How to Apply / Application Process

If you have children currently at The Basilica School of Saint Mary, then your child's application packet is considered a sibling application. As a convenience to current families, sibling applications do not require a Parish Acknowledgement Form.

If your child currently attends PreK at The Basilica School of Saint Mary, you must reapply for  Kindergarten. As a convenience,  current Pre-K families are not required to submit the Parish Acknowledgement Form, Birth Certificate, or Baptismal Certificate. You can apply for Kindergarten through the same Parent Portal account which you applied for PreK. 

If you applied in the past and would like to apply for the following school year, you must submit a new application packet, as applications do not carry over to the next school year.  Although you need to submit a new application packet, you can reapply through the same Parent Portal account as the previous time. 

If you would like to apply to The Basilica School of Saint Mary for the first time, you will apply through our online application. When you click on the application link, you will be asked to create an account. Once you create your parent portal account, you will fill out an application form and click submit. After you submit the form and it is processed, a checklist of required items will appear on your parent portal for you to complete as part of the application packet. 

Application packets are not considered complete and eligible for review until all the required checklist items are submitted. 

For Kindergarten, children must be five years old by September 30 of the enrollment year. 

Please visit our Parent Visiting Day webpage here to learn about the different Parent Visiting Day dates and how to RSVP. Attending this event is not mandatory.

• Application Form -
  • The Basilica School of Saint Mary utilizes a single-school application found online at smsva.org/admissions. If you choose to apply to multiple schools in the Diocese of Arlington utilizing the diocesan application, you must also complete our school application. Please note that an applicant’s packet is considered complete when ALL required documents have been submitted and processed. 
• Application Fee -
  • Non-refundable application fee of $75.00 per applicant. 
• Copy of Birth Certificate -
  • Required with application. After acceptance, the original birth certificate must be presented to the School for verification. 
• Copy of Sacramental Certificates Catholic applicants only -
  • This includes Baptismal certificate and First Communion (if they have been received). 
• Record of Immunization -
  • Immunization record is due with application. Exemptions for immunization requirements are not accepted. 
• VA School Entrance Health Form -
  • The Commonwealth of VA School Entrance Health Form must be submitted prior to the start of school, but is not required to make the application complete. 
• School Records -
  • Students applying to grades 1-8 Student Records are to include current and two previous academic years’ (minimum), report cards (including comments), standardized test scores and all additional applicable requirements per the Release of Student Records Request Form.
• Parish Acknowledgement Form -
  • Submitted by your child’s current teacher. There is an evaluation specific to PreK & K applicants. A separate evaluation is used for students applying to grades 1-8. 
  • Catholic applicants only. This form must be completed by the applicant’s parish office and submitted directly from the parish to The Basilica School of Saint Mary. Complete either the form specific to parishioners of The Basilica of Saint Mary or the one for parishioners of other Catholic parishes. There are two parts to the Parish Acknowledgement form for The Basilica of Saint Mary parishioners.
  • As a convenience to current families at The Basilica School of Saint Mary, sibling applications do not require a Parish Acknowledgement Form.
• Custody Decree (if applicable) -
  • Custody agreement is required with application. 
• Additional information (if applicable) -
  • If the applicant has been tested or evaluated for any disability, English as a second language, or medical condition, additional information is required. Documentation required with application: a copy of IEP, 504 plan, Student Assistance Plan, Speech and Language Evaluation, Psycho-educational test results, Special Ed Child Study, Special Ed Eligibility Date from base public school and Special Ed Triennial.
• Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (Kindergarten applicants only)
  • Applicants to Kindergarten will be required to complete a Kindergarten readiness screening with staff from The Basilica School of Saint Mary. Applicants will be emailed information on the screening process after an application is submitted. Sessions will be scheduled with each prospective student through the parent application portal. 
  • If you are a current PreK student at The Basilica School of Saint Mary, you will not need to sign up for a Kindergarten Readiness Assessment since the assessment will happen during the school day for your child.

To apply for the 2026-2027 school year, please use this link to apply: https://smsva.fsenrollment.com/users/sign_in. When you click on this link, you will be asked to create an account. Once you create your parent portal account, you will fill out an application form and click submit. After you submit the form and it is processed, a checklist of required items will appear on your parent portal for you to complete as part of the application packet. Application packets are not considered complete until all the required checklist items are submitted. The deadline to submit a completed application packet to be considered in the first round of admissions decisions is February 2, 2026

All applicants must complete the Basilica School of Saint Mary application. Only one application per student, please.

Application decisions are released the last week of February. 

Upon acceptance, please return your enrollment contract with your enrollment decision. If you are not accepted in the first round of admissions decisions, please confirm your spot in the waitpool if you would like to be considered for spots that open up later in the spring and summer. The waitpool stays open until the start of the school year for which you applied. 

The Acceptance Protocol acts as the framework for evaluating incoming applications. Application packets are extensively reviewed. The Basilica School of Saint Mary reserves the right to offer placement to applicants considering the best fit for the student, grade level and school.

