admissions faq
applying to GALA
ADMISSION DATES
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2023-2024 School Year: We are not accepting any applications. If you were waitlisted, we do not anticipate adding any additional students.
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2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR: Applications for the 2024-2025 school year are now closed. Because we have hundreds more applications than spots available, we are not accepting any additional applications.
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October 1, 2023 - LAUSD Unified Enrollment application is open on October 2nd AND the GALA application opens October 1, 2023. Applications are NOT first-come-first-served.
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November 17, 2023 - Deadline for the LAUSD Unified Enrollment application and the deadline for the GALA application to the 2024-2025 school year.
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March 11-15 - - Notifications are now sent by LAUSD. Applicants are emailed their status via LAUSD eChoices Unified Enrollment. LAUSD does rolling notifications so if you don't hear on March 11th, you will hear by March 15th. GALA will follow up with an email on March 16th. If you have not heard from GALA regarding your status, please do not contact GALA until Monday, March 18th. Also, check your SPAM folder or your LAUSD Parent Portal. Please do NOT call the main office, email admissions@galacademy.org with questions.
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End of April 2024: If accepted, you will receive a deadline to sign the intent form to register at GALA for the 2024-2025 school year. If you do not sign the intent form by this date, your spot will be forfeited.
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May 4, 2024 - If accepted, first day to register at Registration Day for accepted students.
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May 6-10, 2024 - If accepted, Registration drop off in the office for anyone not attending the May Registration Day. Hours 8:30-11am.
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May 10, 2024 - Deadline for accepted students to enroll. Any accepted student who has not registered by this date will automatically forfeit their spot at GALA.
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June 1, 2024-September 1, 2024 - Any open spots opened to the waiting list.
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WHO SHOULD APPLY TO GALA?
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GALA is open to all girls in Los Angeles Unified School District. As long as you live in the LAUSD footprint, you do not need any special permits to attend.
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Any out of district students may apply for a permit. Permits must be obtained by your own school district first, and then LAUSD. You do not need to request a permit until you are accepted to GALA and have committed to attend.
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Applicants should be ready and willing to accept the demands of a challenging academic course load. GALA provides a highly rigorous college preparatory education in an all-girls environment.
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Applicants should have an interest in STEM. Our focus is science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with particular emphasis on engineering and computer science. We also have humanities and arts, however, the focus is STEM.
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Applicants interested in an all-girls school. GALA is an environment that is exclusively devoted to the education of young women. Our all-girls environment fosters collaboration between the school community, girls and their families. GALA’s core values of excellence, leadership, and wellness are instilled throughout every facet of the school.
WHAT GRADES ARE YOU ACCEPTING?
GALA is a SPAN (6th-12th grade) school. Each year, we will accept 6th-11th graders. Although rising 12th graders are considered, past academic rigor is required.
2016-2017: 6th, 9th
2017-2108: 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th
2018-2019: 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th
2019-Present: 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
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HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE ACCEPTED EACH YEAR?
6th Grade: approx100 students
7th Grade: approx 0 -15 students
8th Grade: approx 0-15 students
9th Grade: approx 0-30 students
10th-12th Grades: approx 0-10 students each.
HOW CAN MY DAUGHTER APPLY?
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APPLICATION: The application is online beginning October 1st each year. NEW: Parents will need to indicate GALA (Admissions Criteria School) on the LAUSD Unified Enrollment form AND complete the application/checklist items on the GALA website. Applications will NOT be considered if BOTH are not submitted. Prospective students answer some questions and parents answer some questions. Parents, it is important that your daughter fill out her own section of the application. Please complete your application thoughtfully. Once you submit your application, checklist items must be complete. The system will not forward your application in the admissions process if these checklist items are not complete. More information HERE.
DO I NEED A TEACHER RECOMMENDATION?
TEACHER RECOMMENDATION: After you submit your application in your application account, you will be directed to checklist items. One of those is where you input a teacher name and email address and click submit. When you hit "submit" on that checklist item, the email to the teacher is auto-generated with a student-specific link. CHECK AND DOUBLE CHECK THE SPELLING OF THE TEACHER EMAIL. PLEASE follow up with your teacher (emails sometimes go to SPAM). If we do not receive the teacher recommendation, your application will be incomplete and not considered. If a recommendation is not received by the deadline, GALA will follow up with the teacher 1 time. If you need to re-submit the teacher information, you can log back into your application account and re-send. We do not accept emailed or snail mailed recommendations, they can only be submitted through our student-specific link emailed to the teacher.
