Two admissions systems

A private file and a public lottery answer different questions

SystemSchools hereWhat controls
IndependentWestminster · Pace · Woodward · Lovett · AISGrade space, records, recommendations, assessment or testing, visits, institutional judgment, and aid
APS charterAtlanta ClassicalEligibility, preference order, lottery number, waitlist movement, and verified vacancy

Keep two calendars and two evidence columns. A strong SSAT or private-school interview does not improve a charter lottery number. A favorable lottery number does not predict a private committee decision.

For Fall 2027, Westminster closes the main application and aid file January 15; Pace applications close February 1 and supplements and aid February 15; Woodward applications and aid close February 1; Lovett applications close February 1, supplements February 15, and aid March 1. AIS describes rolling admission, but its public application page still mixes 2025–26 and 2026–27 dates. Atlanta Classical has not yet published its Fall 2027 lottery window. A blank or stale date is a reason to get written confirmation, not permission to project last year.

Entry geometry

Available is not the same as expanding

SchoolKindergartenGrade 6Grade 9
WestminsterPre-First expansionExpansion; count unpublishedExpansion; count unpublished
PaceTypically 60 Pre-First newcomersTypically 30 newcomersTypically 30–35 newcomers
WoodwardBoth campuses; count unpublishedBoth campuses; not a published expansionUpper School begins; outside count unpublished
LovettExpansion; count unpublishedExpansion; count unpublishedExpansion; count unpublished
AIS5K curriculum entry; count unpublishedMiddle/MYP transition; count unpublishedUpper/MYP transition; count unpublished
Atlanta Classical50 planned seatsVacancy-onlyVacancy-only

Pace’s numbers are typical newcomer counts, not promised Fall 2027 places. “Expansion” at Westminster and Lovett does not reveal applications, offers, yield, or selection odds. Grade transitions at Woodward and AIS do not prove external capacity.

The Atlanta map

The late-day route can erase a school’s advantages

AreaSchoolTest before applying
West Paces Ferry / BuckheadWestminster · PaceTwo nearby campuses, different entrances, hours, and bus availability
Paces Ferry / RiverbankLovettThe exact bus stop, after-activity pickup, and river-crossing route
North Fulton Drive / BuckheadAISRoute-specific bus time, late activity, and the correct campus
Northside DriveAtlanta ClassicalLimited routes, APS eligibility, aftercare, and family backup
College ParkWoodward MainRegional bus, late return, airport traffic, and activity transport
Johns CreekWoodward NorthPK–6 only; plan the Grade 7 move to College Park now

Run a rainy arrival, ordinary dismissal, 6 p.m. activity, freeway disruption, and emergency collection from every relevant home. A tour-day trip is not a transportation plan.

Look inside the timetable

“Rigorous” describes none of the differences parents need

Broad independent schools still make different bargains

Westminster, Pace, Woodward, and Lovett all publish ambitious academics, arts, and athletics. Compare the actual Grade 6 or Grade 9 schedule: grouping, placement, course choice, homework, revision, advising, required faith practice, support, and the opportunities a newcomer can realistically enter.

AIS is a language-and-credential decision

AIS runs PYP, MYP, and later DP or CP pathways. Grade 9 remains in MYP; it is not direct entry to the Diploma Programme. Ask what language placement changes elsewhere in the timetable and which senior credential remains feasible.

Atlanta Classical makes a deliberately narrower promise

Atlanta Classical emphasizes direct instruction, sequenced content, Western civilization, Latin, virtue, uniforms, and firm routines. A family should choose that coherence because it suits the child—not because tuition-free automatically means interchangeable with an independent school.

Our conditional read

What each school adds to a serious list

The Westminster Schools: Buckhead · West Paces Ferry

Entry shape: Pre-First, Grade 6, and Grade 9 expand; exact Fall 2027 seats are unpublished.

A broad, highly resourced Christian school whose academic and activity range is real. Families should test how placement, support, faith practice, competition for opportunities, and the long campus day would work for this child. Read the full guide.

