How to Get Into Head-Royce School: What You Need To Know About Admissions

About Head-Royce School: Academics, Culture, and Community

Head-Royce School is a top private school located in Oakland, California. Since its founding in 1887, it has been providing quality education to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. It has a total school population of around 900 students, which is supported by its 175 faculty members. Students enjoy an average class size of 18 with an 8:1 student-teacher ratio. The small class sizes and low student-teacher ratio ensure that the needs of each student are met. For over 130 years, Head-Royce has remained true to its mission of inspiring lifelong learning and encouraging global citizenship. With over 67% of students of color and 52% of staff and faculty of color, HRS is committed to creating an equitable school culture that affirms every facet of a child’s diversity.  

How hard is it to get into Head-Royce? 

Because of its fantastic reputation, many parents aspire to have their children attend Head-Royce.  Its rigorous curriculum and well-rounded school environment make admissions highly competitive. Although Head-Royce does not publish its acceptance rates, they suggest that you apply as early as possible, as slots run out quickly. 

To increase your chances of getting accepted into Head-Royce, we suggest that you seek the help of experienced private school admissions consultants as soon as possible. Their complete understanding of the admissions process will mean that they can help your family and child plan and strategize on how to stand out from the rest of the applicants.   

Applying to Head-Royce School: Your Step-by-Step Guide

The Head-Royce School application process begins by creating an account on Ravenna and choosing to apply to HRS. There, you can submit the application requirements and monitor your application status. To apply, here are the steps you need to consider: 

1. Admissions Interview
2. Student Writing Sample
3. Testing
4. Parent Statement
5. Personal Statement
6. Delegate Letters of Recommendation
7. Transcripts

The Head-Royce School Admissions Requirements

Head-Royce School Admissions Interview: What to Expect

Applicants applying for 9th- 12th grade are required to participate in an interview. These interviews take place with a member of the Head-Royce Admissions team and last approximately 20-30 minutes. 

The interview is an important aspect of the admissions process, as this is how HRS assesses and evaluates your child. They look at things such as character and how your child carries themselves to evaluate whether your child and your family will be good fits for the school community. As it’s normal for children to get nervous during this step, we suggest undergoing informed interview preparation. Our team of admissions consultants will introduce common interview questions and how to answer them appealingly. 

Head-Royce School Writing Sample: Tips for Success

Applicants are required to undergo a supervised writing sample session if they decide not to take the ISEE or SSAT. The sessions occur over Zoom and are administered by Test Innovators and last about 30 minutes. Due to the strict time limit and pressure of being observed, students often struggle with this requirement. This is why we suggest enrolling in our Program in Writing and Reading (PWR) to take your child’s writing skills to the next level. Our writing tutors can help with your child’s reading comprehension, which will ultimately develop their writing skills.       

ISEE & SSAT for Head-Royce School Admissions: Guidance

Applicants for grades 6 to 12 who decide not to undergo the Timed Writing Sample are instead required to submit either ISEE or SSAT results. Are you worried about your child’s ability to ace these tests? We have a team of academic coaches ready to help them through a comprehensive test prep program that develops their study skills and test-taking strategies. 

Understanding Transcript Requirements for Head-Royce School

Parents or guardians of middle and upper school applicants are required to answer a parent/guardian questionnaire that is found on Ravenna. There are five questions that need to be answered in less than 1200 characters each. 

There are five questions that parents need to answer with no character or word count. These questions cover your interest in Head-Royce School as well as ask for information on your child’s personality. One question that is particularly important is the 4th question, which asks about your community involvement, as HRS is deeply concerned with the community and will use your answer to gauge whether you align with the values and mission of HRS. For some tips from expert educational consultants on how to write a strong parent statement, click here.  

Personal Statement for Head Royce School

In Ravenna, applicants are given the opportunity to select one question from a list to answer within a limited character count. How your child answers the question will give admissions officers insight into your child’s personality, writing skills, and interests. While the questions may seem simple, admissions officers are looking for certain characteristics and values in the answer to determine whether your child is a good fit for HRS.   

Our private school admissions consultants can guide your child and give advice on how to pick the best question and how to answer it truthfully. Our years of experience working with families have allowed us to understand what admissions officers are looking for in applicants. Based on your child’s personal circumstances, we can identify the traits and characteristics that will interest the admissions team and be considered for admission. Here are some useful tips on how to write a compelling personal statement. 

