Admissions

Welcome

Admissions Announcement:

Thank you for your interest in The Archer School for Girls. In an effort to promote access and evaluate applicants based solely on their academic record and talents, the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) will no longer be a requirement in the admissions process at Archer. In other words, Archer will not accept ISEE scores or other standardized test scores from any applicants. Instead, applicants will complete a writing exercise for which advance preparation will be unnecessary.

Please contact us at admissions@archer.org with any questions. 

From the Admissions Director

My favorite day of the school year is graduation. Our Archer girls are authentic and vibrant – wearing white dresses, donning fresh floral wreaths in their hair and clutching shiny new high school diplomas. 
 
This past June we were fortunate to offer an in-person and on-campus yet socially distanced graduation. Held in our courtyard, the celebration was intimate with only our 72 graduates and their parents while siblings, grandparents, friends, faculty and staff watched on computer screens. We had more than 1,000 people logging in from all over the country and the globe.
 
The 2021 graduation was historic in more ways than one. The ceremony was poignant, serving as a bright light for goodness, while we collectively continue to wrestle with the challenging times we are living in. The academic excellence, the sparkling personalities, the earned accolades, the thoughtful humanism and exuberant confidence were in full display. Graduation was also another opportunity to commemorate Archer’s 25th anniversary, and we were thrilled to welcome global media leader, philanthropist, producer and actress Oprah Winfrey as our commencement speaker. 
 
I was lucky enough to be in the live audience that day. What was most compelling was the immense gratitude each young woman expressed for her now alma mater. I was overwhelmed with pride for what our students accomplished during their Archer education and unbridled hope for their futures and our world.
 
Now entering my 10th season as Archer’s admissions director, I continue to be grateful for this immense privilege. What also remains true is that an Archer girl is bright, creative, kind, and motivated. When she graduates, she is a self-possessed, entrepreneurial young woman with an irrepressible desire to achieve greatness. Once she leaves the walls of Archer, she goes to medical school, starts her own business, becomes a wife and mother, designs interior spaces, defends clients in a courtroom, does scientific research, develops projects in the entertainment industry, gets involved in community organizing, runs for office, creates architectural drawings, excels in musical artistry. The possibilities are endless.
 
We ask our students to be at once ambitious and joyful. We offer excellence in teaching and learning. We take pride in our unparalleled, research-based teaching methods. Simultaneously, we cherish our happy culture. Archer is known for its inclusive environment that fosters sisterhood and collaboration. We expect our students to lead balanced lives and to find the joy in all that they do - inside and outside the classroom.
 
Thank you for your interest in Archer. I hope that you will discover that Archer and your daughter might be the right match.

-Felicia Paik, Director of Admissions
fpaik@archer.org
"To me, an Archer girl is dedicated, compassionate, inquisitive, spirited, and effervescent."
Felicia joined Archer in 2010. She holds a degree in communications from Stanford University and was a journalist for almost 20 years, writing for numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Felicia is committed to education and to service in the community. She was the Board Chair at Brentwood Presbyterian Pre-School, PTA President at Franklin Elementary and Lincoln Middle Schools in Santa Monica. She is also a past president of the Korean-American Parents Association at Harvard-Westlake School. Felicia is a girls' school graduate who attended the Westlake School for Girls and Castilleja School. Felicia's daughter, Sabrina, attends Archer and her son, Ryan, is a junior at Harvard College. Along with her husband and two children, Felicia lives in her hometown of Santa Monica.
Meet the Team
Carla joined the Archer community in 2013 and has been able to continue pursuing her passion in education. A Los Angeles native, Carla earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a concentration in language and literacy from California State University, Long Beach. Carla has been a classroom teacher and has worked previously as an admissions officer at an all-girls’ high school in Glendale. Outside of Archer, Carla enjoys family time with her husband and two children, Sebastian and Camila. She is also fluent in Spanish.

Contact Carla: calcala@archer.org
Amy joined the Archer community in 2018. She grew up in Florida and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in corporate and public communication from Florida State University. Previously, Amy worked as an admissions officer at her alma mater. Outside of Archer, she enjoys traveling, spending time with her loved ones, and staying active. She also speaks Mandarin Chinese.

Contact Amy: achen@archer.org
 
Estephany joined the Archer community in 2021. A Los Angeles native, Estephany earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Latin American studies from Occidental College. Previously, Estephany worked in the Financial Aid Office at Occidental College. She is a graduate of Vistamar School. Outside of Archer, Estephany enjoys cooking, outdoor activities, and spending time with loved ones. She is also fluent in Spanish.

Contact Estephany: elopez@archer.org
Lucy joined the Archer community in 2011 as a history teacher. Later, she was the history department chair for several years before she joined the Admissions Office. Lucy grew up outside of Chicago and earned a bachelor's degree in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Outside of Archer, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. Sadie is in pre-kindergarten at Temple Israel of Hollywood and Bo is in first grade at The Center for Early Education.

Contact Lucy: lpinkwater@archer.org
 

The Archer School for Girls admits students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or other legally protected status to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or other legally protected status in its hiring or in the administration of its educational policies and programs, admissions policies, financial aid programs or other school-administered programs. 

The Archer School for Girls’ mission is to educate students in an environment specifically designed for girls. As such, the school will consider any candidate for admission who identifies as a girl. Once admitted to Archer, all students in good academic standing who abide by Archer’s code of conduct and who meet requirements for graduation will be eligible to receive an Archer diploma, regardless of any change in sexual identity or other legally protected status.