Middle School (Grades 5–8)

Visit and
Apply

Thank you for your interest in Nueva! Through Ravenna, 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

How to Explore and Visit Nueva

Program Previews
- Our optional on campus Program Previews are for families interested in applying for the 2025–26 school year. Program Previews provide prospective applicants and their parents/guardians a glimpse into life at Nueva. This is a unique opportunity to experience Nueva's teaching and learning and hear directly from current members of our community. The event will include demo lessons, presentations, tours, and lively panels.
- Program Previews are held in September, October, and November.
- Registration for an optional Program Preview is required through Ravenna.
Campus Tours
- We are excited for families to see our community in action! Come join us in Hillsborough for an optional tour of our Middle School campus given by a community member. These tours are offered from late September to December.
- Parents/guardians may register for a tour only after the Family Information Form is submitted and processed. Space is limited—register soon!
Virtual Office Hours
- We know applying to an independent school can get a little overwhelming with many events and steps.
- Optional virtual 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
- 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, and financial assistance. Check your Ravenna dashboard for updates and more information.

Inquire Online

MS Application Checklist

In This Section

Application Process

Guarantee Deadline: November 13, 2024

If the prerequisites are met by November 13, 2024, your child is guaranteed an opportunity for an in-person Activity Session.
PREREQUISITES:
- IQ Assessment results submitted and determined by Nueva to be in range to continue in the application process
- Family Information Form submitted

Application and Supplemental Materials Deadline: January 9, 2025

Click on each step for more details

Inquire and create a Ravenna account

Submit Family Information Form

Complete and submit the Family Information Form and the nonrefundable application fee of $90. In Ravenna, you can learn more about an application fee waiver for families applying for a financial assistance.

Families are welcome to have psychologists submit their child's IQ assessment results before submitting the Family Information Form. IQ assessment results must be within our target range to be considered for admission.

Complete Wechsler IQ Assessment

Please schedule your child’s WISC-V assessment as soon as possible.

To be considered for admission, a child's IQ assessment results must fall within our target range. To learn more about the IQ assessment and our target range, visit our Grades PreK–8: IQ Assessment page.

To learn more about available financial assistance to help cover the assessment cost, visit our Affording a Nueva Education page.

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 and we accept results from any licensed psychologist.

Please review our IQ Assessment Guidelines and Release Form for Families for more detailed information about assessment requirements. You will need to send psychologists the signed Release Form and the Submission Guidelines for Psychologists form.

We highly recommend that families schedule their child's IQ assessment early in the admissions season (June-October) and submit the scores to Nueva between September and November 2024. Nueva continues accepting results through January 9, 2025.

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., children of faculty/staff and siblings of current Nueva students), 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, email results@nuevaschool.org. Please note that the Family Information Form and the application fee or fee waiver must be submitted before scheduling an on-campus appointment.

Submit Timed Writing Sample & Analytical Thinking Exercise

Applicants are required to complete and submit an ungraded Timed Writing Sample and Analytical Thinking Exercise administered virtually by an independent third-party group, Test Innovators. Please visit the Test Innovators website for more information on available dates and to register. Results must be submitted to Nueva by the application deadline, January 9, 2025. We recommend registering for an early session as sessions closer to the deadline tend to fill up quickly.
Registration for the Timed Writing Sample and Analytical Thinking Exercise is through Test Innovators, not Ravenna. On the day the applicant's appointment, students join a Zoom room and receive an essay prompt from a live proctor. They will have 30 minutes to plan, write, and submit an essay on the topic and 15 minutes for the Analytical Thinking Exercise.

This application requirement is shared by several Bay Area independent schools. Applicants applying to more than one of the participating schools will sit for and submit only one Timed Writing Sample and Analytical Thinking Exercise. They may not re-take either component.

Students who receive test accommodations at their school may contact Test Innovators directly to make arrangements.

The Test Innovators fee is $60. If this fee is a hardship, please email admissions@nuevaschool.org to request a fee waiver.

Submit the Parent Questionnaire

Register for an Activity Session and Parent/Guardian Conversation

These events take place after the Family Information Form has been submitted and your child's IQ assessment results are within our target range to be considered for admission.

Activity Session
Parent/Guardian Conversation

Activity Session

PREREQUISITES:

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

Applicants spend time on our campus and participate in hands-on, collaborative activities led by Nueva faculty and staff. They will be in conversation with faculty/staff and other applicants.

Activity Sessions are offered from November to early January. This event is for applicants only.

The majority of our Middle School applicants will participate in an Activity Session on December 13, 2024.

If the prerequisites are met by November 13, applicants are guaranteed an opportunity for an in-person Activity Session. Applicants who meet the prerequisites after November 13 will be scheduled for an Activity Session as availability allows.

We are typically able to accommodate most eligible applicants for an Activity Session. However, in some years, we have more applicants than open spaces in our Activity Sessions. When this occurs, the Activity Session step of the application will be waived and we will request additional information about the applicant if needed.

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.

The Parent Questionnaire must be submitted at least two days prior to your scheduled parent/guardian conversation.

Parent/guardian conversations are open only for grades PK, K, 5, 6, 9, and 10. Please see our FAQ page for more information on this step for those who have applied to Nueva previously.

We typically are able to accommodate most families for a Parent/Guardian Conversation. However, in some years, we have more applicants than available Parent/Guardian Conversation appointments. When this occurs, the Parent/Guardian Conversations will be waived.

Submit the Student Questionnaire and Nueva Creative Project

Submit required supplemental materials

Student Evaluation Forms are completed and submitted to Nueva directly by the applicant's school.

Confidential current principal or counselor recommendation form
Confidential teacher recommendation forms (2023–24 previous core subject teacher and 2024–25 current core subject teacher)
Transcript release form and transcripts: We require the previous year's (2023–24) 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.

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. Additional letters of support, including those from current Nueva community members, will not be added to a student's completed application.

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 and supplemental documents are due February 4, 2025.

Find out more about Nueva's Middle School

Middle School Admissions Contacts

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

Maggie Loft
Admissions Assistant
650-350-4528
Email Maggie

Dunja Solari
Associate Director of Admissions
650-350-4527
Email Dunja

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

Lupe Ruiz
Admissions Associate
650-350-4524
Email Lupe

Middle School (Grades 5–8)

Program Previews

Campus Tours

Virtual Office Hours

Additional Optional Events

Find out more about Nueva's Middle School