How to Get Into The Nueva School: Bay Area Private School Admissions Guide

How Competitive is Nueva School Admissions? 

The Nueva School is consistently ranked the #1 private K-12 school in the United States and is among the most sought-after Bay Area private schools for gifted students.  With campuses in Hillsborough (lower and middle school) and San Mateo (upper school), Nueva attracts families from across California and beyond. 

With a class size of 15 to 18 students, it has a student-teacher ratio of 6:1, and students receive individualized attention that supports their needs. Nueva School was founded in 1967 and has been known for its progressive, interdisciplinary, and inquiry-based curriculum. For over 50 years, it has remained dedicated to its mission to inspire passion, promote personalized education, and lead in innovative teaching methods and extraordinary opportunities for gifted learners.

Students have access to diverse opportunities in arts, sports, clubs, and academics. The school’s mission is to inspire passion, promote personalized education, and build a collaborative community where students explore, make positive choices, and impact the world.

How hard is it to get into Nueva School? 

Many parents aspire to send their children to Nueva because of its rigorous curriculum and college prep program, which makes admissions highly competitive. Accessibility for gifted students from various socioeconomic backgrounds is a top priority, so other students compete for the few remaining slots.

The application process is need-blind, but it is nonetheless extremely selective. Admission to lower and middle school relies heavily on the results of an IQ assessment, such as the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V). Upper school applicants are evaluated on various application components, including transcripts, essays, a writing sample, an interview, and teacher recommendations. 

Entry Points to Nueva School

Here are the typical entry points and approximate admissions numbers:

1. PreK: 14–16 students admitted
2. Kindergarten: 20–22 students admitted
3. Grade 5: 10–20 students admitted
4. Grade 6: 20–25 students admitted (main middle school entry)
5. Upper School (Grade 9): 35–45 students admitted out of hundreds of applicants

Given the low acceptance rate, families often turn to experienced Bay Area private school admissions consultants for strategy and preparation.

Step-by-Step Guide to the Nueva School Application Process 

The Nueva School uses the Ravenna platform to manage applications, events, and submissions. The process varies slightly by grade level.

Nueva Lower School Application Steps

Nueva Middle School Application Steps

Nueva Upper School Application Steps

Nueva School Application Requirements Explained

Nueva School Parent Statement Tips

Parents or guardians of middle and upper school applicants are required to answer a parent/guardian questionnaire via Ravenna. You will be asked to talk about your child and share information about their personality, achievements, and other personal information. 

The parent statement is an integral part of the application process as it will help admissions officers better understand your child’s background and potential to become successful at Nueva. It will also demonstrate your family’s commitment to your child’s education. When choosing what to write about, remember that you have to be honest and authentic. Focus on your child’s strengths and unique characteristics, and provide anecdotes to support your statements. 

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Nueva Parent/Guardian Video Questionnaire Tips

Parents are required to complete the parent/guardian video questionnaire on the Kira platform. You will be asked to record short video responses about your child and family. The system will guide you through the process, giving you time to prepare before you begin recording. You can complete the questionnaire in one sitting or take breaks as needed.

After you’ve completed the Family Information Form and submitted in-range IQ assessment results, the Parent/Guardian Video Questionnaire step will appear in Ravenna. This will include a personalized link to the Kira platform to complete the questionnaire.

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Student Questionnaire for Nueva School

There is a student questionnaire on Ravenna that your child has to answer within a limited character count. The questions delve into their personality, skills, and interests, as well as their expectations of Nueva. The questions might seem simple and easy to answer, but admissions officers are looking at certain characteristics and values in your child that will determine if they are a good fit at Nueva. 

Our private school admissions consultants can guide your child and give advice on how to best answer the questions truthfully. Our years of experience working with families applying to Nueva have allowed us to understand what they are looking for in applicants. From your child’s personal circumstances, we can identify what traits and characteristics will interest the admissions team and be considered for admission. 

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Nueva Creative Project Guidelines

The Nueva Creative Project is an opportunity for middle and upper school applicants to showcase their interests and passions. This project, which should be started after September 1 of the current year can be in any medium—such as art, a video, or a written piece—and should showcase one or two topics the applicant is deeply interested in. The project must be authentic and created with available materials. Along with the submission, applicants must provide an explanation of their inspiration, process, and choice of medium. All materials should be saved in PDF and submitted via Ravenna following these guidelines: 

1. Videos should not exceed three minutes in length.
2. Written pieces should not be more than three pages. 
3. Physical objects should not be mailed; instead, applicants should upload a picture of the project. 
4. When sending multiple documents, combine them into one before sending. 

