How to Apply

The application process is an opportunity to reflect upon your goals for high school while you share with us your interests, activities, and passions. It involves significant time and care, and we hope the process is as educational and enjoyable for families as it is for us!
College Prep's 2022-2023 online application portal 
The application illuminates each student's academic merits and attributes as well as their character and values. The College Prep application consists of the following components:

  • Teacher recommendations (3)
  • Transcripts (7th and 8th grade for 9th grade applicants)
  • An interview with a College Prep faculty or staff member
  • Short answer/essay questions for students and parents
  • Assessment (applicants choose one of three pathways)
Detailed information about each of these steps can be found below, as well as in our application portal.

The fee for the domestic applications to College Prep is $100 (the international fee is $150). To inquire about a full or partial waiver for this fee, please email admissions@college-prep.org or call (510) 652-4364.

We invite families to read the Principles of Good Practice and Athletic Recruitment Rules and Procedures to understand the agreements among the almost 40 high schools in the Bay Area Admission Directors group.

List of 9 items.

  • Getting Started with Ravenna

    Most of the application process is conducted online through our admission portal. If your family has not yet created an account, please visit ravenna-hub.com to start the application process.
     
    Once you create your Student Profile, select the San Francisco Bay Area region and add The College Preparatory School to your list of schools. You will be able to reserve space at various admission events and work on the different sections of our application.
  • Admission Events

    College Prep hosts a variety of admissions events throughout the fall for prospective students and parents to get to know our community. Registration for events is conducted through our admission portal. Advanced registration is required for all events.
     
    Our admission events will be a combination of in-person and virtual this year. 

    In-person events include: 
    • Campus Tour with Information Session and Panel
    • Arts & Athletics Showcase
    Virtual events include:
    • Admission Office Hours
    • Affinity Gathering for Black Families
    • Equity and Belonging Evening
    • Faculty & Administration Panel
    • Financial Aid Information & Workshop
    • Humanities Information & Demo
    • Math and Science Information & Demo
    • Public and Parochial School Information & Panel
    • Student Panel
    • Submit Family Forms (by Jan. 12, 2023)

      The application deadline for the 2023-2024 school year is January 12, 2023.
       
      From within the portal, there are family forms that will 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
      Some notes about family forms:
      • We want to get to know your child and your family through your responses. There are no right or wrong answers to any of these questions.
      • The content of your responses is much more important than the length of your writing. Though most questions have word limits, please do not feel the need to write more just to reach the word limits!
      • The Student Statement form should be completed by the applicant without help from adults.
      • 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. 12, 2023)

      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 financial aid application process is available in the financial aid section of our website.
    • Teacher Recommendations (by Feb. 1, 2023)

      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 your child's current teachers should submit these forms
      • We advise waiting until after November 1 to ask your child's 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 12 for some schools, we consider any recommendation submitted by February 1 to be on time
    • Transcripts (by Feb. 1, 2023)

      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 sent directly from your child's school to College Prep
      • Our preference is that your child'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
      Please print the Transcript Release Form, sign, and deliver to your child's current school, authorizing them to send your child's transcripts to College Prep.
    • Interview (by Feb. 1, 2023)

      Each applicant meets one-on-one with a College Prep faculty or staff member for an admission interview. 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 this year will be 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 October 1
      • Interviews take place throughout the fall and winter
      • Every applicant is guaranteed an interview
    • Assessment Pathways (by Feb. 1, 2023)

      College Prep offers three pathways for our required admissions assessment. Each applicant should choose one option only. The Admission Committee has no preference between the different pathways; applicants will not be advantaged or disadvantaged based on their choice. Each applicant is encouraged to fulfill this requirement in the way that works best for them. Fee waivers are available for pathways A and B. Accommodations for students with documented learning differences or physical challenges are available for all pathways. 

      Pathway A: Online Writing Sample
      Submit an ungraded, timed writing sample administered by Test Innovators (registration available after August 18, 2022). Sessions are offered on various dates in the fall and winter. The latest date to take the writing sample to be considered for the current application season is January 28, 2023.
       
      On the day of the writing sample, students will join a Zoom room and receive an essay prompt from a live proctor. They will have 30 minutes to plan, write, and submit an essay on the topic.
       
      The writing sample can be shared with participating Bay Area independent high schools. A list of schools who accept the timed writing sample is available upon registration

      The timed writing sample costs $40. If this fee is a hardship, please email admissions@college-prep.org to request a fee waiver.

      Pathway B: ISEE Exam
      Alternatively, ninth grade applicants can submit Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) results to College Prep by February 1, 2023. 
      The ISEE takes approximately three hours and includes an unscored writing sample, as well as verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, and math achievement sections. Learn more about what's on the ISEE here

      College Prep's ISEE code is 052192. ISEE registration opens on August 1 at the ISEE website.

      The ISEE costs $150 - $200 depending on where and how you take the test. If this fee is a hardship, please email admissions@college-prep.org to request a fee waiver.

      Pathway C: SSAT Exam
      Alternatively, ninth grade applicants can submit Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) results to College Prep by February 1, 2023. 
      The SSAT takes approximately three hours and includes an unscored writing sample, as well as math, verbal, and reading comprehension sections. Learn more about what's on the SSAT here.  

      College Prep's SSAT code is 2484. SSAT registration opens in August at the SSAT website.

      The SSAT costs $155 - $235 depending on where and how you take the test.

      Transfer Applicants
      Transfer applicants may submit PSAT, SAT, or ACT test scores in addition to or in lieu of the pathways outlined above.
       
    • Guidance for International Students

      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. Strong international applicants should be fluent or near-fluent in English prior to applying. 
      • 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 families.
      • 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.

    Application portal

    College Prep's application is online. If you have questions about the application, please feel free to contact Ravenna Solutions (help@ravennasolutions.com). To get started with our application 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" and off you go!
    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.

    List of 3 members.

    • Photo of Evie Koh

      Evie Koh 99

      Director of Admission
      510.420.2323
    • Photo of Jonathan Zucker

      Jonathan Zucker 

      Director of Financial Aid/Associate Director of Admission
      510.420.2345
    • Photo of Max Hukill

      Max Hukill 17

      Admission Associate
      510-652-0111 x366

    mens conscia recti

    a mind aware of what is right