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WHICH TEACHER SHOULD I USE? Please use an "academic" teacher that knows your daughter well. If you feel that a teacher from last year knows your daughter better than the one this year, you may also use that teacher. For example, if your 4th grade teacher knows your daughter better than your current 5th grade teacher, you may use the 4th grade teacher. Please do not use a tutor, a friend, or a parent as they will not be considered. If you have "team" teachers where 2 teachers are in the same classroom, choose 1 teacher email to submit. Please use an "education" email such as teachername@lausd.net.
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CAN I SEND IN A SNAIL MAIL OR EMAILED RECOMMENDATION? No. We do not accept snail mailed or documents attached to emails for recommendations. Please do not ask anyone else to snail mail a recommendation. They will not be considered.
WILL YOU HAVE A SIBLING PREFERENCE WHEN APPLYING TO GALA?
CURRENT SIBLINGS: If you have a CURRENT student enrolled at GALA, any sibling wanting to attend GALA must also submit the LAUSD Unified Enrollment application AND the GALA website application. Although we do give some preference to reviewing sibling applications, it is no longer guaranteed that siblings will get a spot.
APPLYING SIBLING: If you are applying to GALA for multiple siblings in the same year, for example if one student is applying for 6th and the sibling is applying for 10th, we do not give priority. It is possible that 1 sibling would get in and 1 would not.
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DO YOU TAKE LATE APPLICATIONS?
No. You must apply by the LAUSD Unified Enrollment deadline, November, 17, 2023.
WHO HAS REGISTERED FOR GALA?
Girls come from over 124 different schools and from over 80 different zip codes. Girls are coming from charter schools, magnet schools, independent charters, religious schools, and private schools.
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WHEN WILL I HEAR IF I GOT IN?
Acceptance letters go out via LAUSD Unified Enrollment at the end of March. If you have not received an email from LAUSD, log into your LAUSD parent application parent portal. Also, look in SPAM if you don't find one. Acceptance and waiting list letters are emailed.
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WE GOT IN, NOW WHAT?
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We highly recommend you attend Registration Day (normally scheduled in April or May). You will be able to register your daughter, meet teachers, try on uniform samples, buy PE clothes, and tour the campus. If you are not available on registration day, you will have 1 week to register in the office. After that week, your spot at GALA will be forfeited and filled with a student from the waiting list.
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WHAT IF I AM WAIT LISTED?
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Should there be any openings, we will pull from the waiting list. This typically happens May - September. Sometimes, we are not able to accept any new applicants in certain grades because our current students have indicated they are all staying for the next school year. Student families may decide to move or make other school plans over the summer or even in the first several weeks of school starting. If we have openings, we will contact wait list families at that time. The wait list does not carry over from year to year. Each year you are interested in GALA, you will need to re-apply.
our school
WHAT MAKES GALA DIFFERENT?
ALL-GIRLS: We are the only all-girls public school in California. As a public school, we are one of the most diverse racially, culturally, and socio-economically. As an all-girls school, we focus on the whole girls, academics and the social and mental health of teenagers.
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SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LENS: Because GALA also has a social/emotional lens, we will not let any girl fall between the cracks. We are committed to a whole-child mentality and our school culture is one where girls challenge each other to be successful in a supportive atmosphere.
MASTERY STANDARDS BASED GRADING AND GROWTH MINDSET: GALA believes that learning is not fixed. We encourage mistakes because that's when students learn. Mastery standards based grading allows students to learn, make mistakes, and then go back and fix their mistakes. This not only increases their learning but can also raise their grades. Grades are based on mastering the standards.
STEM: ALL-GIRLS: GALA focuses on girls to make sure they are prepared in STEM courses, as well as complete a well-balanced curriculum. Our goal is for our girls to leave our school confident, self-assured, with great skills to succeed in college and beyond.
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ADVISORY CLASS: GALA is not all about academics. Our advisory system will pair teachers and girls in a family group where girls can develop a strong sense of themselves and their responsibility to each other and the world around them.
HOW DID GALA GET STARTED?
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Principal Hicks fought to bring the all-girls PUBLIC school model to LAUSD for over 3 years. Click here to learn more about how GALA started.
