How to Get Into San Domenico: Key to Admissions!

Quick Answer for Busy Parents

San Domenico, in San Anselmo, is the only school in the Bay Area offering both K–12 day enrollment and boarding, with day, flex, and full-boarding tracks available for Grades 9–12. Roughly 680 students attend across a 515-acre campus at about a 9:1 student-teacher ratio. Notably, the school has stopped accepting SSAT or ISEE scores altogether. Applications open in mid-August, the Upper School priority deadline typically falls around January 9, and decisions arrive in March.

Why Do Families Choose San Domenico School?

Families choosing San Domenico are choosing a school old enough to have already worked out what matters. Founded in 1850, San Domenico is California’s oldest independent school, yet it hasn’t stood still: it moved to its San Anselmo campus in 1965, went coed at the high school level in 2014, and dropped its religious affiliation in 2017. That mix of history and willingness to change draws families past the brochure. The Virtuoso Program is the only integrated, pre-professional string-music track combined with college-preparatory academics at any upper school in the country, drawing musicians unwilling to choose between conservatory training and academic rigor.

Families focused on environmental education find a sustainability program roughly three decades old, credentialed by a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Award. For families weighing academic legitimacy, San Domenico offers 34 AP and honors courses, WASC accreditation, and NAIS membership—credentials that back the school’s more unusual programs.

How Hard Is It to Get Into San Domenico School?

San Domenico keeps its acceptance rate private, but two things shape the odds: sibling and legacy applicants get real weight, and boarding spots draw a national and international pool competing for a limited number of beds. Families without an existing school connection should treat the process as genuinely selective, especially for boarding.

Where San Domenico Ranks

While specific acceptance rates remain private, the following rankings offer insight into San Domenico’s standing within the region and the state, reflecting both the school’s academic stature and the competitive nature of its admissions process.

What Actually Moves the Needle

• Applying right when the window opens in mid-August, not waiting until closer to January.
• Putting real effort into recommendations and the interview, since test scores are off the table entirely.
• Decide on day, flex, or full boarding early so you’re not scrambling on requirements later.

Best Practices for San Domenico School’s Admissions

• Line up English teacher, math teacher, and counselor/principal recommenders with time to spare.
• Book a campus tour (offered Tuesday through Friday, August through March) to see the 515 acres firsthand.
• International families should track admissions travel dates in their region and get English proficiency testing done early.

What Is San Domenico’s Admissions Process?

Creating an account in Ravenna is the first step in San Domenico’s admissions process. There, you will be able to sign up for events and submit the required documents for your application.

1. Create Ravenna Account
2. Attend Admissions Events
3. Submit Application
   • Application Form
   • Parent Statement
   • Student Questionnaire (Upper School)
   • Bay Area Independent High School Student Essay (Upper School)
4. Delegate Student Evaluation Form/Recommendation
   • K-6: Current teacher
   • Grades 7-8: Current math & English teacher
   • Grades 9-12: Current math & English teacher + Principal/Vice Principal/Counselor
5. Submit Transcripts
   • Lower & Middle School: Half of the current year + two previous school years
   • Grade 9 Applicant: Complete middle school + 1st semester transcript
   • Grades 10-11 Applicants: Complete middle & high school + 1st semester transcript
6. Register for Student Visit & Assessment (Lower & Middle School)
7. Schedule Admissions Interview
   • K-6: Parent/Guardian Interview
   • Grades 7-12: 1:1 Student Interview
8. Await Admissions Decision

What Are The San Domenico Application Requirements?

Parent Statement

The parent statement allows you to advocate for your child by highlighting their character and personal growth, providing the admissions committee with essential context on how your family’s values align with San Domenico’s core values of study, reflection, community, and service.

How to write a compelling parent statement: Share anecdotes that demonstrate your child’s maturity and values rather than repeating their resume. Keep your tone authentic and collaborative. Learn how to write a compelling private school parent statement.

Student Questionnaire & Essay

The Student Questionnaire and the Bay Area Independent High School Student Essay are the two primary writing requirements for San Domenico upper school applicants. These components provide the admissions committee with a direct sense of your voice, allowing you to share unique interests and your approach to problem-solving within the context of the school’s core values.

How to write an effective student questionnaire: Focus on highlighting specific moments of discovery or reflection rather than summarizing your entire resume, and prioritize an authentic writing voice that reflects your true personality. For San Domenico, it is vital to demonstrate how your personal experiences align with their mission of study and community. Use specific, narrow examples to help the committee visualize your potential impact on campus.

Admissions Interview

The interview is a vital opportunity for the admissions committee to understand the student’s unique personality and interests. For applicants in Grades K–6, this consists of a parent/guardian interview, while students in Grades 7–12 participate in a 1:1 student interview. These conversations ensure your family’s values align with the San Domenico community.

How to prepare for the admissions interview: Approach the interview as a natural conversation. Students should be prepared to discuss their interests, achievements, and reasons for applying to San Domenico. Comprehensive interview preparation helps students communicate with confidence and authenticity, making a strong impression.

Recommendations & Evaluation Forms

All teacher and principal/counselor recommendation requests are initiated via email through the Ravenna portal. Applicants to Grade 6 should delegate the Student Evaluation Form to their current teacher. Applicants to Grades 7 & 8 must delegate one form to their current English teacher and one to their current math teacher. Applicants to Grades 9–12 must delegate forms to their current English teacher, current math teacher, and school principal/counselor.

How to get the best recommendation letter: To secure a strong recommendation letter, ensure your child builds genuine relationships with teachers and mentors. Recommenders should highlight your child’s leadership, behavior, and academic impact on the community.

