List of 11 items.

• Getting Started with Ravenna

  Most of the application process is conducted online through our admission portal. To get started with the portal, follow these steps:
  
  

  1. Visit ravenna-hub.com and create an account.
  2. Complete the Student Profile (student information, education history, and family information).
  3. Select San Francisco Bay Area as your primary region.
  4. In the School Directory select The College Preparatory School and click "Apply."

  
  Once you create your profile, you will be able to reserve space at various admission events and work on the different sections of the application at your convenience.
  
  If you have questions about your account, please contact Ravenna (ravenna-help@communitybrands.com) or reach out to our office.
  

• Admission Events

  College Prep hosts a variety of admissions events for prospective students and parents to get to know our community. All events require advance registration via the admission portal. We encourage you to attend any events that are of interest. We do not expect families to attend all events. 
  
  Once logged in, families with students in 8th grade and above should click the "Apply" button to register for events. Families with students in 7th grade should click "Inquire/Explore" from within the portal. If your student is in the 6th grade or below, please use our website to learn about College Prep and plan to join us for admission events in 7th or 8th grade. 
  
  

  Events open to families with students in 8th grade and above.

  • Student Class Visit/Parent Tour (in-person)
  • Arts and Athletics Showcase (in-person)
  • Equity and Belonging Evening (in-person)

  Events open to families with students in 7th grade and above (all virtual except where noted):

  • Alumni in College Panel
  • Faculty and Administration Panel
  • Financial Aid Information and Workshop
  • Humanities Information and Class Demonstration
  • Math & Science Information and Class Demonstration
  • Public and Parochial School Information and Panel
  • Student Panel

• Submit Family Forms (by Jan. 9, 2025)

  Applications for the 2025-2026 school year is now available via our application portal and are due by January 9, 2025.

   

  From within the portal, the following family forms help us get to know your child and your family:

  • Student Activities and Interests Form (common Bay Area form)
  • Student Quick Takes & Reflections Form
  • Student Statement (common East Bay form)
  • Parent Statement

  The fee to apply to College Prep is $100 for domestic applicants and $150 for international applicants. If the fee presents a hardship, please contact the admission office at admissions@college-prep.org or 510.652.4364 for a full or partial fee waiver. 

   

  Some notes about family forms:

  • We want to get to know you and your family through your responses. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions.
  • The content of your responses is much more important than the length of your writing. Though most questions have character/word limits, please do not feel the need to write more just to reach these limits.
  • All forms other than the Parent Statement should be completed by the applicant without help from adults.
  • The use of generative AI (such as ChatGPT, Bard, Bing, Claude3, etc.) is antithetical to the process of getting to authentically know our applicants and is not allowed in any part of the application.
  • Keep copies of your work separate from Ravenna in a program such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word. When pasting your responses from a word processing program into Ravenna, please read them carefully from start to finish to make sure all formatting and content appears as you wish.

• Optional: Financial Aid (by Jan. 9, 2025)

  The financial aid application is a two-step process that typically begins in early winter for families applying for admission as well as returning College Prep families currently receiving financial aid.
  
  Detailed information about the process is available on the financial aid pages of our website. 

• Teacher Recommendations (by Feb. 1, 2025)

  College Prep's application requires three recommendations from the applicant's current English teacher, math teacher, and principal/counselor. Recommendations are requested through the admission portal. Some notes about teacher recommendations:

  
  

  • Only the applicant's current teachers should submit these forms
  • We advise waiting until after November 1 to ask teachers to complete recommendation forms
  • The Principal/Counselor form may be submitted by a principal, counselor, advisor, division head, etc. as appropriate
  • Though the teacher recommendation forms have a due date of January 9 for some schools, we consider any recommendation submitted by February 1 to be on time
  • Check out our tips for recommendation forms here 

• Transcripts (by Feb. 1, 2025)

  9th grade applicants are required to submit complete 7th grade transcripts, as well as first-semester, second-quarter, or first-trimester 8th grade transcripts.

