected, if their child takes the test more than once, families may submit both sets of scores to Pace.