Complete your student and family profile on Ravenna. From the School Directory, select Menlo School and click Apply. Through Ravenna, you can register for a variety of Menlo admission events and access our online application.
Step 2: Get to Know Menlo
We offer a variety of admissions events for families to learn more about our school and connect with the Menlo community. Visit our Events & Visits page or your Ravenna account to see what events might interest your family. Registration for all events is required, and space is limited.
Step 3: Student Visit
Prospective students are invited to visit during the school day to envision themselves as future Knights and experience our community’s culture and approach to teaching and learning. Ninth grade applicants complete their interview during their on-campus visit day (see Step 4). Registration is required, and space is limited.
Step 4: Student Interview (Required)
Ninth grade student interviews are a required step in our admissions process. If your applicant will not attend a Student Visit, interview-only appointments are available in January.
Step 5: Complete Your STAR Assessment (Required)
Standardized testing is required. Applicants must complete the STAR Assessment in the fall of 2026 at Menlo or at one of our peer schools that offer the assessment. Other standardized test results will not be accepted in place of Menlo’s version of the STAR assessment by local applicants.*
*Applicants outside the nine Bay Area counties who cannot attend an in-person STAR Assessment may submit SSAT or ISEE scores. International applicants must also submit TOEFL scores if the primary language of instruction at the student’s current academic institution is not English.
Step 6: Submit Your Application
For both Middle and Upper School applicants, all family-controlled materials (e.g., application form, Kira video questionnaire, activity form, fee/waiver form, and student interview) are due on January 5, 2027. All remaining application items (e.g., recommendation forms, transcripts) must be received on or before January 31, 2027.
The Admissions Office will contact families and/or sending schools directly about incomplete applications before this deadline. Ravenna may not immediately reflect an application as complete as we manually review and process each item received. Applications completed after the deadline will be considered late, and we cannot guarantee an admissions decision along the regular timeline.
A complete application to Menlo will include:
Middle School: Grades 6-8
Application Materials Due by January 5, 2027:
Pre-Application Form & Application Fee or Waiver
Kira Family Video Questionnaire
Activity and Interest Form
Sixth Grade Student Visit
Application Materials Due by January 31, 2027:
Current and Previous Year Transcripts
Principal/Counselor Recommendation
Current Year Teacher Recommendation
Previous Year Teacher Recommendation
STAR Assessment & Writing Sample
Upper School: Grades 9-12
Application Materials Due by January 5, 2027:
Pre-Application Form & Application Fee or Waiver
Kira Family Video Questionnaire
Activity and Interest Form
Student Visit & Interview (completed or scheduled)
Application Materials Due by January 31, 2027:
Current and Previous Year Transcripts
Principal/Counselor Recommendation
Current English Teacher Recommendation
Current Math Teacher Recommendation
STAR Assessment & Writing Sample
Step 7: Apply for Financial Aid (Optional)
Menlo is dedicated to serving a diverse student population and families from every economic background. Thanks to our community’s generous contributions, we proudly maintain a need-blind admissions process supported by a strong financial aid program. Applications for financial aid do not affect admissions decisions.
Applications for financial aid must be submitted through Clarity by January 5, 2027. Late applications without a qualifying event, such as loss of employment, will not be accepted.
Special Circumstances
International Applications
Students who attend school outside of the United States, are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States, are fluent in written and spoken English, and are relocating to the Bay Area with at least one parent or legal guardian, can apply using the international application.
While our main entry points are in 6th and 9th grade during the fall term, this year we will only accept applications for 10th grade. Please note that we do not consider mid-year transfer applications.
We are no longer accepting applications for Fall 2026.
Admissions FAQ
Below are answers to some frequently asked general questions. If you have any questions that are not answered here, please reach out to us atadmissions@menloschool.orgor call 650.330.2001 ext. 2600. We are here to help!
Admissions and Financial Aid applications, as well as event registration, open on September 1, 2026.
From October 2026 through January 2027, we offer a variety of opportunities for your family to get to know Menlo—and for us to get to know you—including Preview Days, Information Sessions, Student Visits & Interviews, and STAR Assessments.
January 5, 2027, is the deadline to submit all family-controlled application materials (including Kira, the interview, and STAR Assessment), as well as the Financial Aid application and supporting documentation, including 2024 and 2025 federal tax returns.
Remaining application materials submitted by schools, such as recommendation forms and transcripts, are due by January 31, 2027.