What she found was that, in LAUSD, elementary school girls out performed boys in STEM subjects. In middle school, the data showed that scores in the STEM fields go down for girls. In High school, the AP calculus, chemistry, and physics classes are primarily made up of boys. GALA will insure that girls are supported and nurtured to be successful in these STEM courses.
Our instructional strategies are geared toward girls and the way they learn. The research shows that girls excel in collaborative and cooperative environments and GALA encourages and gears learning toward collaborative ideas. For example, research shows that girls like to work on projects that also have “meaning”. GALA has a project infused curriculum where girls make meaning of the theories they learn in class.
WHERE IS GALA LOCATED?
We are co-located on the Los Angeles High school campus near Olympic Blvd/West Blvd just south of Hancock Park. Although we share a campus with LA High, we are our own school with our own address, entrance, main office, and our main campus is gated. NEW: For the 2024-2025, GALA will be moving to its own campus surrounded on three sides by the only all-girls University in Los Angeles, Mount Saint Mary's (Doheny Campus). More information on the school tours.
WHERE ARE CLASSES HELD?
Our main building houses the majority of all 6th grade classes. Dance, Architecture, Art, and PE are located in the building south of our field. GALA West has additional classrooms, including science labs.
WILL MY CHILD BE SAFE?
Yes. GALA is fully gated with a security door with security video entry and a full-time campus aid. The neighborhood is just adjacent to beautiful Hancock Park with a wonderful park and historic Library to the north and a comprehensive recreation center to the south. The new campus is also gated with security and surrounded on three sides by the beautiful Mouth Saint Mary's University with its gorgeous Victorian mansions.
WHAT IS THE START DATE FOR GALA?
We follow the LAUSD calendar.
WHAT TIME DOES SCHOOL START AND END?
Bell schedule (in person) is Mondays 10:00am-3:35pm and Tues-Fri 8:30am-3:35pm .
The first class will be an “Advisory” period followed by 3 subjects, and Tues-Fri is a 7th period for electives.
PLEASE NOTE: Mondays only are a late start.
Advisory - every day
Six 90-minute periods alternating three periods each day.
7th period is an elective.
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WILL MY DAUGHTER EAT IN THE CAFETERIA?
GALA's lunch period is separate from LA High. Lunch is free. Girls eat in the cafeteria tables, picnic-style on our field, or around our campus.
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HOW WILL GALA DEAL WITH GIRL DRAMA, BULLYING, AND CONFLICT ISSUES?
GALA has an honor code. Each GALA student is required to sign the honor code when registering for school. We are a community that takes care of each other. Our culture supports dealing with problems by talking through them in order to find a viable solution for all parties. We have 4 counselors, a social worker, and a psychologist to help with any issues.
DO YOU HAVE TRANSPORTATION?
Our parents are active in carpooling or vanpooling to school. Our parent group has an online parent directory where you can search by zip code to find carpools. For 2023-2024, LAUSD is providing bus transportation for GALA for the first time.
DO GALA GIRLS WEAR A UNIFORM?
Yes. Please click here for a full description and to download the approved uniforms. The idea behind uniforms is that students will dress for success, will represent their school, will be highly visible on the campus, it equalizes the socio-economic field, and de-emphasizes what girls wear to school.
WHAT IS AN ADVISORY?
The first period of each day will be an “Advisory” period where a group of girls will be paired with one teacher to work on social/emotional skills. In these periods, we will also be working on college education skills as well as financial literacy.
WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS?
Please call or email the office with any questions! Or you may email admissions@galacademy.org. We look forward to talking with you!
academics
WILL MY DAUGHTER BE PREPARED FOR COLLEGE?
Yes! We are a college prep school with a full-time college counselor. Girls will complete a sequence of courses above the A-G minimum requirements for college, taking math, science, and computer science all years, and completing a college level research project in their senior year. We are committed to making sure our girls are prepared for highly selective colleges but are matched to the college that is right for preparation in their field. Our students have been accepted to Ivy League schools such as UPenn, Columbia, Dartmouth, Northwestern, and Cornell as well as every UC school.
WHAT CLASSES DO YOU OFFER IN MIDDLE SCHOOL?
Click here for grade-level grid, academic overview, and course handbook.
English – The curriculum is College Board Springboard curriculum. This curriculum scaffolds for success in high school Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
History – Follows standards based history curriculum infused with special projects including classical architecture and design and community service oriented projects.
