Visit our Affording a Nueva Education page to learn more about our financial assistance program. 

Visit our Grades PreK–8: IQ Assessment page to learn more. Upper School applicants are not required to submit IQ assessment results. 

Applications for admission for the fall of 2026–27 will be available in early September, and due January 8, 2026.

The application process for all grades involves several steps, and we strongly recommend that you carefully review our Visit and Apply pages to better understand the requirements of the grade you are interested in. If you have any questions about any part of the process, the Admissions Office is happy to help you.

If you are applying for the fall of 2026, please create an account through Ravenna, our application and event registration platform, as early as you can. Once you have created an account, you will be able to register for Program Previews, Admissions Office Hours, additional optional events, and more. 

The Guarantee Deadline applies only to students applying to Kindergarten and grades 5–10. Applicants who meet the prerequisite requirements by this date are guaranteed an opportunity to participate in an in-person Activity Session. The Guarantee Deadline is Monday, November 3, 2025.

Below, you’ll find more details about the materials that must be submitted by the Guarantee Deadline. Please note that no other steps are required to meet the Guarantee Deadline.

PREREQUISITES

Kindergarten and grades 5–8

• IQ Assessment results submitted and determined by Nueva to be in range to continue in the application process
• Family Information Form submitted

Grades 9–10

• Family Information Form submitted
• Parent Questionnaire submitted

Our main entry points are pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 5, 6, and 9. Families are welcome to apply to grades pre-K through 10 as openings may occur. Applications for admission to grades 11 and 12 are only considered in special circumstances. 

Below are approximate average openings in each grade:

• Pre-kindergarten: 14–16 applicants
• Kindergarten: 20–22 applicants
• Grades 1, 2, 3, and 4: 0–3 applicants
• Grade 5: 10–20 applicants
• Grade 6: 20–25 applicants
• Grades 7 and 8: 0–3 applicants
• Grade 9: 35–45 applicants
• Grades 10: 0–3 applicants
• Grades 11-12: only considered in special circumstances. Please contact us directly at admissions@nuevaschool.org. 

Pre-kindergarten Applicants

Children applying for pre-kindergarten must be 4 years old by May 24, 2026. However, we evaluate pre-kindergarten applicants at two distinct times during the admission season due to the timing of when applicants are old enough to take the IQ assessment.

Children applying for Round I of the pre-kindergarten admissions process must be 4 years old by March 8, 2026.

If your child's birthday is by May 24, 2026, they can apply to Nueva during Round II of the pre-kindergarten admissions process. 

Our pre-kindergarten admissions process is split into two rounds. A portion of the pre-kindergarten class is offered enrollment in March (Round I), with the remainder notified in early April (Round II). Students who receive waitpool letters in March will be reconsidered during Round II of the pre-kindergarten application process. 

Please see the "Who is eligible to apply during Round II of the prekindergarten admissions process?" question if your child does not meet the Round I age cutoff. 

If your child turns 4 between May 25 and August 31, 2026, they are not candidates for admission into our pre-kindergarten program. This is due to age requirements and how age-eligible test dates align with our school admissions and enrollment deadlines. We encourage you to consider having your child apply to our kindergarten program next admissions season. 

K–10 Grade Applicants

Children applying for kindergarten must be 5 years old by September 1, 2026. Children applying for first grade must be 6 years old by September 1, 2026. With each grade, the child will be one year older: 7 years old for second grade, 8 years old for third grade, and so on. The process of determining placement for eligible candidates begins with observing your child in the age range standard for the Nueva School. 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, academic skills, and the mission of the school. 

If you believe that your child is a better match for a lower or higher grade than our age categories, please contact our office. We are happy to consider your request, and ultimately, our team will make the recommendation we think is best for each child. 

If your child's birthday falls between March 9 and May 24, they may apply during Round II of the pre-kindergarten application process. 

If your child is applying to Nueva during Round II of the process, their IQ assessment results are due on or before March 24, 2026, while all other application materials must be submitted by the January 8 deadline.

Please keep in mind that if your child takes the IQ assessment after January 8 and their scores are not in range, and therefore not eligible to continue in the admissions process, they will need to wait a full 12 months before they can retake the assessment. As a result, they would not be eligible to apply for kindergarten admission the following year. 

Our pre-kindergarten admissions process is split into two rounds. A portion of the pre-kindergarten class is offered enrollment in March (Round I), with the remainder notified in early April (Round II). Students who receive waitpool letters in March will be reconsidered for Round II of the pre-kindergarten application process. 

If your child turns 4 between May 25 and August 31, they are not candidates for admission into our pre-kindergarten program. This is due to age requirements and how age-eligible test dates align with our school admissions and enrollment deadlines. We encourage you to consider having your child apply to our kindergarten program next admissions season. 

We offer a very limited number of Activity Sessions for applicants to grades 1–4. Once we've received some or all of the following–in-range IQ assessment results, the Family Information Form, school transcripts, and teacher evaluation forms–we'll review the application materials to determine whether an Activity Session would be a helpful next step. If so, we'll reach out directly to the family.

For most applicants to grades 1–4, this step is not required and will be waived. 

To allow sufficient time for review and consideration, we encourage families to submit as many required materials as possible by November 3. Please note that we do not offer Activity Sessions for grades 1–4 after January 8, 2026.

Yes. If you have previously applied to Nueva, you are welcome to reapply. Please note that, with the exception of IQ results for Lower and Middle School applicants (which may transfer), application materials do not carry over. Please submit the Family Information Form, and we will contact you with next steps.