By taking a holistic approach, our admissions consultants can help your child develop and execute their ideas. We ensure that the project complements your child’s overall application, helping them stand out to admissions officers. 

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Teacher Recommendations for Nueva School

Recommendation letters from the current teachers in English and math, as well as from the principal or counselor, are required from applicants in grades 9-12. Middle school applicants need to submit a principal or counselor recommendation form and a teacher recommendation form from one previous and one current core subject teacher. Students applying to lower grades are required to submit the common ISSFBA student evaluation form. The forms are requested and submitted confidentially via Ravenna. 

Teacher recommendations are crucial for admission since they give a more thorough evaluation of your child’s character, personality, and academic aptitude. Because they deal with your child on a daily basis and can confirm your child’s academic success, they can make professional and unbiased observations. Building strong relationships with teachers is crucial if you want them to be able to provide strong recommendations that support other application materials when the time comes for them to do so.

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Nueva School Timed Writing Sample Preparation

Middle and upper school applicants must complete an ungraded, timed writing sample as part of the Parent/Guardian Video Questionnaire. Administered virtually by an independent third party, Kira Talent, the writing sample gives students 30 minutes to plan and write an essay in response to a provided prompt. While the writing sample follows the parent/guardian portion of the questionnaire, it does not have to be completed immediately afterward, but must be submitted by the application deadline. The writing sample must be completed without any outside assistance, including help from an adult or the use of AI tools. Kira Talent utilizes a monitoring system to detect any such support. If it is identified, the applicant’s application will be withdrawn, and they will not be eligible to apply to Nueva in this or any future admissions cycles.

To help your child with this challenging admissions requirement, we offer Proctored Writing Sample (PWS) preparation, where they will be given several writing prompts to practice on. Our admissions consultants and writing tutors will teach your child to organize their ideas and put them into writing. To take your child’s writing skills to the next level, enroll in our Program in Writing and Reading (PWR)to help your child develop skills in reading comprehension and eventually unlock their writing skills. PWR is a long-term program that goes beyond admissions. It aims to improve the overall reading and writing skills of students for academic and personal success. 

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Submitting Transcripts to Nueva School

You need to request your child’s current school to upload the following documents to Ravenna: previous year’s progress reports or grades, current grades when they become available (usually in late January), and any standardized test scores that are part of your child’s cumulative file. 

The transcript will demonstrate your child’s readiness to handle Nueva’s rigorous curriculum. But what if your child’s grades aren’t all that outstanding? Start private school admissions consulting early! Our tutors and academic coaches will work with your child to improve grades and achieve scores that meet the requirements. We provide online or in-person tutoring for a variety of courses as well as diagnostic testing. But because we are aware that boosting GPA won’t guarantee success, we provide academic coaching that teaches executive function skills as a more holistic strategy. 

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Attending Nueva School Activity Sessions

Nueva Upper School Activity Sessions

Upper School applicants will participate in hands-on, collaborative activities and conversations with Nueva faculty, staff, and other applicants. These sessions are for applicants only and are offered in October, November, and December. To schedule a session, you must first submit the Family Information Form and Parent/Guardian Written Questionnaire. If you submit these by November 3, an in-person session is guaranteed. For submissions after this date, sessions are scheduled based on availability.

Nueva Middle School Activity Sessions

Middle School applicants will engage in individual and group activities, as well as conversations with faculty and other applicants. These sessions are for applicants only and are offered from November to January. Most applicants will attend a session in December. To register, you must first complete the Family Information Form and submit in-range IQ assessment results. If these prerequisites are met by November 3, an in-person session is guaranteed. For prerequisites met after this date, sessions are scheduled based on availability.

Nueva Lower School Activity Sessions

For applicants to grades 1–4, Activity Sessions are not required for most and are offered on a limited basis. Application materials (in-range IQ assessment results, Family Information Form, school transcripts, and teacher evaluations) will be reviewed to determine if a session would be a helpful next step. If so, you will be contacted by a member of the admissions committee. It is encouraged to submit as many materials as possible by November 3 to allow sufficient time for review. Note that no sessions are offered after the first week of January.