• Siblings of returning students currently attending our kindergarten through eighth grade who are children of active parishioners of the Basilica of Saint Mary
• Siblings of returning students currently attending our kindergarten through eighth grade who are children from families registered at other Catholic parishes
• Siblings of returning students currently attending our kindergarten through eighth grade who are children from non-Catholic families
• Children of active parishioners of The Basilica of Saint Mary
• Children from families registered at Catholic parishes without schools
• Children from families registered at Catholic parishes with schools
• Other Catholics
• Children from non-Catholic families, if openings remain

Attendance in The Basilica School of Saint Mary’s PreK program does not guarantee admission to kindergarten.

The Basilica School of Saint Mary admits students of any race, color, or national origin.

Please visit our Parent Visiting Day webpage here to learn about the different Parent Visiting Day dates and how to RSVP. Attending this event is not mandatory.

• Application Form -
  • The Basilica School of Saint Mary utilizes a single-school application found online at smsva.org/admissions. If you choose to apply to multiple schools in the Diocese of Arlington utilizing the diocesan application, you must also complete our school application. Please note that an applicant’s packet is considered complete when ALL required documents have been submitted and processed. 
• Application Fee -
  • Non-refundable application fee of $55.00 per applicant. 
• Copy of Birth Certificate -
  • Required with application. After acceptance, the original birth certificate must be presented to the School for verification. 
• Copy of Sacramental Certificates Catholic applicants only -
  • This includes Baptismal certificate and First Communion (if they have been received). 
• Record of Immunization -
  • Immunization record is due with application. Exemptions for immunization requirements are not accepted. 
• VA School Entrance Health Form -
  • The Commonwealth of VA School Entrance Health Form must be submitted prior to the start of school, but is not required to make the application complete. 
• School Records -
  • Students applying to grades 1-8 Student Records are to include current and two previous academic years’ (minimum), report cards (including comments), standardized test scores and all additional applicable requirements per the Release of Student Records Request Form.
• Prospective Student Evaluation FormParish Acknowledgement Form -
  • Submitted by your child’s current teacher. There is an evaluation specific to PreK & K applicants. A separate evaluation is used for students applying to grades 1-8. 
  • Catholic applicants only. This form must be completed by the applicant’s parish office and submitted directly from the parish to The Basilica School of Saint Mary. Complete either the form specific to parishioners of The Basilica of Saint Mary or the one for parishioners of other Catholic parishes. There are two parts to the Parish Acknowledgement form for The Basilica of Saint Mary parishioners.
  • As a convenience to current families at The Basilica School of Saint Mary, sibling applications do not require a Parish Acknowledgement Form.
• Custody Decree (if applicable) -
  • Custody agreement is required with application. 
• Additional information (if applicable) -
  • If the applicant has been tested or evaluated for any disability, English as a second language, or medical condition, additional information is required. Documentation required with application: a copy of IEP, 504 plan, Student Assistance Plan, Speech and Language Evaluation, Psycho-educational test results, Special Ed Child Study, Special Ed Eligibility Date from base public school and Special Ed Triennial.

To apply for the 2026-2027 school year, please use this link to apply: https://smsva.fsenrollment.com/users/sign_in. When you click on this link, you will be asked to create an account. Once you create your parent portal account, you will fill out an application form and click submit. After you submit the form and it is processed, a checklist of required items will appear on your parent portal for you to complete as part of the application packet. Application packets are not considered complete until all the required checklist items are submitted. The deadline to submit a completed application packet to be considered in the first round of admissions decisions is February 2, 2026.

All applicants must complete the Basilica School of Saint Mary application. Only one application per student please.

Application decisions are released the last week of February. 

Upon acceptance, please return your enrollment contract with your enrollment decision. If you are not accepted in the first round of admissions decisions, please confirm your spot in the waitpool if you would like to be considered for spots that open up later in the spring and summer. The waitpool stays open until the start of the school year for which you applied. 

The Acceptance Protocol acts as the framework for evaluating incoming applications. Application packets are extensively reviewed. The Basilica School of Saint Mary reserves the right to offer placement to applicants considering the best fit for the student, grade level and school.

• Siblings of returning students currently attending our kindergarten through eighth grade who are children of active parishioners of the Basilica of Saint Mary
• Siblings of returning students currently attending our kindergarten through eighth grade who are children from families registered at other Catholic parishes
• Siblings of returning students currently attending our kindergarten through eighth grade who are children from non-Catholic families
• Children of active parishioners of The Basilica of Saint Mary
• Children from families registered at Catholic parishes without schools
• Children from families registered at Catholic parishes with schools
• Other Catholics
• Children from non-Catholic families, if openings remain

Attendance in The Basilica School of Saint Mary’s PreK program does not guarantee admission to kindergarten.

The Basilica School of Saint Mary admits students of any race, color, or national origin.