A Practical Guide to LJCDS’s 150-Word Prompts.
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In This Guide
Every LJCDS application includes a Parent Questionnaire, a set of short, pointed prompts capped at 150 words each. That tight word count means every sentence has to earn its place, which makes this one of the more deceptively difficult parts of the application.
Quick Answer for Busy Parents
LJCDS’s Parent Questionnaire includes four prompts, capped at 150 words each, covering your child’s defining traits, your family’s approach to expectations, how your family’s values reflect social impact, and anything else important for the school to understand. Required for all applicants, it’s a compact but meaningful opportunity to show who your child is beyond grades and test scores.
A Look at Each Prompt
The prompts probe character and community service values as much as academics:
| Prompt | What It’s Really Asking |
| Three or four defining traits, with one elaborated on | Which qualities genuinely describe your child, not just positive adjectives |
| Your approach to family and community expectations | How your family reinforces values and accountability at home |
| How your family’s values reflect social impact | Whether your family’s everyday choices connect to something larger |
| Anything else important for LJCDS to know | A catch-all for context that doesn’t fit the other three prompts |
How to Approach the 150-Word Limit
A hard word count rewards specificity over breadth. Rather than trying to cover every admirable quality your child has, choose one or two concrete examples that actually illustrate the trait you’re naming. A single well-chosen anecdote does more in 150 words than a list of adjectives ever could.
Why This Piece of the Application Matters
LJCDS’s own mission statement emphasizes personal growth and social responsibility, not just academic achievement, and the Parent Questionnaire is where the school evaluates that fit directly. For families applying to LJCDS’s youngest grades in particular, where no standardized test applies, the Questionnaire and the Parent/Guardian Interview carry proportionally more weight in how the school gets to know a family.
Apply to LJCDS with the Best Admissions Consultants in California
LJCDS’s Parent Questionnaire is short by design, but that brevity is exactly what makes it worth real preparation. Cardinal Education’s private school admissions consulting helps families craft focused, specific answers that make the most of a tight word count.
Want Help Crafting a Standout Questionnaire?
Cardinal Education helps families turn a 150-word limit into a genuine advantage.
This guide covers the fundamentals; for how they play out for Asian American applicants, see our dedicated LJCDS guide for Asian American families.
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