The conversations that take place during these activity sessions are indirect and non-formal interviews where your child will be assessed and evaluated based on how they carry themselves during those occasions. Admissions officers and faculty will assess whether your child is a good fit for the school community. With informed interview preparation, our admissions consultants will introduce you to common interview questions and how to answer them truthfully and authentically. 

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Interview Preparation

How to Prepare for Nueva School Admissions (Parent & Student Tips)

For Parents:

1. Start early with IQ test prep for younger applicants.
2. Draft and refine your parent statement with specific, honest anecdotes.
3. Attend Nueva info sessions to show engagement.

For Students:

1. Practice timed writing to prepare for Kira Talent.
2. Start brainstorming for the Creative Project months in advance.
3. Review Nueva’s values and think about how you align with them for interview readiness.

Notable Nueva School Alumni & Achievements

1. Lisa Brennan-Jobs – a writer and the daughter of Steve Jobs
2. Olga Wilhelmine Munding – an American New Orleans-based blues musician, producer, and actress
3. Jesse Thorn – an American radio personality and the host and producer of the radio show and podcast Bullseye (formerly The Sound of Young America)
4. Erik Goeddel – an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, and Los Angeles Dodgers
5. Marc Yu – an American musical child prodigy best known for playing the piano and the cello
6. Adam Klein – an American television personality best known for competing on the American reality show Survivor
7. Tyler Goeddel – an American professional baseball outfielder who made his MLB debut with the Philadelphia Phillies
8. Jon Fisher – a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, investor, author, speaker, philanthropist, and inventor
9. Michaela Shiloh – an American songwriter and recording artist best known as Mickey Shiloh
10. Will Harvey – an American software developer and Silicon Valley entrepreneur who wrote Music Construction Set (1984) for the Apple II

Student Life at Nueva

Students at Nueva are given a wide range of possibilities that encourage them to follow their interests and passions. In athletics, more than half of the students participate in sports. There are art programs, clubs, student publications, enrichment classes, weekend events, and summer camps where students can develop their skills. During Nueva Trips Week, grades 5 to 12 students get to participate in 27 different virtual trip experiences across four continents. To further expose students to broader opportunities, Nueva connects its upper school students to partner organizations for summer internships in different disciplines.

Nueva School Academics

The Nueva School utilizes a dynamic educational approach that is authentic and rigorous, where students do hands-on work on various projects. In addition to the core subjects, the Nueva curriculum includes courses in design, engineering, computer science, humanities, social justice, equity & inclusion, environmental citizenship, social-emotional learning, and world languages. Along with being diverse, Nueva’s community also fosters social and emotional intelligence and the cultivation of the creative mind. Students at Nueva learn to grapple with the unknown, recognize other viewpoints, and develop innovative solutions while discovering and mastering fundamental skills in traditional academic disciplines.

Nueva School Athletics

The Nueva athletics program offers four seasons and 11 different sports in the Middle School and three seasons and 10 different sports in the Upper School. Its conducive environment emphasizes student growth, access, and team building. Nueva offers  Cross Country, Flag Football, Golf, Swimming & Diving, Basketball, Soccer, Track and field, Tennis, and Volleyball.

Nueva School Arts

Arts at Nueva goes beyond learning technical skills. Through the arts, students develop an understanding of life and learn how to contribute artistically to the world. The Nueva School offers multiple opportunities for students to delve deeper into a variety of art disciplines, such as visual arts, music, and performing arts. In addition, there are also special programs for students who want to pursue a more in-depth study in music, such as private music instruction and the Menuhin-Dowling Music program, where students learn how to play different musical instruments. 

Activities and Clubs at Nueva School

In order to cultivate new interests and connect with peers of the same interest, The Nueva School has affinity groups, activist groups, shared-interest groups, competition-focused groups, and fitness-oriented clubs. The school also offers various programs that extend learning beyond the classroom, such as Nueva enrichment classes, weekend events, summer camps, and the Internship Program. The Nueva Summer’s Expedition program is available for students of good academic standing, where they may register for one-week programs in literature, debate, engineering, art, and design thinking.