What families need to know about residential life, requirements, and timelines for 2027–2028
Quick Answer for Busy Parents
Woodside Priory runs the only high school boarding program in Silicon Valley, with about 50 boarders in Grades 9–12 on a 50-acre Portola Valley campus. Boarders apply through Ravenna or the SAO, take STAR testing virtually or submit ISEE or SSAT scores, and interview with residential faculty or admissions. The early boarding deadline is December 11, 2026, and the standard deadline is January 5, 2027.
A Small Boarding Program by Design
Priory has offered boarding for high school students since its founding in 1957. Today, about 50 boarders live on campus alongside roughly 30% of the faculty, which makes the program unusually intimate. If your family is still weighing the basics, our guide to boarding school admissions consulting explains how we help families decide.
Priory’s residential faculty are different from many boarding schools’ in one important way: boarding students are their primary responsibility. Most begin their workday at 3:00 PM and end around midnight once students are in their rooms. Some also coach or teach a class or two, but only after years in the boarding program and only when it doesn’t interfere with residential duties.
Daily Life and Weekends
With a focus on wellness, Priory requires ninth and tenth grade boarders to be in bed by 11:00 PM and strongly encourages older students to follow similar schedules. Weekends open up the region. The boarding program organizes regular outings to museums, shows, sporting events, and restaurants across the Bay Area, and the surrounding nature preserves offer hiking, climbing, surfing, and riding.
Location matters too. Stanford is about 10 minutes away, San Francisco is 40 miles north, and both San Francisco and San José international airports are roughly 30 minutes from campus. For families preparing a child to live away from home, our pieces on how boarding schools address homesickness and preparing yourself for the boarding transition are worth reading together.
What Boarding Applicants Need
| Requirement | Details |
| Application | Ravenna or the SAO; every applicant needs a Ravenna account, and decisions are released only in Ravenna |
| Academic testing | STAR, offered virtually for boarders; ISEE or SSAT scores also accepted |
| English proficiency | Applicants from outside the U.S. submit Duolingo English Test, IELTS (Academic), or TOEFL results; DI code 2055 |
| Interview | With residential faculty or the admissions team; applicants from mainland China submit a Vericant interview |
| Local guardian | Required, living in one of the nine Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Solano, or Sonoma |
| Age limits | Grade 9: must not turn 16 before January 1 of ninth grade. Grade 10: must not turn 17 before January 1. Grade 11: must not turn 18 before January 1. |
| Visas | Priory sponsors I-20 visas for boarding students only |
International families should also map out the visa process early. Our overview of I-20 and visa timelines for boarding students explains what happens after an offer.
Considering Boarding at Priory?
We’ll help your family decide on boarding, prepare for the interview, and plan around the early deadline.
Early vs. Standard Boarding Timelines
| Milestone | Early Boarding | Standard Boarding |
| Application deadline | December 11, 2026 | January 5, 2027 |
| Decision release | February 5, 2027 | March 5, 2027 |
| Reply deadline | February 19, 2027 | March 19, 2027 |
Students offered a place in the wait pool may be considered through the spring and summer, and Priory shares wait pool information on March 12, 2027. Admissions also travels internationally each fall; this year’s stops run from São Paulo on September 14 to Bangkok on November 8, 2026. Families who can’t attend an event can email the Director of Residential Admissions to arrange a campus visit.
Is Priory Boarding Right for Your Child?
Priory’s boarding program suits students who want a small, close community with adults who are genuinely present in the evenings, plus easy access to everything the Bay Area offers. Families who start early, line up a local guardian, and consider the December deadline give their child the strongest footing.
Plan Your Boarding Application
Personal guidance for Priory’s boarding program from start to finish.