Lower and Middle School Applicant Families: In some circumstances (see below) the IQ assessment does roll over.

For the purpose of our admissions process, in-range Wechsler IQ assessments are valid for two consecutive admissions cycles and must have been taken within the last two years. 

If your child took the Wechsler IQ assessment last season and did not score in range to be eligible to continue in the application process and you would like to apply again this season, they will need to retake the IQ assessment. It’s important to note that applicants may only take the IQ assessment once in 12 months; they must wait a full calendar year before retaking the assessment.

If you have questions about your results or if an existing report is valid and you would like to use it this season, please email admissions@nuevaschool.org. 

Admission to Nueva is not automatic nor guaranteed. Each applicant, regardless of their connection to the school, is evaluated based on the same criteria. Our goal is to ensure that all decisions are made with the best interest of each individual child in mind. 

While we deeply value the strong relationships we have with our current community members, we encourage every family to explore all available school options. This approach ensures that the final choice is the best possible fit for their child’s unique needs and growth.

Yes. Our admissions events fill up quickly, so families who submit the application early have greater access to admissions events.

For applicants to kindergarten, Middle School, and Upper School, submitting the Family Information Form (along with in-range IQ assessment scores for Kindergarten and Middle School applicants, or the Parent Written Questionnaire for Upper School applicants) by November 3 guarantees an opportunity for an Activity Session. 

For applicants to grades 1–4, we encourage you to submit IQ assessment results and the Family Information Form by early November. 

All applicants are asked to meet our stated deadlines. Only applications completed by the deadline will be considered. We understand that transcripts coming from the applicant’s current school might be sent after the application deadline, and only those documents will be accepted after the deadline.

Yes. If the cost of applying to Nueva is a financial hardship for your family and you plan on applying for financial assistance, fee waivers are available. 

• Applying for financial support to help cover the cost of the IQ assessment is a separate process from applying for financial assistance. To apply for a voucher, please complete the Application for IQ Assessment Financial Assistance Voucher. Please note that Nueva vouchers are valid only for psychologists included on our Psychologist Resource List.
• Details regarding an admissions application fee waiver can be found on Ravenna.
• Please contact the admissions office at admissions@nuevaschool.org for a Clarity fee waiver. 

Visit our Affording a Nueva Education page to learn more about our financial assistance program. 

No. Due to the intimate size of our classes and the large number of applicants, we do not offer weekday shadow day visits for applicants. We invite your family to get to know Nueva by attending our school and admissions events. During these virtual and on-campus opportunities, families have the opportunity to meet and hear from a wide variety of Nueva students, parents, faculty, and administrators.

Accepted students to grades 5-10 and their parents/guardianswill have an opportunity to spend a morning or afternoon on campus during decision week (mid-March). 

No. We do our best to mitigate bias in our reading and decision process. Therefore, we will consider only the required application materials and assessments and respectfully request no additional documents be submitted on behalf of a student or their family. 

Please note that Nueva considers only the required application materials. We respectfully ask that no additional documents or recommendations be submitted on behalf of your applicant or family, including from current or former members of the Nueva community. Additional documents and recommendations will not be accepted.

The Admissions Committee carefully reviews completed files and releases decisions through Ravenna on March 20, 2026 at approximately 4 p.m. 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 and appreciated! 

Pre-kindergarten applicants who receive a waitpool letter in mid-March are reconsidered during Round II of the pre-kindergarten admissions process. Round II admissions decisions are released through Ravenna on April 1, 2026. Enrollment contracts, with the deposit, are due back in the Admissions Office the following week.

Acceptance into the waitpool means that the Admissions Committee believes your student is a potential match for Nueva’s program. We place applicants in a waitpool because more spaces may open up by the end of the summer. We cannot give families an estimate of the likelihood that their student will be accepted, so we encourage waitpool candidates to secure a place at another school. You will be notified right away if a space opens at Nueva and the Admissions Committee selects your child. The waitpool closes when school starts in the fall.

The waitpool is not ranked. It represents a pool of applicants that the Admissions Committee will draw from if a student cannot enroll or re-enroll. When choosing an applicant from the waitpool, the Admissions Committee evaluates learning styles, abilities and talents, and various facets of the grade to build a well-rounded class.

No. We do not accept late applications or mid-year transfers for any grade. All decisions are made in the spring for the following academic year. 

Yes. We accept applications from international students. The process is the same for all applicants, including those from outside of the United States. Our program is conducted entirely in English; students must be fluent in English to be considered for admission to Nueva. Nueva issues I-20 visas to enrolled students who require one. 

Nueva does not offer a boarding or homestay program for any grade. Students are expected to live in the Bay Area with their parents or legal guardians. 

No. Students come to Nueva from across the Bay Area, but most live in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Francisco counties.

• San Mateo County families make up the largest portion of our community, representing 67% of all students.

• Santa Clara County is home to nearly 20% of our students.

• San Francisco County families represent just over 11% of our student body.

We also welcome a small number of students from Alameda, Marin, and surrounding areas.

Nueva offers several bus routes from San Francisco and the Southern Peninsula. Upper school students are provided Caltrain passes as part of their tuition.

Visit our Transportation page to learn more. 

A multitude of transportation options connect Nueva to communities throughout the Peninsula, San Francisco, and the greater Bay Area. Please explore these options on our transportation page.