It’s with great pleasure that I introduce you to San Domenico School, a distinctive Kindergarten-Grade 12 learning community celebrating 170 years of innovation and exceptional education. Founded in 1850 as the first independent school in California, we are proud of our heritage and distinguished tradition of educating students to be the change makers and innovators of tomorrow. Anchored by our founding values of study, reflection, community, and service, a San Domenico education prepares students with cutting edge academics and a lifelong passion for learning. Every day, we ask our students not just to study, but to reflect on their learning, celebrate in community, and find their purpose. Our faculty and staff encourage students to discover meaning, purpose, and joy as part of every endeavor, because when our children uncover their own purpose, they recognize that the most powerful motivation possible can come from within. In turn, a San Domenico education creates more than just great students, it develops great people who are equipped with empathy, motivation, and the knowledge it takes to become the global leaders of tomorrow.
As the first step to admission, please create a Student Profile on Ravenna Hub. Once your profile is created, locate 'San Domenico School' in the School Directory. You will have the option to either “Explore” or “Apply” to register for Parent Tours, Student Visits, Admissions Preview Days, and other exciting campus events. While not always possible, before you apply, we would love for you to visit campus so that you may see for yourself what makes our educational experience exceptional. Both your application for admission and your registration for a campus visit can be processed through your Ravenna profile.
Whether you live locally or internationally, our Admissions Team is here to support your family throughout the admissions process. If you have any questions, please feel free to email [email protected] or call our admissions office at (415) 258-1905.
We are honored to introduce you to our distinctive school, where academic excellence requires not just knowledge, but also meaning. From the curious Kindergartner eager to explore and learn, to the confident and capable fifth grader ready to lead, San Domenico supports every aspect of our students’ growth on their educational journey. As you'll discover when you VISIT and APPLY, through keen attention and caring relationships, our skilled faculty are committed to fostering an academic atmosphere that inspires inquiry, creativity, and above all, a strong foundation for a lifetime love of learning.
As educators, we understand that no two children learn in exactly the same way and honor their uniqueness. We are as interested in how they learn as what they learn. With this in mind, teachers design classes to engage students in a multitude of ways; Kindergarteners collect and count seeds in our Garden of Hope for a math lesson while our third graders might learn how to construct a written piece from the perspective of a Miwok youth during a social social studies lesson. With our values of study, reflection, community, and service always at the forefront, we are proud that our K-5 students not only grow into great students, but also become well rounded individuals with a true sense purpose.
Our admissions team works diligently to ensure that families are informed and supported throughout the application process, from inquiry to enrollment. Our hope is that you get to know the SD mission and community, through campus visits, school events, and conversations with faculty, staff, and students. As the first step to getting acquainted with SD
Our admissions team looks forward to getting to know you, and will work diligently to ensure that you are informed and supported throughout the application process, from inquiry to enrollment. As you complete the application checklist, please feel free to contact us with any questions at [email protected].
In order to apply to San Domenico, please create a student profile on Ravenna. Once you have created your Ravenna account, search for San Domenico in the directory, and select either “Explore” to learn more about our Admissions events, or “Apply” to begin the admissions process, including registering for events that you would like to attend. Clicking "Apply" does not obligate you to start or submit an application to San Domenico School, but it will allow you to register for our informative Admissions events, some of which are not visible in "Explore."
For your convenience, here are the steps listed on the San Domenico portal in Ravenna that you will take to complete your application:
Register for a Parent/Guardian Tour
Attending a tour is required, and is the best way to learn more about our academic and extracurricular offerings. Tours last approximately three hours. Parents/guardians will have the opportunity to observe classes, view the campus, and participate in a Question & Answer information session with our Director of Admissions, Jennie Nash, and other SD administrators. Please click here for a list of tour dates.
Register for a Student Visit and In Class Assessment (grades 1-5)
The Student Visit is required for all students applying to /grades 1-5. Your child will be given a one on one, informal assessment with one of our teachers in the classroom. Please click here for a list of visit dates.
If applying for index tution please complete the Parents' Financial Statement through School and Student Services (SSS). Applications are due on January 9th of current year, and all last year tax documents must be uploaded to your online SSS account by February 15th of current year.
Our 30 minute Parent/Guardian Appointments are designed for our admissions committee to get to know your family better and will take place in January/February. Applicant families will receive an email from the SD Admissions Office once registration for Parent/Guardian Appointments are available.
K-8 Preview Days & Admission Events
We invite you to attend a K-8 Preview Day and our other admissions events in order to get to know our community of teachers, students, and parents. Please click here for a list of tour dates.
We are honored to introduce you to our distinctive school, where academic excellence requires not just knowledge, but also meaning. During their Middle School years at SD, students master fundamental skills and gain knowledge in all academic subjects. Because we understand that a child's well-being and emotional development are inextricably linked to their ability to thrive, our programs foster a "growth mindset" - an inner drive to work toward further mastery, greater understanding, and higher achievement. When you VISIT or APPLY, on our 500-acre solar-powered campus, you'll discover a living laboratory for hands-on experiences, students develop a deep and lasting love for learning.