March 1, 2027, is the deadline for Financial Aid applicants to upload 2026 federal tax documents to Clarity.
On March 12, 2027, after 4:00 pm, admissions decisions will be published on Ravenna, and notification emails will be sent.
Enrollment contracts and deposits are due before noon on March 19, 2027.
Menlo seeks students who love learning and have strong academic skills. We want students who are kind, honest, and inclusive of others. Menlo students are motivated and eager to try new things, stretch themselves, and become involved in our community beyond the classroom. Although Menlo is a relatively small school, we have a big-school program, and we are looking for students who will engage in all we have to offer.
Menlo students come from a wide variety of public, independent, and parochial schools—from over 35 schools in each of our divisions! Committed to attracting and supporting students from a broad spectrum of ethnic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds, Menlo strives to reflect the rich diversity of the Bay Area.
We believe students are better educated and prepared to succeed when the School community—students, families, faculty, administration, and staff—is diverse and inclusive. Diversity benefits the entire community by providing a wide range of perspectives and experiences. Currently, 60% of our students identify as people of color.
Yes! Menlo seeks to attract talented students from every socioeconomic background. For the 2025-2026 school year, $7.9 million in aid has been awarded to 20% of families. Financial aid is need-based; aid is awarded based on a family’s need, not on academic or athletic ability. All interested families are encouraged to explore the Financial Aid process, apply, and reach out to Rose Garza with any questions. Please see our information and frequently asked questions about financial aid here.
Yes! Menlo’s admission season will include both in-person and virtual events. Please check the Events & Visits page for the most current information about ways we will help you get to know the school.
Our primary entry points are 6th and 9th grade. Each year, we welcome approximately 72 new students into 6th grade and 82 new students into 9th grade. The typical graduating class size in the Upper School is about 155 students, with roughly half coming from our own Middle School and half joining Menlo in 9th grade. Applications for grades other than 6th or 9th are considered on a space-available basis.
While our main entry points are in 6th and 9th grade during the fall term, this year we will only accept applications for 10th grade. Please note that we do not consider mid-year transfer applications.Availability is assessed after our re-enrollment period concludes in early March, transfer and standard applications follow the same timeline. Please note that we do not consider mid-year transfer applications.
International students may apply to Menlo, however as a day school with no boarding facilities, Menlo expects all students to live locally with their parent(s) or legal guardian(s). We do not have the ability to issue I-20 visas. We are a family-focused community, and parents are expected to be on campus frequently to volunteer, attend meetings, or athletics/arts events. More information about international application requirements can be found here.
Menlo is committed to sustainability and encourages students to “go green.” Menlo students commute by bus, train, carpool, bike, and foot. Menlo provides free bus transportation along four different routes and a shuttle to and from the Caltrain station in Menlo Park. Many families carpool and some older students drive themselves. See our transportation page for more information.
The College Counseling Office carefully guides students through the college admission process. Counseling begins in the spring of sophomore year and continues through the spring of senior year. Each student is assigned to one of our four college counselors and the counselors meet regularly with students and parents. The College Counseling Office maintains a comprehensive website
Our academic and learning support programs in both Middle School and Upper School provide support and guidance at all levels, from faculty-led help sessions to a math/science learning lab and writing center, to one-on-one sustained study skills coaching, to Student Success Plans to support those with diagnosed learning differences. Of course, the most meaningful support is the strong relationships between our students and our teachers, who work daily to develop learning environments that ensure all our students thrive.
The Menlo School Admissions Office aims to build a well-rounded class of students who will thrive in and contribute positively to the Menlo community. Menlo values keeping families together as much as possible; however, every year, qualified affiliated students are not offered admission due to the competitiveness of the applicant pool and space constraints. Menlo siblings are very important to us and are carefully considered in our process. New families must also be carefully considered, since all Menlo families, at one time or another, were “new.”
The Kira Family Interview is an opportunity for your family to introduce yourselves directly to the Admissions Committee through a series of short video responses. It is required for all applicants in both the Middle and Upper School.
The interview includes eight questions: four for parents/guardians and four for students. We ask that parents/guardians and students complete their questions separately so we can hear each person’s unique perspective. In two-parent or two-household families, it is perfectly fine for just one parent or guardian to answer the parent questions.
Most importantly, be yourselves. There are no right or wrong answers—we simply want to get to know your family better. Kira offers a flexible, relaxed format that you can complete at a time that works best for you.
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MENLO SCHOOL Since 1915
