Applying Step-by-Step

At the end of summer, you may create your account on Ravenna-hub and then make your 8th grader a profile. Please make sure to use your preferred email address, as we will utilize it for communication throughout the application process. Need more info on how to use Ravenna? Click here for the Ravenna How-To.

Urban School requires all applicants for 9th grade to submit their results from the SSAT. The SSAT should be taken during 8th grade in October, November, December or January. We cannot guarantee we will receive test results from the February date in time for application review. Please designate Urban School (school code 7861) as a score recipient on the SSAT registration form. Please visit the SSAT official website or call 609 683 4440 for more information about registration, procedures and dates.

Urban is participating in Enrollment Management Association's first year Character Skills Snapshot assessment. This is an optional component of our application review and we encourage families to utilize this tool at your discretion. Students will not be penalized in any way for not participating in this assessment. 

For consistency between all 9th grade applicants, Urban strongly prefers the SSAT, however we will accept scores from the HSPT or the ISEE. Please contact us if you have questions about how to send us those results, as we are not a member school.

All admissions events are only open to 8th graders and their families. All events are optional and can be scheduled in your Ravenna-hub account. After creating a Ravenna-Hub account and profile for your student, you will be able to begin exploring Urban and scheduling events to visit our campus after you click Apply (beginning late August).

Starting in mid-September, we offer half-day student visits on most Tuesday mornings and afternoons, Wednesday mornings and afternoons, and Thursday mornings. One of the best ways to get to know Urban is to take a deep dive into learning by experiencing Urban’s extended classes. During a student visit, you will see firsthand our depth over breadth approach to an academic subject of your choice, as well as take a tour of our campus – including the Salkind Center and Gym and the Page Campus – ask questions with current Urban students and a member of the admissions team, and see a lively school day in action. Students do not visit during lunchtime. We do not require that students submit a writing sample during their visit, nor do we ask that students interview during this time. We want the visit experience to be enjoyable and pressure-free.

Beginning in October, we will host Open Houses, optional student interviews and parent information sessions through early winter. Please see Step 4 to learn more about scheduling an optional student interview.

The optional student interview can be scheduled after submission of the online Parent/Guardian Form and the non-refundable $100 application fee (waivers available upon request) on your Ravenna-hub. Interviews begin mid-October and will be held most Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons through January. These conversational interviews are conducted by the Admissions team and serve as an opportunity to discuss your interests and passions, as well as give you an opportunity to ask questions about Urban. Interviews are offered in half-hour slots, and spaces are limited.

Recommendations are needed from your current English and math teachers, as well as your current principal or counselor. Through Ravenna, you will be directed to a message center where you can enter your teacher or principal/counselor's email address. Once you've assigned a delegate (the current teacher or principal/counselor) to complete the form, a message with instructions and the recommendation form will be sent to them, all through Ravenna.

Complete the Transcript Request Form for your current year and previous year transcripts. Official transcripts must be scanned and uploaded to Ravenna or sent in a sealed envelope to Urban by the application deadline. The Transcript Release Form must accompany the official transcripts.

Submit the Student Application Form on your Ravenna-hub account by the application deadline, usually in mid-January (see our Admissions Calendar at right or main calendar for details). If you need to mail or deliver any documents, we can be reached at the following address:

Attn: Admissions Office
Urban School
1563 Page Street
San Francisco, CA 94117

If applying for financial assistance: that application is due through SSS by NAIS the same day as the student application. More details can be found on the Financial Assistance section of our website.