What is the ethnic make-up of the student population?
Crossroads is committed to many types of diversity. The student body's cultural, racial and ethnic diversity averages 34% of the school population. In addition, Crossroads dedicates its efforts to creating and maintaining a community rich in a range of socio-economic, geographic, family, and religions. When are applications due?
Kindergarten applications are due October 5, 2007. Grades 1-12 are due December 12, 2007. These are not postmark deadlines. Applications must be received in the Admissions Office by 5:00 p.m. on the date they are due.


What is the age cut-off for Elementary School admission?
Kindergarten applicants must be five years old by September 1 of the year of entry. There are no exceptions to this requirement. All applicants to grades 1 and 2 must meet the same September 1 cut-off date. The cut-off date remains a guideline for grades 3-5.

How many students will be applying for admission to Crossroads?
Last year we interviewed almost 1,000 families and admitted approximately 55 students to kindergarten through fifth grades and 95 students in grades 6-12. The largest numbers of spaces occur in kindergarten, sixth, and seventh grades. In 9th grade a minimum of five spaces are available. In other grade levels, spaces become available subject to attrition. It is always possible that no openings will occur in grades 1-5, 8, and 10-12.

What kind of student does Crossroads seek to admit?
Crossroads seeks to admit students with a broad range of talents and interests in academic as well as non-academic areas. The Crossroads community is a blend of cultures, ethnicities, socioeconomic levels and religions. The student population is balanced in terms of gender. In accepting students to grade levels other than kindergarten, Crossroads selects students who will best compliment the existing class composition.

What is the ethnic make-up of the student population?
Crossroads is committed to many types of diversity. The student body's cultural, racial and ethnic diversity averages 34% of the school population. In addition, Crossroads dedicates its efforts to creating and maintaining a community rich in a range of socio-economic, geographic, family, and religious diversity.

Do siblings or legacy applicants receive priority in the admissions process?
No student is guaranteed admission. Our first commitment is to ensure that we remain true to our school philosophy. In each grade, we strive to achieve and maintain a balanced student population, rich and diverse in many ways. Moreover, while we do our best to give special attention to our sibling or legacy applicants and to children of Crossroads’ employees, admission is not automatic. We look at each child as an individual and the school/student match is an essential part of the decision-making process. We strongly urge all families to apply to more than one school’s diversity.

When may I come see the school?
The application process includes a thorough campus tour. Parents will receive notification of a tour date once they have submitted an application. Tours are by appointment only. We ask that parents do not come to visit the school without a scheduled appointment.

Can we visit the school again after decision letters are mailed?
The process of choosing a school is demanding and can feel overwhelming. Making the best possible choice for your family when decision letters finally arrive will be made easier if you take advantage of the opportunities schools provide during the admissions season. Read all the literature, attend open houses, and discuss what you have seen as a family. That way you will be ready when the news comes. If you wish, you may even take a second tour of Crossroads before decisions are mailed in March. However, it is not possible to visit the school again between Spring Break and the date contracts are due. There simply isn't enough time.

Is it necessary to reapply to Crossroads if my child is not admitted for the upcoming academic year?
Yes. The application does not “roll over.” We have found that it is crucial to have the most current and complete information possible when considering an applicant for admission. Therefore, the waitlist is closed at the end of September. Students wishing to be considered for the subsequent year must reapply. Although it is not required,
families may repeat the tour if desired. Check with the Admissions Office to see if your child is required to repeat the ISEE exam.

Are students tested as part of the admissions process?
Applicants to kindergarten are not tested. First through fifth grade applicants must participate in an after school assess- ment as part of the admissions process. Applicants to sixth through twelfth grades are required to take the ISEE exam. The ISEE test scores add to the information we gather in determining if an applicant is a good match for Crossroads.

Does Crossroads offer scholarships?
While there are no scholarships at Crossroads, tuition recuction is granted based on need. Socio-economic diversity is one of the fundamental commitments of Crossroads. A minimum of ten percent of the operating budget (this past year over 4 million), is applied annually to financial aid.

How many students are in a class?
In the elementary school, grades Kindergarten through five, there are 26 children per class. Each class is staffed with a teacher and a full-time assistant. Students attend a variety of specialist classes weekly in groups of 12-13. In sixth grade, the beginning of middle school, there are four classes of approximately 22 students each. There are approximately 125 students in each grade, seven through twelve. In seventh and eighth grades there is an average of 17 students per classroom. In ninth through twelfth grades, class size averages 18-20 students; however, there can be as few as five or as many as 25 depending on the subjects.

Is Crossroads a school for the Arts?
While we are not an arts school, our commitment to the arts is equal to our commitment to traditional subjects. We view the arts curriculum as a disciplined and integral part of our rigorous program. The arts at Crossroads emphasize problem solving, risk taking, and critical analysis. Crossroads is a strong college preparatory school whose students are particularly attractive to colleges and universities because of the balance we provide between academics and the arts.

Why has Crossroads eliminated the Advanced Placement (AP) program?
After lengthy and comprehensive study and community dialogue, Crossroads School decided that the Advanced Placement (AP) program did not best serve our students as an advanced level curriculum and compromised our ability to fulfill commitments made in our school philosophy. We, therefore, decided to replace AP courses with our own internally designed and University of California  approved, Crossroads Advanced Studies (CAS) courses. Students who take these classes will still receive AP/Honors credit and may take the relevant AP exam should they choose. We believe that this change, one that is being made in many nationally recognized independent schools, will assure a more stimulating, challenging, engaging and relevant academic program for all Crossroads students.

Where do Crossroads students go to school when they graduate?
Students are guided to find the school most suited to their talents, interests and aspirations. This is the strength of our college guidance program, which results in high acceptance rates. Student choices cover a variety of colleges and universities, ranging from large institutions like Brown, Columbia, Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and Yale,
to smaller liberal arts schools like Reed, Scripps, and Wesleyan. Some of our students choose fine and applied arts conservatory programs such as Juilliard, The Berklee School of Music, Rhode Island School of Design, and Cal Arts.