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Middle School, Re-imagined.

Planning out the year

Time management & organization are essential pieces of the high school admissions journey.  Below you will find a summer to-do list and an overview of the year ahead.

 

Summer Goals

May-August:

Create your Ravenna account so you can become familiar with this platform.

Creating a Ravenna account:

  • To begin your family’s application, go to Ravenna and create an account: How to create an account . Be sure to use an email address you will have access to throughout the entire admission season, as this will be your primary email contact with the school(s).

    How to start student profile

  • Once in your account, you can view a list of schools in your area using Ravenna. If you would like to explore a school, you can view their application process and sign up for events. If you are in a region with multiple schools, you can choose to apply to one school now and add other schools later. Note that once you have chosen to explore or apply, the school will be aware of your interest.

    • In some regions, schools choose to share forms. These shared forms, such as essays or teacher evaluations, make the process easier for you and reduce the amount of time needed to complete an application. Shared (or common) forms are clearly marked so be sure not to use a specific school’s name in any of the answers to those questions.

Mid/Late August:

Submit online inquiries and schedule visits and events. Most independent and faith-based schools will invite you to schedule shadow visits via their websites in late August/early September. A few charter schools have started using this approach as well, while some schools will ask you to schedule visits over the phone. Pay attention to what each school says about its process and “start date” for scheduling, as these vary from school to school.

NB: Public and charter schools will advertise information about visits and open houses in September and October. It is therefore a good idea to focus on independent and faith-based schools first.


September - December:

This period will be full with (virtual) Shadow Days, (virtual) Open Houses, student interviews (which may be scheduled during shadow days), and other opportunities to get to know schools. Students will also be taking their admissions tests during this time (see section below), likely the SSAT and possibly also the ISEE or HSPT. As you begin to finalize your high school choices and submit applications, make sure to request recommendations with as much lead time as possible from Millennium faculty. Your student’s advisor will be your point person and support throughout this process.

Deadlines 

Catholic School application deadlines: Some Catholic school deadlines will occur as early as November. Note that Catholic schools also have their own standardized test, the HSPT, which is usually offered in January at the various Catholic high schools.

SFUSD Application Deadlines: We will post these once available, which if similar to past years will have a mid-December deadline for Lowell High School’s special process, and a mid-January deadline for other public high schools. Note that SOTA (School of the Arts) has its own unique process requiring audition and/or portfolio submission.

Independent School Admissions Deadline: Most independent schools in the Bay Area have agreed on a common application deadline of January 7, 2021 which includes financial aid applications. Keep in mind that parochial schools may have a different deadline, as noted above with some Catholic school deadlines as early as November.

    • HSPT test offered at Catholic High Schools usually on two Saturdays in early January.

    • SFUSD Lowell High School test dates: Usually offered in early January.

    • SFUSD SOTA Application Packet due: Usually early January.

    • SFUSD Auditions: Usually early February.


March - Decision Announcements:

Independent schools typically mail their decision letters on the third Thursday in March, and notify families online and via email the next day. Enrollment contracts are usually due on the following Friday (note that Catholic school deadlines are sometimes slightly different than at independent schools). The third week is  also when SFUSD usually releases first round decision letters. There are important steps to register at your public high school placement site in order to confirm your child’s enrollment (details here).

 

Tips

  • Create a family calendar.  Schools establish specific dates for their individual admissions cycles; a family calendar will keep everyone on track with their specific group of schools.

  • Save all important information for your records (passwords, appointment confirmations, requests for admission packets, Open House rsvp’s, etc). Create an electronic folder, physical file box, and/or designate a drawer in which you will keep materials organized by high school.