Pre-kindergarten

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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

Age Requirements to Apply for Pre-Kindergarten at Nueva (enrolling Fall 2025):

Our pre-kindergarten admissions process is split into two rounds. We admit roughly half of the class in Round I and the other half of the class in Round II.
4 years old by January 9, 2025: Children who meet this age requirement are eligible to apply during Round I of the pre-kindergarten admissions process. All application materials must be submitted by January 9, 2025.
4 years old between January 9, 2025–March 9, 2025*: While it is preferred that children be 4 years old when assessed when possible, 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, 2025 and before they are 4 years old, we will consider them during Round I of the pre-kindergarten admissions process. Assessment results and all admissions materials are due January 9, 2025.
- Alternatively, you can choose to wait until your child turns 4 to have them take the IQ assessment, in which case they would be considered during Round II of the pre-kindergarten admissions process. IQ assessments are due no later than March 26, 2025, while all other application materials must be submitted by January 9, 2025.
4 years old between March 10–May 26, 2025*: Children falling in this age range may apply in Round II of the pre-kindergarten admissions process. IQ assessment results are due no later than March 26, 2025, while all other application materials must be submitted by January 9, 2025.

Students who receive wait pool letters in Round I will be reconsidered during Round II of the pre-kindergarten admissions process.

*Please keep in mind that if your child takes the IQ assessment after January 9 and their scores are not determined by Nueva to be in-range, they will need to wait for a full 12 months before they can retake the assessment. As a result, they would not be eligible to apply for kindergarten admission in the following year.

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

How to Explore and Visit Nueva

Virtual Program Preview
- The optional virtual Program Preview is for families interested in applying for the 2025–26 school year. This event provides prospective parents/guardians a glimpse into life at Nueva through presentations by our faculty and leadership team.
- The Virtual Program Preview is held in October.
- 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-November.
Virtual Office Hours
- We know applying to an independent school can get a little overwhelming with many events and steps. 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
- 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

PreK Application Checklist

In This Section

Application Process

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 financial assistance.

Families are welcome to 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 WPPSI-IV (for children age 5 and younger) 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.

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 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
Virtual Parent/Guardian Conversation

Activity Session

During the Activity Session, 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. Activity Sessions are offered during school hours November through early January.

We encourage families to submit the Family Information Form and IQ assessment results as early as possible. We typically are 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.

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 October to early January.

The Parent Questionnaire must be submitted at least two days prior to your scheduled Parent/Guardian Conversation.

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 required supplemental materials

Student evaluation forms are completed and submitted in Ravenna directly by the applicant's school.

Confidential common ISSFBA student evaluation form
Confidential Nueva student evaluation form

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 application and supplemental documents are due February 4, 2025.

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

Pre-kindergarten

Virtual Program Preview

Campus Tours

Virtual Office Hours

Additional Optional Events

Find out more about Nueva's lower school