Recommendation Letters for Head Royce School

Applicants are required to submit a total of three recommendation letters as part of the application process. One each is required from current teachers in English and math, as well as from the school principal or counselor. The forms for these may be found on Ravenna. 

These letters are crucial as they give admissions officers a more thorough understanding of your child’s character, personality, and academic aptitude. The recommenders meet with your child on a near-daily basis and can make professional and unbiased opinions. This is why we want to emphasize the importance of building a strong relationship with your child’s current school in order to acquire strong recommendations to support the rest of your child’s application materials.  

Grades and Transcripts for Head Royce School

Applicants are required to submit their transcripts from the previous school year as well as from the first semester of the current one. The release forms may be found on Ravenna to submit to your child’s current school.  

The transcript will demonstrate your child’s readiness to handle Head-Royce’s rigorous curriculum. If you worry that your child’s grades aren’t all that outstanding and may impact their admissions results, we recommend that you start private school admissions consulting. Our team of tutors and academic coaches will provide online or in-person tutoring for a variety of courses as well as diagnostic testing. 

Head-Royce Alumni

1. Peter Alexander – a journalist and television presenter with NBC. He served as the NBC News White House correspondent in December 2012.  
2. Libby Schaaf – the former mayor of Oakland from 2015 to 2023. 
3. Suki Schorer – an American Ballet dancer who has been teaching at the School of American Ballet for over 50 years. 
4. Adam Duritz – a singer and frontman of a best-selling rock band, Counting Crows. 
5. Nico Hoerner– an American professional baseball player currently playing in the MLB as a middle infielder for the Chicago Cubs. 
6. Claire Falkenstein – a renowned sculptor, jewelry designer, and painter known for her sculptures made of metal and glass. 
7. Cynthia Holcomb Hall – a former United States Circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. 
8. Helen Jacobs – a tennis player who won nine Grand Slam titles and is the first woman to wear shorts at Wimbledon.  
9. Malika Andrews – the host of NBA Today, and was included in the list of Forbes 30 under 30 in 2021.
10. Rebecca Alexander – an almost completely blind and deaf author, psychotherapist, and disability rights advocate.

Student Life at Head-Royce

Head-Royce encourages its students to explore their interests and passions beyond just learning in the classroom. There are 25 athletic teams for students to join and a wide variety of student-led clubs and initiatives to engage with. To support the wellness of its students, HRS provides a variety of services under Learning Support, Counseling, Heart Services, a Health and Life Skills Curriculum, and Academic Support. Head-Royce School believes in helping students develop not just academically but also physically, socially, and emotionally to lead toward a future of happiness and healthy living.  

Head-Royce Academics

Head-Royce is committed to providing students with a developmentally appropriate program that both challenges them and inspires a love of learning. Their Lower School program prides itself on its strong,foundation-building, which focuses on disciplines such as reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, technology, and many more. Built into a six-year plan, basic skills are taught in a way that follows a natural progression. Likewise, HYS’s Middle and Upper School program builds upon these foundational skills to reinforce core academic areas such as math, English, history, science, and more. Students are also granted the opportunity to explore their academic passions through specialized classes such as computer science and debate.  

Head-Royce Athletics

The Head-Royce athletics program has made it its mission to promote the mental, physical, social, and emotional well-being of all its athletes. With over 65% of its student body participating in the program, HRS has won 36 league championships. It offers numerous sports across three seasons, which include cross country, soccer, tennis, volleyball, basketball, baseball, golf, lacrosse, softball, track, swimming, and flag football.  

Head-Royce Arts

Head-Royce provides students with a Visual and Performing Arts program that focuses on four disciplines: dance, theatre, music, and visual arts. Those who see themselves on stage may take drama electives and perform in the two plays that are staged every year. Musicians in the lower school follow a program based on the Orff-Schulwerk approach to music. Those in middle school may choose to join the choir, the concert band, the jazz band, and the songwriting. The upper school music program ranges from introductory classes all the way to advanced theory work. Colla Voice and Caravan, HRS’ award-winning ensembles, have an active performance schedule and perform year-round.   

Activities at Head-Royce

Students at Head-Royce are given the opportunity to explore new interests and passions and meet peers with the same interests through the variety of activities available to them. At the Center for Community Engagement, students can engage with the community on a variety of levels—from local all the way to global. Yearly Study-Travel Experiences have students setting across the world to become engaged global citizens. Some upcoming trips for the school include the Channel Islands near France and Taiwan! There are also a variety of student-run interest groups and clubs such as Democracy Matters, the Asia Club, and the Fine Arts Dance Ensemble (FADE).