Lower School (Grades PreK–4)

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Thank you for your interest in Nueva! Through Ravenna Solutions, our online admissions system, you can sign up for events, fill out and submit application components, and monitor your application status. Don’t worry – by creating a profile for your student, you are not yet committing to apply, and you will gain access to explore all of our events.

Start by clicking the "Apply Online" button below.

APPLY ONLINE

Age Requirements to Apply for Pre-Kindergarten at Nueva (enrolling Fall 2024):

Four years old by January 9, 2024: Children who meet this age requirement are eligible to apply during the first round of pre-kindergarten admissions. All application materials must be submitted by January 9, 2024.
Four years old between January 9, 2024–March 9, 2024: While it is preferred that children be four years old when assessed, the minimum age for a child to sit for the WPPSI-IV (IQ assessment) is 3 years and 10 months. If your child takes the IQ assessment before January 9 and before they are 4 years of age, they can be considered during the first round of pre-kindergarten admissions. Alternatively, you can choose to wait until your child turns four to have them take the IQ assessment, in which case they would be considered during the late pre-kindergarten admissions process.
Four years old between March 10–May 28, 2024: Children falling in this age range may apply through the late pre-kindergarten application process. IQ assessment results are due on March 28th, 2024, while all other application materials must be submitted by the January 9th deadline.

Approximately half of the PreK class is offered enrollment in March, and the other half in early April. Students who receive wait pool letters in March will be reconsidered for the second round of offers mailed in April.

Visit our FAQ page for more details about age eligibility for all grade levels (PreK-10).

How to Explore and Visit Nueva

Virtual Program Previews
- Our optional virtual Program Previews are for families interested in applying for the 2024–25 school year. This event provides prospective parents/guardians a glimpse into life at Nueva and is a unique opportunity to hear directly from current members of the community.
- The event will include presentations by our faculty and our leadership team. Participants will be able to ask questions about curriculum, student life, and more.
- Virtual Program Previews are held in October and November.
- RSVP is required; please login to Ravenna to register.
Campus Tours
- We are excited for families to see our community in action! Come join us in Hillsborough for a tour of our lower school campus given by a community member. These optional tours are offered from mid-September to mid-December.
- Due to limited space, these tours are open only to parents/guardians of prekindergarten and kindergarten applicants who did not tour during the last admissions season.
Virtual Office Hours
- We know applying to an independent school can get a little overwhelming with many events, steps, and chances to learn more about the community. Our team is here to support you and your family.
- These optional office hours are hosted by the Admissions Team monthly from September to December. Open to parents/guardians, this is an opportunity to connect with a member of the Admissions Team to clarify any questions you have about the application process.
Additional Optional Events (all grades)
- We invite prospective families to register for optional admissions events to learn about the Nueva community. We offer workshops and panels covering topics such as student life, giftedness, equity & inclusion, life after Nueva, and financial assistance. Check your Ravenna dashboard for updates and more information.

Inquire Online

LS Application Checklist

In This Section

Application Process

Guarantee Deadline for K-4 applicants: November 13, 2023 (see step for submitting Part II of the application)

Application and Supplemental Materials Deadline: January 9, 2024

Click on each step for more details.

Inquire and create a Ravenna account

Submit Part I of the application

Complete Wechsler IQ Assessment

Please schedule your child’s WPPSI-IV (for children age 5 and younger) or WISC-V (for children age 6 and older) assessment as soon as possible.

Learn more about the Wechsler IQ assessment here.

Off-campus assessments
On-campus assessments

Off-campus assessments

The IQ assessment is one of the first steps in our application process.

Please contact a licensed psychologist to schedule your child's assessment as soon as possible. For your convenience, here is a list of licensed, independent psychologists who administer these assessments in our area. Please note: this is not an exhaustive list.

See our Guidelines for Submission for more information on how to submit your child's results.

On-campus assessments

The IQ assessment is one of the first steps in our application process.