Pace Academy: Buckhead · West Paces Ferry

Entry shape: Typically 60 Pre-First, 30 Grade 6, and 30–35 Grade 9 newcomers.

The clearest private-school intake evidence in this set. Pace combines a smaller campus community with broad academics, athletics, arts, and global programs—but no daily home-to-school bus, and several experiences add material cost. Read the full guide.

Woodward Academy: College Park · Johns Creek through Grade 6

Entry shape: K, Grade 6, and Grade 9 are available; outside-seat counts are unpublished.

The scale, two-campus structure, buses, academic levels, and fee-based Transition program create options other schools do not. They also make campus, pathway, and transportation details inseparable from fit. Read the full guide.

The Lovett School: Buckhead · Paces Ferry

Entry shape: K, Grade 5, Grade 6, and Grade 9 expand; counts are unpublished.

A Christian K–12 school with strong academics, arts, athletics, and outdoor space. The useful questions concern actual newcomer integration, course access after recent growth, support cost, and the real trip home. Read the full guide.

Atlanta International School: Buckhead · Sandy Springs early-learning campus

Entry shape: 5K, Grade 6, Grade 9, and Grade 11 are meaningful transitions; counts are unpublished.

Choose AIS for the language-and-IB operating system, not merely international branding. Grade 9 is still MYP; DP or CP begins later. Language placement, support, bus route, and intended credential all belong in the decision. Read the full guide.

Atlanta Classical Academy: Northside Drive · APS public charter

Entry shape: K plans 50 seats; Grade 6 and Grade 9 are vacancy-only.

A tuition-free, knowledge-rich, orderly classical option with Latin, uniforms, explicit virtue language, and cumulative expectations. It is not a private-school substitute mechanically: APS eligibility, lottery priority, services, and transportation control. Read the full guide.

Support has a job description

A resource center is not a service plan

Woodward publishes the clearest specialist route through its extra-cost Transition program for eligible students in Grades 2–8. Other schools describe learning specialists, counseling, advising, accommodations, or fee-based resources with different limits. Atlanta Classical has public-school service obligations, but the actual placement and delivery still require an individualized conversation.

NeedEvidence to requestDo not infer
RemediationMethod, provider, minutes, group, progress measureA specialist title proves treatment
Executive functionAdult, cadence, caseload, missed class, fading planAdvisory equals coaching
AccommodationDocumentation, approval, classroom delivery, appealA current plan transfers unchanged
Mental healthUrgent access, recurring-care limit, referral processA counselor provides ongoing therapy

Compare complete obligations

Fall 2027 prices are not yet public

School2026–27 planning baselineKnown planning issue
WestminsterTuition $37,525–$42,865Add transport, books by division, activities, trips, and grade-specific costs
PaceTuition $37,360–$43,020; planned essentials raise the rangeGlobal study and other participation costs can be material
WoodwardK–12 tuition $29,950–$37,950Transition support can add up to $13,500; round-trip bus is about $2,420 per semester
LovettK–5 $34,850 · G6–12 $41,110Books, trips, bus, support, and activities sit beyond tuition
AIS5K $32,364 · G6 $35,442 · G9 $36,947 tuitionFirst-child matriculation, technology, meals, bus, and other charges
Atlanta Classical$0 tuitionTransport, meals, uniforms, activities, aftercare, and family time remain

Use these only as 2026–27 planning benchmarks. Ask for one written Fall 2027 first-year ledger and a renewal model through graduation. Compare net obligation rather than an aid percentage.

Our read

Our read

Atlanta families should compare promises, not prestige

These schools do not offer six versions of the same ambitious education. They differ in faith, scale, language, curriculum, support, public accountability, transportation, and where a newcomer actually enters. Those differences should shape the list before reputation does.

The best paper fit still has to work across the full week. A child must be able to reach the campus, obtain the needed support, enter the desired work or activity, come home, eat, sleep, and want to return. If the operating plan fails, the school’s impressive breadth is largely theoretical.

Continue your research

More for your Atlanta school search

Sources and further research

Where to verify and keep reading

We favor direct links to the exact page or document a family may need next. Access dates matter because admissions, tuition, leadership, and programs change.