Math – The curriculum is College Preparatory Math designed to engage all students in learning mathematics through problem solving, reasoning, and communication. Students will be able to follow an accelerated pathway in 7th grade taking both 7th and 8th grade standards in one course and progressing to Algebra in 8th grade. You can see a Course Handbook and the Math trajectory map HERE.
Science- The science curriculum is experiment based following the Next Generation Science standards
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Computer science courses are offered beginning in 6th grade for middle school and aligned with a 9th grade level Exploring Computer Science curriculum as well as infused with practical hands-on projects.
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P.E. – Following the state standards plus incorporating yoga, dance, elements of cross fit, dance and other lifestyle fitness concepts.
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Elective Wheel:
6th grade – Elective wheel- 10 weeks each of 4 subjects that can change each year.
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Elective - 7th Period – We have a 7th period built into our day for electives. Each year, some electives may vary. Visit our elective page HERE.
WHAT CLASSES DO YOU OFFER IN HIGH SCHOOL?
Click here for grade-level grid and the Course Handbook.
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WHAT CURRICULUM WILL YOU USE?
All of our curricular decisions are researched based. We follow the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards, and use curriculum that includes scaffolding as well as rigor.
English Language Arts: We are using Springboard College Board curriculum. This curriculum has been common core aligned for many years. The curriculum is sequential building skills through middle school so that students are ready for the rigor of honors and Advanced Placement classes in high school.
Math – We are using College Preparatory Math (CPM). CPM is designed to engage all students in learning mathematics through problem solving, reasoning, and communication. Many problems are solved through a collaborative model of thinking through math problems so the students really understand the math, not just a memorized formula.
Science: Next Generation Science Standards are the basis of our curricular approach. All of our courses have a basis in experiments for hands-on experience with science concepts.
Computer Science: Exploring Computer Science, a course developed by researchers at UCLA and middle school computer science, a curriculum developed by researchers at Stanford will infuse the courses with both practical applications, and theoretical concepts.
History: Standards based sequential history curriculum will focus on changes in the world, the United States and concepts of global awareness.
Art: Visual art is incorporated into the academic curriculum. Our 2-year architecture strand incorporates design and engineering. We anticipate adding digital art and animation.
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Language: Sequential language curriculum, oral language based, from Spanish 1 through, eventually, AP Spanish Literature. Students wishing to take other languages will have the option for on-line courses.
Public speaking and a leadership strand: All the girls will be able to advocate for themselves and be self-starters through leadership courses, experiences as well as advisory.
WILL YOU OFFER SPANISH?
Yes, Spanish is offered during the Academic Day.
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WILL YOU OFFER OTHER LANGUAGES
Other languages can be taken through Los Angeles City College.
WHAT IF STUDENTS CAN'T KEEP UP WITH AN ACCELERATED ACADEMIC PATHWAY?
Teachers are committed to working with students who may struggle with certain concepts or courses and many of our teachers offer "office hours" before and after school by appointment.
WHAT ARE THE TECHNOLOGY NEEDS?
GALA has Chromebooks for every student.
WILL THERE BE MENTORS OR INTERNSHIPS?
Girls may have mentors – professional women in the STEM fields - through their advisories. Internships will be available for students starting in 10th grade.
HOW WILL THE GIRLS BE DIFFERENTIATED IN ACADEMICS?
We will look at their designations coming in but many kids are never GATE tested in elementary school. We will make sure each child is challenged, but not overwhelmed.
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DO YOU ACCEPT STUDENTS WITH AN IEP (INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN)
Yes. Our current services include a full-time RSP teacher. Students should have a general education IEP with RSP designation. Services are "push in" to the classroom and not "pull out."
WHAT KIND OF GRADING DOES GALA USE?
Equity-based grading. This method of grading is rather new to LAUSD. Your child’s grade will be based on meeting the standards, not on participation/homework/checked off assignments. The grade will be based on how much each child actually understood. If the child does not meet the standard, the teachers will look at how they can re-teach to help each child master the subject.
WILL YOU BE USING PEER EDITING?
Yes. Peer editing will be incorporated into the curriculum. The girls will look at other’s papers with a lens of “editing” and the final product will go to teacher for grading.
WHAT IS YOUR HOMEWORK POLICY?
Middle School: We believe children should still be children and have time at home to read, play, have after-school activities, and spend time with their families. We believe students should be challenged but not overwhelmed. Homework may vary teacher to teacher and if your daughter is in the accelerated Math program.
