Admission Process

List of 4 items.

• Admission Entry Grade

  The natural entry points into a Punahou education are Kindergarten, grade 4, grade 6, grade 7, and grade 9. Each year, applications for grades 1, grade 2, grade 3 and grade 5 are only accepted by applicants who were placed in the previous year’s wait pool. Applications for other grades are accepted on a space-available basis, and we encourage families to contact the Admission Office for further information.

• Enrollment

  Once enrolled, students are not required to re-apply for admission for any subsequent grade levels but must complete a re-enrollment form each year. Students failing to meet Punahou's academic or citizenship standards may be asked to withdraw at any time.
  
  All new Punahou students must provide documentation of physical examinations (including immunizations and tuberculin test) before the first day of school.
  
  An emphasis on moral and spiritual education and development pervades Punahou and can be experienced in classrooms through community service programs and character education. Chapel attendance is required of all students.

• Decisions

  Student selection is based on academic and non-academic considerations. Admission criteria include academic performance, test scores, and reports of demonstrated talents and interests. Characteristics such as initiative, independence, responsibility, self-discipline, and creativity are desirable traits. Students willing to reach and push themselves to their limits are those most likely to benefit from a Punahou education. 

  
  

  Preference is given to qualified candidates who are: children of alumni, faculty, or staff, of Hawaiian descent, descendants of Punahou’s missionary founders, or siblings of enrolled students. These special considerations are only used as tiebreakers and do not guarantee acceptance.

  
  

  Decision letters are released on the same day for all applicants of a particular grade level.

  
  Decision letters for the 2022 – 2023 school year will be released by:
  

  Kindergarten – grade 5	April 14, 2022
  Grades 6 – 12	March 18, 2022

  
  

  The decision dates allow for compliance with the common reply dates of the Hawai`i Association of Independent Schools (HAIS). A non-refundable $1,000 deposit is due upon enrollment. This amount is credited toward tuition.

  
  

  Post-decision conferences may be scheduled by emailing the Admission Office, according to the information provided in the decision letter.

  
  
  

• Wait Pool

  The wait pool consists of applicants who meet the criteria for admission but cannot be offered enrollment due to limited space. Applicants placed in a wait pool are not ranked. As spaces become available, applicants that responded that they’d like to remain in the wait pool will be considered for admission.
  
  Due to limited spaces in grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, and grade 5, applications are only accepted for applicants that were wait pooled the year before. For example, if a child is wait pooled after applying to Kindergarten, that child may apply for admission in grade 1.