FPO

Welcome to
Admissions

Welcome to The Nueva School! We are excited for you to learn more about all that Nueva has to offer.

We are no longer accepting applications for the 2025–26 school year. Applications for the 2026–27 school year will open around September 1, 2025. Please continue to check our website throughout the summer for updated application details and deadlines.

Nueva is a dynamic community committed to educating gifted learners from pre-kindergarten through Upper School. Our mission is to inspire passion for lifelong learning, foster social and emotional acuity, and develop the imaginative mind. 

As a community that values curiosity, compassion, inclusion, diversity, innovation, and authentic learning experiences, Nueva students embrace intellectual, social, and academic challenges. With the support of our exceptional faculty, they also find comfort in knowing they have a safe space to ask questions, make mistakes, and enjoy the journey of learning. 

We are eager to help you understand the limitless possibilities of a Nueva education and encourage you to continue exploring our website to learn more about our community and the admissions process. Better yet, come visit us in person! Throughout the admissions season we will offer opportunities to spend time on our beautiful Hillsborough and San Mateo campuses where you will meet many members of our community, from faculty to students to current parents to the admissions team

We look forward to partnering with you as you search for the right school community for your family. 

Warmly,
The Nueva Admissions Team


Important Admissions Dates

  • Lower and Middle School applicants: We highly recommend that students take an IQ assessment with a licensed psychologist as soon as they are eligible. 
     
  • Early September 2024
    Applications open through Ravenna. Check for registration deadlines for optional events
     
  • January 9, 2025
    Deadline for Ravenna application and all required documents
     
  • February 4, 2025
    For those applying for financial assistance, deadline to submit application and all supplemental documents
     
  • March 21, 2025
    Admissions decision notification for all grades
     
  • March 25–26, 2025
    Campus visits for Middle and Upper School admitted students
    Campus visits for parents/guardians of Lower School admitted students
     
  • March 28, 2025
    Deadline to submit admissions decision reply for all grades

Get in touch! 


Email:

admissions@nuevaschool.org

Phone:

Lower and Middle School: 
(650) 350-4528

Upper School:
(650) 235-7119

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


Student Voices

At Nueva, student voices are valued and respected. We regularly document the reflections of our students and alumni on their learning, their school projects, and their feelings about our community. Hear some first-person testimonials about Nueva’s culture and our students’ opinions and experiences.

Illustrations by Thalia R. '22

A Place of Belonging

Above all, Nueva is a sanctuary for gifted learners. Our shared curiosity and love of learning bonds our community across every grade and division.

Student-teacher Relationships

Ask any of our students what they love most about Nueva and the most common answer you’ll hear is “The teachers!” 

Learning Culture with No Ceilings

Our flexible, responsive learning culture rises to meet the interests and ambitions of our students. We’re here to help them go as far and as wide as they want to go.

Connect with Nueva Social Media!

Nueva News

Upper School Trips in 60 Photos

Upper School trips at Nueva are about more than just where students go—they are about who students become along the way. This spring, students had plenty of opportunities to put that philosophy into action. From April 3 to 10, Upper Schoolers took part in 20 different trips across the globe. Take a look at the photos to see some of the incredible moments from these adventures.

Snapshots: Lower School

On a rainy Tuesday afternoon, students embraced the cozy weather in their favorite jammies for Pajama Day. The Lower School classrooms buzzed with activity, filled with the sounds of questions, songs, and collaborative learning.

Nueva to Nihon: Lessons from the Japanese Exchange Trip

In his reflection on the Upper School exchange trip to Japan, Jackson H. ’26 shares how ten days of cultural immersion transformed his initial worries into lasting memories. From exploring Kyoto’s historic sites and experiencing the structured rigor of Japanese schools to finding common ground with his homestay family, he reflects on both the differences and shared experiences between cultures. The trip concluded with a visit to Hiroshima, where meeting an atomic bomb survivor left a profound impact, reinforcing the importance of remembrance and the ongoing pursuit of peace.

Mavericks Making Waves: February 2025

Mavericks Making Waves is our latest roundup of exceptional student and faculty accomplishments and activities happening beyond Nueva's walls. In this edition, you'll find stories of students excelling in national competitions, faculty breaking new ground in their fields, and Mavericks making meaningful contributions in academics, athletics, the arts, and beyond.

Five Questions for...Lisa Daniels, Middle School Spanish Teacher

Lisa Daniels’ passion for the Spanish language began as a child while living in close proximity to the Mexican border in San Diego, hearing norteño and mariachi music in the air. Being raised by a Jamaican mother who immigrated to the United States and a Black man from the American South, Lisa’s biculturalism has made her appreciate bilingualism, saying that “learning another language is like getting a dual experience of the world.” Get to know her as part of our "Five Questions For" series.

The Nueva School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. Nueva does not discriminate on the basis of these factors in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial assistance program, or athletic and other school-administered programs.

In accordance with the requirements set forth in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Nueva School provides this notice of nondiscrimination and states that Nueva School does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its education programs and activities. Questions concerning Title IX may be referred to the School’s Title IX Coordinator whose contact information is below or to the Office for Civil Rights at the United States Department of Education. 

Title IX Coordinator:
Scott Bowers, Director of Human Resources 
131 E. 28th Street, San Mateo, CA 94403 
(650) 235-7172, sbowers@nuevaschool.org