Transcripts

Applicants must upload academic transcripts for the current school year and the previous two years through the application portal.

How to support academic performance: If grades have been a genuine struggle, improving them before applying requires targeted, consistent support—not last-minute cramming. This is where tutoring and academic coaching help strengthen the student’s key skills months before applications are due, allowing students to demonstrate meaningful, sustained academic growth.

Applying From Abroad

International applicants choose either Ravenna or SAO (not both) and add English proficiency testing to the standard file. San Domenico’s 2025–26 international boarders came from 16 countries, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Navigating a Test-Free Application?

Cardinal Education helps families build a strong San Domenico file around recommendations, transcripts, and the interview.

Schedule a Consultation

What Is Student Life Like at San Domenico?

Academics

San Domenico’s academic framework combines rigorous college-preparatory coursework with inquiry-based learning, social justice, and environmental sustainability. The K–12 curriculum empowers students to ask big questions, solve complex problems, and master core academic disciplines as they progress through each division.

By pairing academic rigor with core values of study, reflection, community, and service, San Domenico prepares graduates with the confidence and critical thinking skills needed to navigate a complex global society.

Arts

At San Domenico, the arts are designed as an essential pathway for inquiry, exploration, personal agency, and social commentary. Operating out of state-of-the-art creative spaces like the Carol Franc Buck Hall of the Arts and the Dino R. Ghilotti Motta Visual Arts Center, the curriculum supports novice through pre-professional student artists.

• The Virtuoso Program: San Domenico is the only upper school in the country to offer a specialized, nationally recognized string orchestra program designed for pre-professional classical musicians aiming for top music conservatories.
• Visual Arts: A robust 2D/3D studio path spanning ceramics, sculpture, painting, printmaking, and AP Art, where students showcase their work via campus exhibitions and regional contests.
• Digital Arts, Film & Game Design: Features a four-year film program, game design academy, photography, and cross-divisional projects where students write, animate, and score original works.
• Music & Performing Arts: A comprehensive music conservatory covering classical, chorus, jazz, and pop, paired with full-scale annual theatrical plays, musicals, and dance showcases.

Through hands-on production, live performance, and creative collaboration, arts education at SD empowers students to develop agency, voice, and a lifelong appreciation for expression.

Clubs and Affinity Groups

Tailored to student interests not otherwise covered in the standard curriculum, student-initiated clubs and affinity groups at San Domenico offer dynamic opportunities for intellectual exploration, leadership, and community action. Led by the Student Diversity Council, Student Council, and student officers, these organizations empower upper school students to make a meaningful social impact.

By designing and leading their own organizations, students build cross-grade bonds, gain executive experience, and shape an inclusive campus culture where every voice is heard.

Athletics

San Domenico’s Panther Athletics program operates with a focus on competing with purpose, leading with integrity, and using sport to shape a strong sense of self and community. Competing in the Bay Athletic League (BAL) and Bay Area Conference (BAC), over 70% of the student body participates across varsity, junior varsity, and middle school team rosters.

Supported by premier facilities—including an Athletic Center, a 12-lane competition pool, six tennis courts, and a 33,000 sq. ft. turf field—Panther student-athletes develop resilience, team unity, and school pride across every level of play.

Notable Students & Alumni of San Domenico

San Domenico prepares students to lead with purpose, intellect, and creative agency. Graduates excel in diverse fields like advocacy, research, philanthropy, and the arts, reflecting the school’s mission to nurture purposeful thinkers who make meaningful contributions to the world. Notable alumni include:

1. Carol Franc Buck (’54): A visionary philanthropist and arts patron whose major benefactions supported musical and visual arts education across the West, including funding the construction of San Domenico’s Carol Franc Buck Hall of the Arts.
2. Amy Skewes-Cox (’71): A prominent environmental planner and former San Domenico Board Chair who has spent over four decades leading community-focused environmental impact studies across California.
3. Dr. Jessica Tierney (’00): An internationally recognized paleoclimatologist, professor, and NSF Alan T. Waterman Award recipient awarded San Domenico’s Distinguished Alumni Award for her research on past global climate shifts.
4. Dr. Ashley Eagle-Gibbs (’00): An environmental attorney and conservation leader serving as the Executive Director of the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, honored as a San Domenico Distinguished Alumna.
5. Alexandra Simpson (’11): A graduate of San Domenico’s Virtuoso Program who went on to become a professional violist and returned to SD as the Music Director of the Virtuoso Program, mentoring future generations of pre-professional musicians.

These alumni showcase how a San Domenico education empowers students to pursue their passions and make lasting impacts. Across generations, SD graduates embody the values of study, reflection, community, and service in their personal and professional lives.

How Cardinal Education Supports Your San Domenico Application

San Domenico is a highly selective institution, particularly for boarding applicants and families without existing community ties. With standardized test scores removed from the equation, every remaining element of your application—from the interview and recommendations to your student’s personal narrative—carries significantly more weight.

Cardinal Education’s consultants provide the strategic expertise necessary to navigate this competitive process, helping families craft a cohesive application story, evaluate the benefits of day versus boarding tracks, and master the additional requirements faced by international applicants.

Schedule a Consultation

Related Reading

Inside San Domenico’s IDC Signature Program

San Domenico’s Green Ribbon Sustainability Program

Did You Know?

San Domenico’s Virtuoso Program remains the only fully integrated, pre-professional string-music track offered at any upper school in the United States.

Frequently Asked Questions

My children love their new home at San Domenico, but it’s with the help of Cardinal Education that they were granted admission in the first place!

— Guardian of a 9th Grader