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?
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 for the fall of 2019-2020 will be available in early September, and due January 10, 2019. The Application process for all grades involves a number of steps, and we strongly recommend that you carefully review the How to Apply page to understand the requirements of the grade you are interested in. If you have any questions about any part of the process, the Admissions office will be happy to help you. Please email us at admissions@nuevaschool.org
Admissions decisions will be mailed on March 21, 2019, with some PreK decisions pending until April. Children are not admitted once the school year has begun.
Please note that families applying in the fall are usually able to take a tour of the school before submitting an application. However, by the end of the year, tours are often booked through the spring, and a wait list develops. This means that some families make the choice to submit an application to meet the deadline without having toured.
If you are thinking of applying for your child for the fall of 2019, we recommend that you create an account through Ravenna, our online scheduling and application system, as early as you can. If you have registered for a Parent/Guardian Tour, Open House, or testing 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 you.
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How old must my child be to apply?
- Prekindergarten: Children applying for prekindergarten must be four years old by September 1. We ask that children be four years of age when testing; however, applicants must be at minimum three years, ten months old.
- If your child’s birthday falls between February 2 and June 1 s/he will be considered a 'late birthday' prekindergarten applicant. Late-birthday applicants take the IQ test in March.
- For children with birthdays between June 2 and September 1, we have a rolling admissions process. We are not certain that we will accept prekindergarten applications after April 15. Please email our Admissions Office for more information admissions@nuevaschool.org.
- In order to accommodate children with later birthdays, the Admissions Office will accept only half of the prekindergarten class on March 21, 2019. The Admissions Committee meets again in late March to evaluate children with late birthdays, and those in our wait pool. Admission decisions for the remaining prekindergarten spaces will be mailed April 12, 2019.
- Kindergarten: Children applying for kindergarten must be five years old by September 1.
- Grades 1–12: 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 1 for the applying academic year. With each grade, the child will be one year older: six years old for first grade, seven years old for second grade, eight years old for third grade, and so on.
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).
How many students are admitted for grades PreK-12?
We encourage families to apply, as openings occur every year. Actual numbers vary from year to year. Feel free to contact us to discuss possible openings.
- Prekindergarten: 14-18 applicants
- Kindergarten: 20-22 applicants
- Grade 1: 4-6 applicants
- Grade 2: 2-4 applicants
- Grade 5: 10-15 applicants
- Grade 6: 20-25 (main entry grade for middle school)
- Grade 9: 40-50 applicants
Openings for grades 3-4, 7-8, and 10-12 are limited, and are contingent upon attrition.
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. Families in the waitpool should proceed with other educational opportunities due to limited spaces in our program. The wait pool ends, and children are not admitted, once the school year has begun. Families may re-apply or rollover their applications to the next admission season.
Is financial assistance available?
Yes. The Nueva School’s financial award grants are based solely on financial need. Currently enrolled students receive awards close to $4 million. We structure our awards by first serving those students who currently receive awards, then serve currently enrolled students who have had a change in their financial status, followed by 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 admissions@nuevaschool.org. You may also read Affording An Education at the Nueva School.
Please note: Financial awards are available for all grades starting at prekindergarten. Admissions decisions are made independent of financial award consideration.
For additional financial information click here.
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.
When will I be notified of the admissions decision?
The Admissions Committee carefully reviews completed files and will mail decision letters March 21, 2019. All decisions will also be available to view through your Ravenna account on March 22, 2018 after 4:00pm. Families must notify the Admissions Office of their decision to accept or decline the offer within one week of receiving the notice. Early responses are very helpful. Prekindergarten applicants who receive a waitpool letter in the mid-March mailing are considered in the second round of PreK decisions, which are mailed April 12, 2019. Enrollment contracts, with deposit, are due back in the Admissions Office the following week.
What is your 2018-2019 student enrollment?
The Lower School: approximately 220 in prekindergarten through fourth grade (boys 49%; girls 51%). In the Middle School: approximately 300 students in fifth through eighth grade (boys 50%; girls 50%). The Upper School: approximately 400 total students in ninth through twelfth grades (boys 51%; girls 49%).
How ethnically diverse is your student body?
African American, Asian American, Latino/Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Biracial/Multiracial, and Native American children represent 57% of student re-enrollment, as defined by the National Association of Independent Schools.
Do you have geographic diversity?
Students travel to school from the North Bay, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and the Coast. Families from the Central Peninsula represent 36% of the Nueva community. About 17% live in the San Francisco area and 38% commute from the Southern Peninsula. Nueva offers three bus routes from San Francisco and the Southern Peninsula, and Upper School students are provided CalTrain passes as part of their tuition.