Our admissions team ensures that families are informed and supported throughout the application process, from inquiry to enrollment. Our hope is that you get to know the SD mission and community, through campus visits, school events, and conversations with faculty, staff, and students. As the first step, please INQUIRE HERE.
Our admissions team looks forward to getting to know you, and will work diligently to ensure that you are informed and supported throughout the application process, from inquiry to enrollment. As you complete the application checklist, please feel free to contact us with any questions at [email protected].
In order to apply to San Domenico, please create a student profile on Ravenna. Once you have created your Ravenna account, search for San Domenico in the directory, and select either “Explore” to learn more about our Admissions events, or “Apply” to begin the admissions process, including registering for events that you would like to attend. Clicking "Apply" does not obligate you to start or submit an application to San Domenico School, but it will allow you to register for our informative Admissions events, some of which are not visible in "Explore."
For your convenience, here are the steps listed on the San Domenico portal in Ravenna that you will take to complete your application:
Register for a Parent/Guardian Tour
Attending a tour is required, and is the best way to learn more about our academic and extracurricular offerings. Tours last approximately three hours. Parents/guardians will have the opportunity to observe classes, view the campus the campus facilities, and participate in a Question & Answer information session with our Director of Admissions, Jennie Nash, and other SD administrators.
Register for a Student Visit
Attending a Student Visit is required for all students applying to grades 6-8. Students will have the opportunity to participate in classes, explore the campus, and meet with current students and teachers.
We require our Middle School applicants to take the ISEE assessment. We offer the ISEE at SD on Saturday, February 1st of current year from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. Check-in will be at 8:30 am. Because we are a closed testing site, please contact our admissions office at [email protected] for your invitation code. Then visit the ISEE website directly to register for the test. The San Domenico School code is 054074. We accept test results from other Bay Area Independent Schools upon request.
Submit Indexed Tuition Application (optional and due January 9th of current year)
If applying for index tution please complete the Parents' Financial Statement through School and Student Services (SSS). Applications are due on January 9th of current year, and all last year tax documents must be uploaded to your online SSS account by February 15th of current year.
Our 30 minute Parent/Guardian Appointments are designed for our admissions committee to get to know your family better and will take place in January/February. Applicant families will receive an email from the SD Admissions Office once registration for Parent Appointments are available.
K-8 Preview Day & Admission Events
We invite you to attend a K-8 Preview Day and other admissions events in order to get to know our community of teachers, students, and parents. Please click here for a list of tour dates.
Upper School (Grades 9-12)
We are honored to introduce you to our distinctive day and boarding high school, where academic excellence requires not just knowledge, but also meaning. Here, education doesn’t stop at the simple acquisition of facts and figures. In pursuit of excellence and in support of academic curiosity, we encourage students to consider how diverse academic subjects offer distinct perspectives. Our measure of academic success goes beyond grades and test scores to include meaning and purpose. As you'll discover when you VISIT or APPLY to SD, we are redefining the metrics of achievement, students take ownership of their learning, develop a sense of agency, and are inspired to their full intellectual potential, ensuring that they thrive in our accelerated college preparatory environment.
SD Upper School students love the process of learning as much as the result it yields. They find a joyful balance between rigorous academics and celebrating community through athletics, the arts, and music. Our students are fully immersed in San Domenico’s innovate curriculum, informed by the SD values of study, reflection, community and service.
Our admissions team works diligently to ensure that families are informed and supported throughout the application process, from inquiry to enrollment. Our hope is that through campus visits, school events, and conversations with faculty, staff, and students, you will come to know our school community, educational philosophy, and teaching approach. As the first step to getting acquainted with SD, please INQUIRE HERE.
International Applicants:
Our admissions team looks forward to getting to know you, and will work diligently to ensure that you are informed and supported throughout the application process, from inquiry to enrollment. As you complete the application checklist, please feel free to contact us with any questions at [email protected].
In order to apply to San Domenico, please create a student profile on Ravenna. Once you have created a Ravenna account, search for San Domenico in Ravenna's directory, and select either “Explore” to learn more about admissions events or “Apply” to begin your official application.
We prefer that applicants submit the San Domenico application on Ravenna. However, we do accept the SSAT Standard Online Application (SAO). Please note that the SAO application includes a San Domenico supplemental section.
For your convenience, here are the steps listed on the San Domenico portal in Ravenna that you will take to complete your application:
Register for a Parent/Guardian Tour (recommended but not required)
Parents/guardians will tour the campus and participate in a question and answer session following the tour. You may schedule your student’s visit on the same day as the parent/guardian tour, but note that tours last approximately three hours while student visits are scheduled for the majority of the school day, including lunch. Please click here for a list of tour dates.
Register for a Student Visit (recommended but not required)
Students will have the opportunity to participate in classes, tour the campus, and meet with students and teachers. Please click here for a list of visit dates.