  
  Some notes about transcripts:

  • Transcripts should be uploaded to Ravenna (preferred) or sent to College Prep directly from the applicant's school
  • Our preference is that the applicant's school send all transcripts (7th and 8th grade) together rather than separately
  • Transfer applicants should send their current transcript along with the prior two years of grades/transcripts

• Interview (by Feb. 1, 2025)

  Each applicant meets one-on-one with a College Prep faculty or staff member as part of their application. Interviews at College Prep are casual conversations that last around half an hour (20 minutes with the student followed by 10 minutes with the family). Interviews are not intended to be stressful -- be yourself and have fun!

  
  Some notes about interviews:

  • All interviews are conducted via Zoom
  • Interviews are only scheduled for students who have submitted their preliminary application and paid the application fee
  • Interviews can be scheduled from the portal beginning in October and take place throughout the fall and winter
  • Every applicant is guaranteed an interview
  • Check out our tips for interviews here

• Assessment (by Feb. 1, 2025)

  General Information
  College Prep requires all ninth grade applicants to submit either ISEE or SSAT results. The Admission Committee has no preference between the two exams.
  

  • Both the ISEE and SSAT can be taken at home, at a school site, or at a Prometric test center.
  • The last date to take either test for this season's admission process is February 1, 2025. Most students take the test in December or January.
  • The cost of the tests range from $160 - $260 depending on the testing location. There are additional late fees for those registering within three weeks of their testing date. Fee waivers for families in need are available from the admission office for either test.
  • Accommodations for students with learning differences may be requested from the testing organizations during registration. 

  Option A: ISEE Exam

  The ISEE takes approximately three hours and includes a writing sample, as well as verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, and math achievement sections. Learn more about what's on the ISEE here and here.
  
  

  The ISEE will be offered at College Prep on the following dates:

  • Sunday, December 15, 2024 at 9:00 AM
  • Saturday, January 4, 2025 at 9:00 AM

  All ISEE registrants have access to free test prep from Test Innovators, which includes an online practice test and personalized feedback. Learn more about preparing for the ISEE.
  
  Register for the ISEE here 

   

  Option B: SSAT Exam
  The SSAT takes approximately three hours and includes a writing sample, as well as math, verbal, and reading comprehension sections. Learn more about what's on the SSAT here and here.
  
  

  Learn more about preparing for the SSAT. 
  
  

  Register for the SSAT here 

   

  Transfer Applicants
  Transfer applicants for grades ten and eleven may submit PSAT, SAT, or ACT test scores in addition to or in lieu of ISEE or SSAT scores.
  
  International Applicants
  International applicants are required to submit ISEE or SSAT scores; TOEFL scores may be submitted, but are not required. 

• Decision Notification (March 21, 2025)

  College Prep applicants with completed applications can see their admission decision from within their Ravenna account on Friday, March 21, 2025, after 4:00 PM. We do not release decisions at any other time.
  
  

  Applicants offered admission to College Prep are required to respond to their admission offer by Friday, March 28, 2025 at 10:00 AM.

• Guidance for Transfer Applicants

  College Prep welcomes transfer applications for students entering 10th and 11th grade in the fall. The number of transfer spaces available depends on the school's overall enrollment and the size of the grade the student is applying for.
  
  The transfer application is identical to the ninth grade application with two exceptions. 1) There is one additional paragraph response question for transfer applicants. 2) Transfer applicants may submit PSAT, SAT, or ACT test scores in addition to or in lieu of the ninth grade testing requirements.
  
  Transfer notes:

  • College Prep does not consider mid-year transfers. We only offer spots for fall entry.
  • College Prep does not accept applications for 12th grade transfers.
  • College Prep does not offer one-semester or one-year enrollment options.

• Guidance for International Applicants

  College Prep students come from a variety of backgrounds, including a very small number of international students (defined as those who do not hold U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status). International students and their families should keep in mind the following when considering College Prep:

  • College Prep does not partner with any international placement agencies and organizations. We invite international families to work directly with our Admission Office.
  • College Prep does not offer any English language learning courses such as ESL or ELL. All of our classes (except for world language courses) are conducted in English.
  • College Prep is a day school. We do not offer a boarding program nor do we organize home-stays for international students. Most international students who have attended College Prep have relocated to the Bay Area with their immediate family.
  • Applicants who hold dual citizenship between the United States and another country are considered domestic applicants to College Prep. International students admitted to College Prep who require an I-20 sponsored by the school to study in the United States will be given further guidance at the time of admittance.