Admission: High School

The San Francisco Waldorf High School Admission team is excited to present our school as an option for your student and family. Educating and empowering young people is possibly the most important thing we as a community can do. School is not just about academically preparing students for the future. It is also about nurturing and educating young people to ultimately become leaders and participants in our common human experience. At San Francisco Waldorf High School, education is beyond college prep—it is life prep. We strive to support each unique student with their intellectual, social, and emotional development through critical and imaginative thinking, creativity, balance, relationships, compassion, and courage. We are a school that is small by design, where every teacher knows every student and deep lasting friendships are nurtured between students across the grades.

San Francisco Waldorf High School offers...

An innovative and balanced curriculum
Academically rigorous UC-approved courses
An integrated arts program
An experiential, hands-on approach
Incredible overnight wilderness trips
Championship-winning sports teams
A welcoming and inclusive environment where each student is known

Embracing the Waldorf experience

Find our Explore and Apply process outlined below.
Register for events and apply for admission on Ravenna-Hub.

EXPLORE

STEP 1

Create a Ravenna-Hub account. Once logged into your Ravenna account, search for "San Francisco Waldorf School" in the directory and select "Explore/Apply" to view and register for all events. Please make sure to use your preferred email address, as we will use it for communication throughout the application process. If you have an existing Ravenna account, please update your student’s grade, current school, and any other relevant information. If you have already created an account, you can explore our school and submit your application.

STEP 2

Register for an Admission Event via Ravenna-Hub. We require families to attend either a Campus Tour or an Open House. We highly recommend that all families attend some of our other events to gain a thorough understanding of our school and community.

Admission Events

Campus Tour

Join us for a tour of SFWHS. One of the best ways to get to know our school is to experience the vibrant phenomenology of a Waldorf morning. During your visit you will hear from key administrators, tour the campus and have the opportunity to observe classes like Conic Sections, Organic Chemistry, and Good and Evil in Literature. This is an event for students and parents/guardians. Register via Ravenna-Hub.

Academic Open House & Student Panel

Experience SFWHS through the lens of academic subjects like math, science, and humanities. Participate in sample lessons like Adventures in Physics, The Origin of Writing in Mesopotamia, and Cultural Studies through Math, providing you with a deeper understanding of our classroom experience. Following the sample lessons, spend time with a panel of current students for a Q&A session. there will be time to engage with community members from different parts of our school, such as the arts, athletics, affinity groups, and more. This is an event for students and parents/guardians. Register via Ravenna-Hub.

Co-Curricular Open House

Experience SFWHS through the lens of the Arts, Athletics, Theater, Wellness, and DEIB. Participate in sample lessons like Explorations in Color, Bump Set Volleyball, and Latin Rhythms, providing you with a deeper understanding of our students' experiences. Spend time with a panel of current students for a Q&A session. There will be time to engage with community members from various areas of our school such as Science, Humanities, and Math Departments. This is an event for students and parents/guardians. Register via Ravenna-Hub.

Student Visit

Hang out at SFWHS for a day! During the visit, a group of students will spend time in a Main Lesson as well as a track class and participate in an all school assembly. Assemblies include Club & Affinity Group Fairs, Guest Speakers, and Games. Students will get an authentic sense of our approach to learning, community, and campus life. This event is for students only. Student Visit Timeline:

September - December
January - February

Information Session & Social

Join us for this evening event where you will hear from our school leadership about our curriculum, student life, community, and the overall admissions process. We will then host a social with some of our current parents and guardians who will share their experiences, and you'll have the chance to meet other prospective families. This event is for parents/guardians only.

Belonging at SF Waldorf Evening

We work to build and sustain an inclusive learning environment in which all identities are understood and celebrated. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are embraced as strengthening principles across all areas of the school community, and we strive to imbue students with confidence, perseverance, resiliency, and the self-knowledge with which to lead lives of purpose and direction. This will be an evening of dynamic presentations, discussions, and celebration, consisting of both full group activities and smaller breakout sessions. You will have the opportunity to engage with our faculty, students, parents/guardians, and administrators around the life of Belonging at SF Waldorf. This event is for parents/guardians interested in applying to Preschool through High School (incoming students from 6th through 12th grade are also welcomed to attend).

APPLY

STEP 1

Create an account on Ravenna. Once logged into your Ravenna account, search for "San Francisco Waldorf School" in the directory and select "Explore/Apply" to view all events. Please make sure to use your preferred email address, as we will use it for communication throughout the application process. If you have an existing Ravenna account, please update your student’s grade, current school, and any other relevant information.

STEP 2

Submit an application on Ravenna. The initial application and its additional requirements are due by January 9, 2025. A $75 application fee is due with the submission. Application fee waivers will be available upon request by contacting hsadmission@sfwaldorf.org.

Application Requirements:

Parent/Guardian Questionnaire
Student Questionnaire
Academic Work Sample (drop down description & examples)
Student Self Portrait (drop down description & examples)
Transcripts (current and two years prior)
Teacher Recommendation Forms for English, Math, & Administrator (advisor, counselor, principal, etc.)
Student Interview

Admission

Meet our team

Robyn Mandel
HS Admission Director

Anamaria Isaacs
HS Admission Associate

@sfwaldorf

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San Francisco Waldorf High School (@sfwaldorfhighschool) • Instagram photos and videos

Getting here

Public Transportation
The Muni K and M trains stop in front of campus. The 23 bus stops right at the next corner on West Portal and Sloat. Other options within a 10-min. walk include the L train, the 28/28R bus, and the 48 bus.
Public transit route map

North Bay Van Service
We offer a morning van from San Rafael to SF at $12/day per family.

Driving & Parking
We have both on street and on campus drop-off spots for drivers. For students who intend to drive, we encourage carpooling. There is plenty of 2-hour parking in the neighborhood.

Skateboards and Bikes
There is a storage rack for skateboards inside the school and two outdoor bike racks located in our parking lot and courtyard.

Affording an SFWS education

If you'd like to be considered for an Equitable Tuition Rate, complete a FACTS application by January 2024. Admission decisions are not based on a family's financial circumstances and are made separately from an Equitable Tuition Program application.

Our Campuses

High School
470 West Portal Ave.

Grade School
2938 Washington St.

Preschool

Parent-Child Program
2107 Lyon St.