Submit Application Form
Bay Area Common Application, Bay Area High School Student Statement, Parent/Guardian Statement, Student Activity and Interest Form, and San Domenico Student Essay
Submit Indexed Tuition Application (optional and due January 9th of current year)
If applying for index tution please complete the Parents' Financial Statement through School and Student Services (SSS). Applications are due on January 9th of current year, and all last year tax documents must be uploaded to your online SSS account by February 15th of current year.
Submit Recommendation Forms
School Administrator/Guidance Counselor, math teacher, and English teacher
Submit Transcript Request Form
Register for Standardized Test
The SSAT (school code is 7084) is strongly preferred; however, we will accept the ISEE (code is 054074).
Submit The Character Skills Snapshot (Optional):
The Character Skills Snapshot is an optional online assessment, taken at home in approximately 20 minutes which measures your child’s character skill development and is meant to complement more traditional cognitive assessments, such as the SSAT. No preparation is required. For students who take the SSAT (which is our preferred entrance assessment), there is no charge to take The Snapshot. Once you register for the SSAT, you will receive an invitation to take The Snapshot. For students who are unable to take the SSAT and provide us with another assessment test, there is a $25 fee to take The Snapshot (fee waivers are available if you require one).
Register for a Student Interview
Student interviews are required and are approximately 30 minutes in length. They are designed for applicants to learn more about SD and for our admissions committee to get to know our applicants better. In keeping with our philosophy of study and reflection, interviews will be scheduled after the student's visit day, providing students with the time to reflect on their visit before interviewing. For out of town students, or upon special request, we will try to accommodate interviews on the same day as student visits. If you are unable to visit our campus for an in-person interview we will contact you to make other arrangements.
Admissions Preview Day & Events
We invite you to attend an Admissions Preview Day and/or one of our other admissions events in order to get to know our community of teachers, students, and parents. Please click here for a list of tour dates.
U.S. Applicants: Click here
Our admissions team looks forward to getting to know you, and will work diligently to ensure that you are informed and supported throughout the application process, from inquiry to enrollment. As you complete the application checklist, please feel free to contact us with any questions at [email protected].
In order to apply to San Domenico, please create a student profile on Ravenna. Once you have created a Ravenna account, search for San Domenico in Ravenna's directory and select either “Explore” to learn more about admissions events or “Apply” to begin your official application.
We prefer that applicants submit the San Domenico application on Ravenna. However, we do accept the SSAT Standard Online Application (SAO). Please note that the SAO application includes a San Domenico supplemental section.
For your convenience, here are the steps listed on the San Domenico portal in Ravenna that you will take to complete your application:
Register for a Parent/Guardian Tour (recommended but not required)
Parents/Guardians will tour the campus and participate in a question and answer session immediately following the tour. You may schedule your student’s visit on the same day as the parent/guardian tour, but note that parent/guardian tours last approximately three hours while student visits are scheduled for the majority of the school day, including lunch. Please click here for a list of tour dates.
Register for a Student Visit (recommended but not required)
Students will have the opportunity to participate in classes, tour the campus, and meet with students and teachers. Please click here for a list of visit dates.
Submit Application Forms
Bay Area Common Application, Bay Area High School Student Statement, Parent/Guardian Statement, Student Activity and Interest Form, and San Domenico Student Essay
Submit Indexed Tuition Application (optional and due January 9th of current year)
If applying for index tution please complete the Parents' Financial Statement through School and Student Services (SSS). Applications are due on January 9th of current year, and all of last year tax documents must be uploaded to your online SSS account by February 15th of current year.
Submit Recommendation Forms
School Administrator/Guidance Counselor, math teacher, and English teacher
Submit Transcript Request Form
Register for Standardized Test
Submit The Character Skills Snapshot (Optional):
The Character Skills Snapshot is an optional online assessment, taken at home in approximately 20 minutes which measures your child’s character skill development and is meant to complement more traditional cognitive assessments, such as the SSAT. No preparation is required. For students who take the SSAT (which is our preferred entrance assessment), there is no charge to take The Snapshot. Once you register for the SSAT, you will receive an invitation to take The Snapshot. For students who are unable to take the SSAT and provide us with another assessment test, there is a $25 fee to take The Snapshot (fee waivers are available if you require one).
Register for a Student Interview
Student interviews are required and are approximately 30 minutes in length. They are designed for applicants to learn more about SD and for our admissions committee to get to know our applicants better. In keeping with our philosophy of study and reflection, interviews will be scheduled after the student's visit day, providing students with the time to reflect on their visit before interviewing. For out of town students, or upon special request, we will try to accommodate interviews on the same day as student visits. If you are unable to visit our campus for an in-person interview we will contact you to make other arrangements.
Admissions Preview Day & Events
We invite you to attend an Admissions Preview Day and/or one of our other admissions events in order to get to know our community of teachers, students, and parents. Please click here for a list of tour dates.
Additional Information for International Applicants
English Language Learner (ELL) Program Placement is based on your application, interview, and TOEFL score and a placement test which will be administered at San Domenico prior to the first day of school.
I-20 Form: San Domenico will issue an I-20 to a student once they have been accepted, and their parents have returned the signed enrollment contract, with their tuition deposit.