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Admissions FAQ Print E-mail

When do I start the application process?
How old must my child be to apply? 
How many students are admitted to each grade?
What is the wait pool?
What is the Wechsler Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Test?
How long is the IQ Test?
Can I submit testing before the application?
What if my child is sick on test day? 
How can I afford an Education at The Nueva School
Is financial assistance available?
What happens if I miss a deadline?
When will I be notified of the admissions decision?
What is your current student enrollment?
How ethnically diverse is your student body?
Do you have geographic diversity?

When do I start the application process?
Applications for admission are accepted through 5 pm Friday, January 13, 2012 for placement in the fall of 2012. Children are not admitted once the school year has begun. Note that there is a difference in the way the process unfolds as time passes. In the fall, families usually take a tour of the school before sumitting an application. However, by late fall the tours have usually been booked through the spring and a wait list for tour openings begins. This means that some families may need to submit an application before they have been able to tour. We recommend that if you have never toured Nueva and are thinking of applying for the fall of 2012, that you call as early as you can in the fall. If you have reserved a place and find that you are unable to attend, please let us know so we can offer the spot to another family, and we will do our best to reschedule your tour.
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How old must my child be to apply?

  • Prekindergarten — Children applying for prekindergarten must be four years old by June 1. We recommend that children be 4 years of age when testing; however, applicants must be at minimum 3 years, 10 months old.
    • If your child’s birthday falls between mid-April and May 31st s/he will be considered a late–birthday prekindergarten applicant. Late-birthday applicants will take the IQ test in late March.
    • In order to accommodate children with later birthdays, the Admissions Office will accept only half of the fall prekindergarten class in March 2012. Decision letters for the first group will be mailed Thursday, March 15. The Admissions Committee meets in April to evaluate children with late birthdays, and those in our wait pool. Admission decisions for the remaining prekindergarten spaces will be mailed Friday, April 6, 2012.
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  • Kindergarten — Children applying for kindergarten must be five years old by September 1, 2012.
  • Grades 1–7 — Given that Nueva draws candidates from many educational backgrounds, grade placement is assessed in the context of a child's age cohort, social and emotional development, skills and the mission of the school. The process of determining placement for eligible candidates begins with observing your child in the age range which is standard for the Nueva School: kindergarten applicants must be five years old by September 1st for the applying academic year. With each grade, the child will be one year older: six for first grade, seven for second, eight for third, and so on. When parents have a question  about placement based on the child's current grade of skills, the Admissions Office will make a recommendation after the child's campus visit.
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    If an applicant seems more appropriately matched for a lower or higher grade, the Admissions Office will make a recommendation to the family after the campus visit(s).
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How many students are admitted to each grade?
We traditionally accept 16-18 applicants for prekindergarten, 18 applicants for kindergarten, 2 - 4 applicants for grade 1, 2 applicants for grade 2, 2 - 4 applicants for grade 5, and 12–15 applicants for grade 6. Openings for other grades are limited and are contingent on student withdrawals. We strongly recommend that families interested in any grade apply, as openings occur every year. Actual numbers vary from year to year.

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What is the wait pool?
The wait pool is made up of applicants that we feel are potential matches for our program, and we do not have spaces to accommodate them. These children are placed in an unranked wait pool to be considered if an opening occurs. If your child is placed in the wait pool, you will receive a wait pool letter, and we will contact you if a space opens. We encourage all families in the waitpool to proceed with other educational opportunities due to limited spaces in our program. Families may re-apply or rollover their applications to the next admission season.

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What is the Wechsler Intelligence Quotient (IQ) test?
The Wechsler IQ Test yields a measure of general intelligence and knowledge by examining various abilities. We encourage parents to downplay the notion of “test” and stress that it is a time to have an adult’s undivided attention to assist with jobs or tasks, complete puzzles, and share what they know. The Admissions Committee recognizes that the IQ test samples a variety of intelligence functions, including items such as mathematical ability, reasoning skills, and perceptual-motor abilities, but does not necessarily measure other areas of talent or giftedness. However, we have found that students who fall within a specific range are most successful in our program.

