apply to lower school

Our Lower School includes Kindergarten through 4th Grade. Kindergarten is our main entry point; each year we welcome 44 new Kindergartners.

We ask that students entering our kindergarten program in the fall of 2025 are five years old by August 1, 2025.

Openings in Grades 1–4 vary each year, and depend on the number of returning students, space availability, and the current gender balance of the class.

We are accepting applications for the 2025-2026 school year starting Friday August 16 and have limited availability remaining at some grade levels for the 2024-2025 school year.

It is highly unusual for us to fill more than a very small number of places in the 1st–4th grades, but that situation can change late in the admission process. For that reason, we encourage families to show their interest by completing the application process by the deadline.

Meet SFFS

Learn more about our academic philosophy, our approach to progressive Quaker education, and our vibrant community.

ADMISSION PROCESS

Request Information

The first step in our process is to create a profile in our online admissions system Ravenna and explore information about our admissions process. Creating an account gives you access to San Francisco Friends School and the full directory of schools: it does not commit you to apply. Please create your account using an email address you check often and will have access to throughout the admission season. Once you have created an account for your child, you will be able to view the directory of schools and begin to explore San Francisco Friends School to review the admissions process, steps, and important dates.

Visit Us

We offer a few different experiences for families to get to know San Francisco Friends School. At these information sessions, you will get a deeper look into our philosophy, programs, and a sense of our school community. We can't wait to meet you!

We will post the dates of our admissions events on our Ravenna page at the end of August.

To learn more, please follow our Instagram and Facebook pages to get a sense of our school community—we regularly post fun and interesting goings-on at Valencia Street.

Apply!

Parents are welcome to submit an application after they have attended an admissions event. Please submit the application, an optional family photo and the application fee through your Ravenna account.

Kindergarten applications are due by December 31, 2024.

1st - 4th grade applications are due by January 22, 2025

If the application fee is of concern, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@sffriendsschool.org.

Student Evaluation Forms

You can send the Common Confidential Student Evaluation Form to your child’s current teacher electronically through your online Ravenna account. The teacher can upload the form directly to your Ravenna account or if they aren't able to do it that way, they can submit it by email to admissions@sffriendsschool.org.

1st - 4th grade applicants - Please also ask your school’s registrar to upload the last two years of your child’s school transcripts through your Ravenna account.

Parent/Guardian Meeting

Parent/Guardian meetings for applicants will take place on Zoom or on campus from October 2024 – February 2025.

We feel it is important to learn about your family and to hear your perspectives and educational philosophy. Once parents/guardians have attended an admissions event and know they are planning to apply, they will be able to schedule their meeting with a member of the Admissions team. We ask that you complete your application prior to your meeting in order to create a more enriching conversation. You will have the choice of having your parent/ guardian meeting in person or on Zoom. We plan to spend a half-hour meeting with each applicant's parent(s)/guardian(s) and we ask that everyone attend together. Sign ups for interviews will be released on Ravenna in late September.

We strive to enroll students whose families understand our mission and will support the values of simplicity, mutual respect, peaceful problem-solving, and service in our school community. We welcome parents who will actively participate in the Friends School family and help create a vibrant school culture.

Student Visits and Assessments

Our student visits for Grades 1-8 applicants are designed to be a fun experience for your child and to give them a chance to explore and engage in our school environment. The day will include participation in small group activities and a brief individual meeting with a teacher. We look forward to spending time with each child in our effort to get to know their personality, and best understand their unique characteristics and talents.
Kindergarten applicants will spend two hours at Friends in a supervised playgroup in January or February. Your child will engage in a variety of fun activities appropriate to their level of development. Children will also spend about 10 minutes of this time meeting with a teacher individually.

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