Overview

The high-school application process can be exciting, daunting, self-affirming, confusing, or all of the above. We are here to help!

We hope that you make good use of our website. It is an excellent place to learn about many aspects of College Prep. When you inquire online, you will receive an application packet. The packet includes all of the application forms, a curriculum guide, a school profile, a viewbook, and more. The packet is a good place to write down questions and track your application progress.

Most prospective College Prep students come to the school for a half-day visit during the fall of their eighth grade year, complete the College Prep application, and participate in a brief interview with a member of the College Prep Admissions Committee. The tabs above offer some guidance about this process.

Student Visit

There is no better way to get a feel for College Prep than walking the grounds, observing classes, and talking to students and faculty members.

At a recent event for new College Prep parents, one after another remarked that it was the student visit that convinced their child that College Prep was the school for them. As such, we encourage all interested eighth graders to schedule a half-day visit to College Prep to sit in on classes and observe our community first hand. You do not have to submit an application to visit College Prep.

Visits begin in October and conclude in January. In a typical week, we will host visitors both morning and afternoon on four of the five days of the week. Morning visits are usually from 8:45 a.m. until 12:05 p.m. and afternoon visits are typically from 12:30 p.m. until 3:10 p.m. You will be introduced to student ambassador (a current ninth-grade College Prep student), who will take you to classes and answer any questions you might have. You might even get to answer a math question or two!

Please call Vanessa Ortega at (510) 652-4364 x1 on or after September 20 to schedule your visit. At that time, please inform us if there are specific classes you would like to visit or if there is a particular ninth-grade host you would like to have show you around. To the best of our ability we will try to accommodate your requests. Because class size at College Prep is so small, we can only accommodate a handful of visitors each day, so please have a few dates in mind when scheduling your visit.

Parents may park in any available parking spot in our lot when dropping off their student. Directions to the school may be found here. All visitors should check-in at the Admission Office. Follow the main path up campus and the Admission Office will be on your left, across from the Main Office, just past the Buttner Auditorium. At the conclusion of the visit, most students arrange to meet their parent in the parking lot.

Open House

College Prep will host three open houses in the fall. Attending an open house is a great way to see College Prep in action.

You will have the opportunity to talk to teachers, current students, coaches, and administrators as well as attend mini-classes and tour the beautiful campus.

You do not need to have an application on file to attend an open house, though reservations are required. Open houses are for prospective students and parents alike.

All open houses begin promptly at 1:00 p.m. in the Buttner Auditorium and end by 3:30 p.m. 

This year's open house schedule is as follows: 

• Sunday, October 23, 2011, 1 p.m. (THIS OPEN HOUSE IS FULL)
• Saturday, November 12, 2011, 1 p.m  (THIS OPEN HOUSE IS FULL)
• Saturday, December 3, 2010, 1 p.m. (THIS OPEN HOUSE IS FULL)

Please leave plenty of time for parking as our small lot fills up very quickly. There is usually ample street parking, but it may take you several extra minutes to walk to the Buttner Auditorium.

Entrance Exam

College Prep requires that all applicants take either the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) or the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) as part of the application process.

The Admission Office has no preference between the ISEE and the SSAT. Below is some general information about the tests.

ISEE Information

You may register to take the ISEE exam online at the Educational Records Bureau website. Registration begins in late August and costs $95. The 2011-2012 ISEE student guide is available here. A study guide, What to Expect on the ISEE, is available directly from the ISEE as a free PDF by clicking here or you may purchase the book for $20 directly from ISEE.

Applicants should indicate on the ISEE registration form that College Prep is to receive test scores. The ISEE code number for College Prep is 052192. The ISEE will be given at College Prep on the mornings of Saturday, January 14, 2012 and Sunday, January 15, 2012; the registration deadline for these test dates is December 24, 2011. Applicants need not take the test at College Prep; several test dates and local sites are available. Testing dates, sites, and registration deadlines are listed in the Student Guide under “East Bay (CA).” Early registration is advised, as local test sites fill up quickly. Applicants must take the test no later than February 4, 2012 for scores to be considered for the College Prep application.

A limited number of ISEE Ben D. Wood fee waivers are available for families proving need. Please call the Admissions Office at (510) 652-4364 to request a fee waiver.

SSAT Information

You may register to take the SSAT online at their website. A study guide, Preparing and Applying for Independent School Admission and the SSAT, is available for $30. The testing fee for the SSAT is $116.

Students may take the SSAT at a number of Bay Area locations. A student registration guide, which includes local testing sites as well as registration information, is available from the College Prep Admissions Office or directly from SSAT. There are five SSAT testing dates (all Saturdays) that occur in time for scores to be considered for the College Prep application. These are October 15, November 12, December 10, January 7, and February 4. The registration deadline for each of these tests is approximately three weeks prior to the test date. Applicants should indicate on the SSAT registration form that College Prep is to receive test scores. The SSAT code number for College Prep is 2484.

Interview

As part of the admission process, each applicant is required to meet with a member of the Admission Committee.

The interview is an opportunity for applicants to ask questions about College Prep and to discuss their interests and high-school goals. The interview is always only one student with one interviewer and usually lasts around twenty minutes.

At College Prep, the interview occurs on a different day than the student visit. Please call Vanessa Ortega at (510) 652-4364 x1 to schedule an appointment for one of our interview days. Interviews occur on three Saturdays:

• Saturday, January 7, 2012
• Saturday, January 28, 2012
• Saturday, February 4, 2012

Interviews time slots are available beginning at 9:00 a.m. and every half an hour until 2:30 p.m.

For students who may be nervous or who have not been in an interview before, here are a few pieces of advice.

1. Be yourself; Don't say what you think the interviewer will find impressive. Talk about what you love to do, both in school and for fun.

2. Ask questions; It is a good idea to ask questions specifically about College Prep. Maybe you are curious about the track team, want to know more about visual arts or the progression through the English department. Asking questions will demonstrate to the interviewer that you have done some thinking about our school and you will also get your questions answered. Ideally, the interview should be equally useful to the applicant and to the school.

3. Don't over-prepare; A natural conversation is much better than listing your accomplishments or trying to sound impressive. There is no script or set questions in a College Prep interview. You may be speaking with a math teacher, the Head of School, the Assistant Athletic Director, etc. and each interviewer has his or her own style and technique. That being said, spend some time prior to the interview thinking about what you are looking for from your high-school experience. If you are nervous, it is fine to your interviewer know!

Parent Tour

Parents of current eighth graders are invited to take an optional tour of campus to see the facilities and ask questions in a small-group setting. You must reserve space to attend a tour (no drop-ins) so we can keep the tours small.

This season's parent tours are on the following dates.

• October 11 (FULL)
  
• October 13 (FULL)
• October 18 (FULL)
  
• October 20 (FULL)
• November 1 (FULL)
• November 3 (FULL)
• November 15 (FULL)
• November 17 (FULL)
• November 21 (FULL)
• November 22 (FULL)
• November 23 (FULL)
• November 29 (FULL)
• December 1 (FULL)
• December 8 (FULL)
  
• December 12 (FULL)
• December 13 (FULL)
  
• December 14 (FULL)
• December 15 (FULL)
• January 5 (FULL)
  
• January 10 (FULL)

Parking and Directions: There may or may not be parking spots available in our lot when you arrive for a parent tour.  You are free to park in any spot in the lot except those marked for van use. Directions may be found here.