Bishop O’Dowd High School Admissions Consulting
One of the Bay Area’s largest and most academically decorated Catholic college-preparatory schools, in the Oakland Hills.
Cardinal Education is an independent educational consulting company. We are not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with any private or public school, including Bishop O’Dowd High School.
As Seen On
About the School
About Bishop O’Dowd High School
Bishop O’Dowd High School is a Catholic, coeducational, college-preparatory day school in the Oakland Hills, serving grades 9 through 12 under the Diocese of Oakland. Founded in 1951, O’Dowd today enrolls approximately 1,280 students on a 20-acre campus with sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay. The school describes itself as a Catholic college-preparatory community guided by the teachings of Jesus Christ, educating a diverse student body to build a more just, joyful, and sustainable world, anchored in a Charism centered on finding God in all things. O’Dowd is well known for its 37 AP and Honors courses, its 15-sport athletics program, and its nationally recognized environmental education, including a LEED Platinum Center for Environmental Studies and a hillside Living Lab.
Fast Facts
Location
9500 Stearns Ave, Oakland, CA 94605
Type
Private, Catholic, Co-Ed, College Prep, Day School
Grades
9-12
Total Enrollment
1,280 students (about 320 per grade)
College Enrollment
93% of graduates go on to four-year colleges
Application Deadline (Parts 1 & 2)
January 5, 2027
Reduced Application Fee Deadline
December 10, 2026
Beyond the Numbers
Average Class Size
26 students
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
Advanced Coursework
37 AP and Honors courses
Faculty with Advanced Degrees
70%
Sports Offered
15 sports, 48 teams
Accreditation
WCEA and WASC accredited; NCEA and NAIS member
Transit
AC Transit (Bus); school shuttle
Bishop O’Dowd’s Admissions Calendar and Events
O’Dowd also runs a full calendar of admissions events each fall, each geared toward a slightly different stage of a family’s decision.
Reduced Application Fee Deadline
December 10, 2026
Final Deadline for Application Parts 1 & 2
January 5, 2027
HSPT Test Date
January 9, 2027
Recommendation Forms and Transcripts Due
February 4, 2027 (Submitted by the applicant’s current school)
Admissions Decisions Emailed
March 12, 2027, after 4:00 PM
Enrollment Opens
March 13, 2027, after 3:00 PM (sibling families may enroll starting 4:00 PM on March 12)
Sunday, November 8, 2026, 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM (All families welcome; tour the 20-acre campus, Living Lab, Center for Environmental Studies, and Cummins Center; meet faculty, coaches, and current students)
Admissions Mornings
Thursday, October 15, 2026, 9:15-11:30 AM; Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 9:15-11:30 AM (Campus and classroom tour, student panel, and detailed admissions process walkthrough; ideal for parents not visiting with their child’s school)
School-Sponsored Student Visits
Scheduled by partner schools (Students attend an information session, campus tour, and classroom visits; parents get a separate tour and meeting with the Director of Enrollment and Admissions)
Individual Student Visits
By appointment (For students not part of the partner school program; independent information session, tour, and classroom visits)
Nuts and Bolts (Parents Only)
Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 6:00-7:30 PM; Saturday, December 12, 2026, 9:00-10:30 AM (Key dates and deadlines overview; 8th graders and transfer applicants welcome, but parents-only format)
What Makes Bishop O’Dowd’s Admissions Process Unique?
O’Dowd does not conduct admissions interviews. In their place, the application portal includes an admissions supplement alongside separate parent and student questionnaires, giving the admissions committee a fuller picture of fit without a face-to-face evaluation. Combined with a single required standardized test (the HSPT, with no SSAT or ISEE accepted), that means an O’Dowd application rests almost entirely on the written pieces of the file, the supplement, the questionnaires, the transcript, and the recommendation forms, rather than on how a family or student performs in an interview room.
Top Tips for Applying
- Register early for admissions events once the 2026-27 schedule is posted; spots at Nuts and Bolts sessions and Admissions Mornings fill up.
- Submit Application Parts 1 & 2 well before the January 5 deadline to give your current school time to meet its own February 4 deadline.
- Take the reduced application fee window (through December 10) seriously if cost is a factor.
- Treat the admissions supplement and student questionnaire as seriously as a traditional essay, since O’Dowd does not interview applicants.
Best Practices for Families
- Confirm your child’s current school can meet the February 4 recommendation and transcript deadline before your own application deadline arrives.
- If your child has documented learning differences, upload documentation during Part 2 rather than after submission.
- If considering a transfer rather than a 9th-grade application, contact admissions@bishopodowd.org before applying.
What the Bishop O’Dowd Application Requires
To apply to Bishop O’Dowd, you will need to submit the following:
- 01High School Placement Test (HSPT)
The HSPT is required for all incoming 9th-grade applicants (not required for transfer students) and is administered January 9, 2027. Extended time (time-and-a-half) is available with formal documentation uploaded to the portal. The test can be taken at O’Dowd or at any other Oakland Diocese Catholic secondary school the student has applied to, and taking it elsewhere does not hurt admissions chances.
- 02Admissions Supplement and Questionnaires
In place of an interview, applicants complete an admissions supplement along with separate parent and student questionnaires through the application portal.
- 03Recommendations and Transcripts
Recommendation and transcript release forms are submitted through the applicant portal. The applicant’s current school has until February 4, 2027 to submit these directly to O’Dowd.
“Cardinal Education helped our daughter put together a thoughtful, genuine application to O’Dowd. Without an interview to lean on, we were grateful for guidance on the questionnaires; she’s thriving there now.”— Parents of a 9th Grader
How Cardinal Education Helps
Because O’Dowd replaces the interview with an admissions supplement and parent/student questionnaires, the highest-leverage place for a family to focus is making sure those written pieces genuinely reflect their child, not a rehearsed pitch. Cardinal Education’s consultants help families prepare for the HSPT, think through the admissions supplement and questionnaires, and manage the recommendation and transcript timeline with O’Dowd’s February 4 deadline in mind.
Asian American families should also see our dedicated guide to Bishop O’Dowd admissions for Asian American families, which covers the school’s diversity data and affinity programs in more depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bishop O’Dowd require the SSAT or ISEE?
Does O’Dowd interview applicants?
What is Bishop O’Dowd’s acceptance rate?
How big is the Asian American population at Bishop O’Dowd?
Does Bishop O’Dowd accept mid-year or grade-level transfers?
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