Click here to learn more about the Wechsler Test.

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How long is the IQ Test?
  • The WPPSI-III (for children under 6 years of age) takes approximately one hour to complete. During testing, the child responds orally and is not expected to read or write.
  • The WISC-IV (for children 6 and older) takes approximately two hours and includes a 15-minute break (if needed).
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Can I submit testing before the application?
No. The admissions application must be submitted prior to in-office testing. Children will not be allowed to sit for the test without an application on file. Outside testing results should be provided with the Nueva Application. The psychologist doing the outside testing needs your consent to release test results to the Admissions Office.  Please provide the psychologist with a copy of Nueva's Guidelines for Outside Testing.

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What if my child is sick on test day?
If your child seems ill, call the Admissions Office at (650) 350-4528 as early as possible, ideally 24 hours in advance, to reschedule your child’s appointment. Families that give less than 24 hours notice will be charged a $50 late cancellation fee. If your child is even slightly sick, we stronly encourage you to keep him/her at home and reschedule the evaluation. The evaluation can only be administered once every 12 months, and it is important that children are healthy and feeling well for the one-time evaluation. A child's condition may worsen during the test, or he/she may be contagious and put others health at risk.

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Is financial assistance available?
Yes. The Nueva School’s financial award grants are based solely on financial need. Twenty percent of our currently enrolled students receive awards totaling more than $900,000. We structure our awards by first serving those students who currently receive awards, then serving currently enrolled students who have had a change in their financial status, and lastly serving newly accepted students.

Unfortunately, we are not always able to meet the financial award requests of every family. If you have additional questions or would like more information, about financial options, please contact the Admissions Office at (650) 350-4528, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Please note: Financial awards are given for grades K–8. Admissions decisions are made independent of financial award consideration.

For additional financial information click here.

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Is there an advantage to submitting my application early?
Yes. Submitting your application before the winter break allows more flexibility in scheduling in-office testing and campus visits. These are only offered October through February and fill quickly.


What happens if I miss a deadline?
All applicants are asked to meet our stated deadlines. Applications that are late or incomplete have a disadvantage in the admissions process. Only applications that are completed by the deadline will be considered in the first application review.

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When will I be notified of the admissions decision?
 The Admissions Committee carefully reviews completed files and will mail decision letters on Thursday, March 15, 2012. Families must notify the Admissions Office of their decision to accept or decline the offer by Thursday, March 22, 2012. Early responses are very helpful. Prekindergarten applicants who receive a waitpool letter in March are considered in the second round of PreK decisions, which are mailed on Friday, April 6, 2012. Enrollment contracts are due back in the Admissions Office by Wednesday, April 18, 2012.

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What is your current student enrollment?
In the Lower School: 217 in prekindergarten through 4th grade (boys 49%; girls 51%). In the Middle School: 197 students in fifth through eighth grade (boys 47%; girls 53%)

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How ethnically diverse is your student body?
African American, Asian American, Latino/Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Biracial/Multiracial, and Native American children represent 43% of student renrollment, as defined by the National Association of Independant Schools.

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Do you have geographic diversity?
Students travel to school from the North Bay, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and the East Bay. Families from the Central Peninsula represent 40% of the Nueva community. About 15% live in the San Francisco area and 30% commute from the Southern Peninsula. Nueva offers three bus routes from San Francisco and the Southern Peninsula.

For additional information on bus routes click here.

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Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, The Nueva School is a nationally recognized independent school serving gifted students and emphasizing integrated studies, creative arts, and social-emotional learning. For more than 40 years, Nueva has remained committed to its original vision: to inspire a passion for lifelong learning, foster social and emotional acuity, and develop a child's imaginative mind. Nueva creates a dynamic educational model to enable gifted children to learn how to make choices that will benefit the world.