On-campus appointments for the Wechsler evaluation are available to current community members (i.e., faculty/staff and siblings), families applying for financial assistance, and/or families applying from our partner community-based organizations (e.g., A Better Chance, Peninsula Bridge, SMART).

If you meet one of these criteria and would like an on-campus appointment, please email results@nuevaschool.org.

Submit Part II of the application

Complete and submit Part II of the application. This is an opportunity for parents/guardians to tell us a bit more about their applicant.

Parents/guardians of K-4 applicants who submit Parts I & II of the application and IQ assessment results by November 13 are guaranteed an opportunity for an in-person My Nueva Day visit for their child. Applicants who submit Parts I & II after November 13 will be scheduled for a My Nueva Day as availability allows.

Register for a My Nueva Day and a Virtual Parent/Guardian Conversation

These events take place after Parts I & II of the application have been submitted and your child's IQ assessment results are within range to be considered for admission.

My Nueva Day
Virtual Parent/Guardian Conversation

My Nueva Day

During a My Nueva Day, your child will participate in a hands-on, collaborative experience with other applicants. Nueva faculty will engage applicants in group discussions, creative thinking, and some individual work. Adults of applicants must stay on campus separate from their children and are invited to join current Nueva parents for refreshments, conversation, and a short tour of the campus.

My Nueva Day is required and can be scheduled only after Parts I & II of the application have been submitted and your child's IQ assessment results are within range. My Nueva Days are offered during school hours from November to January.

K-4 applicants: If Parts I & II of the application are submitted by November 13, applicants are guaranteed an in-person My Nueva Day. Applicants who submit Parts I & II after November 13 will be scheduled for a My Nueva Day as availability allows.

Virtual Parent/Guardian Conversation

The Virtual Parent/Guardian Conversation is a chance for you to meet with a member of our community. This is an opportunity to ask any questions you may have while also allowing us to learn more about your child and family. Conversations typically last 20 minutes and are offered from mid-September to early January. Part II of the application must be submitted prior to your scheduled Parent/Guardian Conversation.

Parent/guardian conversations are open only for grades PK, K, 5, 6, and 9. If you are the parent/guardian of an applicant to any other grade and would like a parent/guardian conversation, you may join the waitlist (found on Ravenna) and you will be scheduled as availability allows. Please see the FAQ website for more information on this step for those who have applied to Nueva previously.

Submit required supplemental materials

Student evaluation forms are completed and submitted to Nueva directly by the applicant's school.

Confidential common student evaluation form (preK and K)
Confidential Nueva student evaluation form (preK and K)
Confidential common student evaluation form (grades 1–4)
Transcript release form and transcripts (grades 1–4):
- For students applying to 1st through 4th grade, we require the previous year's progress reports/grades, standardized test scores (that are a part of a student’s cumulative file), and current grades when they become available (usually late January). All materials should be uploaded to Ravenna by the student’s current school, not the parents.

Please note: Nueva considers only required application materials and evaluations, so we respectfully request no additional documents be submitted on behalf of a student or their family.

The Admissions Office appreciates and is always delighted to receive applications well in advance of the deadline! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call 650-350-4528, or email admissions@nuevaschool.org.

Si necesita ayuda en español, comuníquese con Melanie León, directora de admisiones, mleon @nuevaschool.org o llame al 650-235-7111.

Apply for Financial Assistance

Nueva uses the Clarity platform to process all applications for tuition financial assistance. The financial assistance application and supplemental documents are due February 2, 2024.

Find out more about Nueva's lower school

Lower School Admissions Contacts

Melanie León
Director of Admissions
650-235-7111
Email Melanie

Maggie Loft
Admissions Assistant
650-350-4528
Email Maggie

Andrea Hart
Associate Director of Admissions
650-350-4526
Email Andrea

Ariana Bickham
Assistant Director of Admissions
650-350-4594
Email A riana

Lupe Ruiz
Admissions Associate
650-350-4524
Email Lupe

Lower School (Grades PreK–4)

Virtual Program Previews

Campus Tours

Virtual Office Hours

Additional Optional Events (all grades)

Find out more about Nueva's lower school