High School: Some courses have flipped learning where a student might watch a lecture online and come to class with questions or be ready to launch into experiments. For AP classes, students can expect at least an hour per AP class each night.
The research on homework is saying that less is more. That is what we are working on as a collaborative group. The homework will not be “busy work” but will enhance what is learned in the classroom. A homework policy will be posted to students by teachers at the start of each year.
WILL THE GIRLS BE INTERACTING AND/OR COMPETING AGAINST OTHER CO-ED SCHOOLS?
Yes. Robotics, Mock Trial, and Academic completions are throughout the year. We also incorporate dances into the school year where girls can bring 1 guest of their choice.
arts
MY DAUGHTER LOVES STEM BUT ALSO LOVES THE ARTS, DO YOU PROVIDE ARTS EDUCATION?
GALA believes that arts are vital. More information can be found HERE.
DANCE ELECTIVE: GALA has a dance company (audition only) in our 7th period elective.
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MUSIC: We have a full time music teacher with classes that include Chorus and Music Production.
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ARCHITECTURE: GALA offers architecture for Middle and High School with a full time teacher.
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VISUAL AND GRAPHIC ARTS: GALA offers graphic arts as an elective through the day and for 7th period.
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sports
WILL THERE BE SPORTS AT GALA?
Yes! Please visit the Sports page to read more!
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CIF High School sports: GALA has Tennis, Basketball, Cross Country, LaCrosse, Soccer, and Swimming, Volleyball, and Cheer.
Middle School sports: GALA Middle School can participate in sports through Beyond the Bell (free).
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before & after school
IS BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE AVAILABLE?
BEFORE SCHOOL: The GALA front gate opens at 7:30am every morning. There is a staff member in the office starting at 7:30am. As a middle/high school, we do not have a before-care program, however, most students who arrive early work on homework or attend teacher office hours.
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AFTER SCHOOL: GALA closes at 6pm sharp. Please visit our After School page for more details. Beyond the Bell is a free program that provides a study hall for aftercare for MIDDLE SCHOOL ONLY. Any student who stays after school, must be signed up with Beyond the Bell or one of our other organized after school enrichment programs or sports. If High School students stay after school, they are required to be in office hours or CIF after school sports. If not participating in these programs, students will need to leave campus after school. Many of our student study at the library across the street.
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teachers
WHO ARE YOUR TEACHERS?
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Teacher educational background, a short biography, and email address are on the GALA website under the faculty section.
WHAT IS YOUR TEACHER/STUDENT RATIO?
GALA follows LAUSD requirements. Approximately 25 to 28:1 for core courses and electives for 6th grade and approximately 40:1 for PE. For 7th grade and up, some classes may be larger on a case by case basis. Larger classes are usually in the "accelerated" courses where students are expected to be able to work independently and at a faster pace.
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE YOUR TEACHERS?
Teachers completed an interview, and observation of their teaching. Teacher observations included teaching methods and interaction with the students. Of particular interest was how each teacher supported her students, encouraged them, and methods to ensure they were challenged enough to work hard but are not overwhelmed.
Teachers collaborate together on policies, grading and joint subject level and grade level projects. Teachers participate in professional development and collaboration with other teachers in all-girls public and private schools.
volunteer & dontate
DOES YOUR SCHOOL NEED PARENT VOLUNTEERS?
Yes! We have a "Friends of GALA" parent organization and we encourage parent participation. If you can help, let us know by emailing president@fogala.org or visit their website at www.fogala.org.
HOW CAN I DONATE TO GALA?
Our parent organization, Friends of GALA is a 50c3 non profit and would love to talk to you about donating to GALA. Please visit the Friends of GALA website for information on corporate, community, and parent sponsors or visit www.fogala.org.
“These years at GALA have been transformative. They’ve challenged us to do better. To be better. This is what an empowered woman looks like. We have used our drive and tenacity, not to tear each other apart, but to encourage each other to keep going. We refuse to let stereotypes stifle our self confidence and determination. Our athletes prove that “playing like a girl” is the highest compliment. Classmates swoop in to help each other study even when you have your own test to worry about. When we stand up for ourselves and each other, we give the most valuable gift, empowerment. We are the authors of our own next chapter. To our parents an staff, thank you for giving us the torch of power and patiently teaching us how to wield it. ”
- Class of 2024 Student
GALA: Where girls love to be SMART, SELF-CONFIDENT, and SUCCESSFUL!
