Admission and Affordability
FAQs

Middle & Upper School FAQs

Middle & Upper School

Admission FAQs

List of 14 frequently asked questions.

  • 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, socio-economic levels and religions.
  • How may I obtain an application and register for a tour, Discover Crossroads Family Event, interview and other admission events?

    Crossroads uses an online admission system called Ravenna HUB. You can access and complete an application by visiting the Admission area of our website. Once you have completed a student profile, you can register for admission events through your online application. Ravenna HUB is also how you will submit all of your application materials.
  • What are the primary Middle and Upper School entry points and how many new students do you add to the class?

    Sixth, seventh and ninth grades are our largest entry points. We admit approximately 40-45 students to sixth grade, 20-30 to seventh grade and 25-30 to ninth grade. In other grade levels, spaces become available through attrition.
  • When may I come see the School?

    We offer multiple ways to experience our dynamic campus. Please create a student profile in Ravenna Hub to view and register for events.
    • On-campus tours take place during the school day. 
    • We offer both on-campus and virtual open houses.
    • Small Group Interviews take place on campus. In order to register for an interview you will need to submit your Family Application Forms.
  • Are students tested as part of the admission process?

    For the 2021-22 admission season, Crossroads School will not require nor accept the ISEE or SSAT. Please click here to read our full testing policy.
  • Can we visit the School again after decision letters are mailed?

    Absolutely! We understand the process of choosing a school can be overwhelming and anxiety-filled. We aim to make the process as easy and accessible for you. Please contact our Admission Office as soon as possible if you would like to schedule a revisit.
  • 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 in the middle of September. Students wishing to be considered for the subsequent year must reapply. 
  • What are the K-12 tuition and fees?

    Tuition for the Elementary School, grades K-5, is $40,531 for the 2022-23 school year.
     
    Tuition for the Secondary School, grades 6-12, is $47,935 for the 2022-23 school year.
     
    For grades K-12, there is a new student enrollment fee of $3,200. There is also a $3,100 deposit due with your signed contract (in addition to the new student enrollment fee) that is credited toward tuition. These amounts are often reduced for families in our Affordability Program.
     
    For grades K-12, there is an application fee of $175. (Families may request a fee reduction. Contact Director of Affordability Steven Casey at afford@xrds.org for details).

    For more information on tuition, fees and affordability, click here
  • Does Crossroads offer scholarships?

    While there are no scholarships at Crossroads, grants through our Affordability Program are allocated based upon financial ability. Please see the Affording Crossroads page for more detailed information. Socio-economic diversity is one of the School’s founding commitments. Crossroads dedicates over $10 million in grants to families from a wide range of income brackets, benefitting one in four students.
  • Does knowing a current parent or Trustee at Crossroads help an applicant’s chance of admission?

    No. Crossroads prides itself on a deep, mission-driven evaluation process that supports our philosophy and core commitments. Current parents and Trustees are not involved with the admission process whatsoever; an applicant’s relationship with them has no influence on admission decisions. Additionally, the Office of Admission and Affordability does not accept letters of recommendation from family friends or professional colleagues. Please see our policy below for more info:

    Personal Letters of Recommendation Admission Policy at Crossroads: Crossroads does not include personal letters of recommendation as part of a student's application file. We believe that including only required application pieces ensures a level of fairness for all applicants, embodying Crossroads' commitment to inclusion, equity and social justice. Our applicant review and selection process is highly mission-driven and holistic, with many School priorities guiding our work. We have carefully designed our application process to bring a student's abilities, interests and talents to the fore. We are confident these measures give us a strong sense of the match for our community.
  • Is priority given to alumni children/siblings (legacy), the siblings of current students or employee children?

    While we give preference to sibling, alumni and employee families, we do not guarantee admission. Ideally, we would like all members of a family to attend Crossroads, but we know that what is right for one child might not necessarily be right for another. We look at each child individually and thoughtfully with an eye to their particular needs, strengths and learning styles. Our goal is to ensure that each child feels secure and successful in our learning environment. 
  • Which students qualify as legacy applicants?

    Legacy applicants are defined as either 1) the adopted or biological children of a parent who attended Crossroads School, or 2) the biological or adopted siblings of Crossroads graduates. Step-children, foster children or other children living in the home will not automatically qualify for legacy status, but will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The depth of each legacy applicant’s connection with the School (whether the parent graduated, how long they attended Crossroads, how active the parent has been as an alumnus/alumna, etc.) will be taken into account in the applicant review process.
  • Does Crossroads allow families to apply after the admission deadlines have passed?

    We do not accept late applications. During the admission season, we receive applications from more talented, highly qualified students than we can admit. We therefore select students for our wait pool from the group of applicants who applied on time, but were not accepted.
  • Where do Crossroads students go to school when they graduate?

    Students are advised 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. Please view our most recent college attendance list here.

Middle & Upper School

Program and Philosophy FAQs

List of 6 frequently asked questions.

  • How does Crossroads support diversity and inclusion?

    One of the five founding commitments in the Crossroads philosophy is to the development of a student population of social, economic and racial diversity. Our community is a blend of cultures, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, religions and family types. Within our community of learners, 54% identify as students of color and 38% of our K-12 faculty members identify as people of color. Our families come from 91 different zip codes, and one in four students receives grant awards from our Affordability Program.

    Beyond our demographics, Crossroads has, since its inception, been at the forefront of equity and inclusion. Our classrooms are filled with rich and challenging conversations, our students learn how to activate their voices and our community understands our role in making the world a more inclusive place for all.
     
    Crossroads recently launched our groundbreaking Equity & Justice Institute to deepen and extend our work and find meaningful solutions to the challenges our students will inherit, including racism, sexism, poverty, war, environmental degradation, educational inequities, religious persecution and genocide.

    Learn more about Crossroads' commitment to diversity and inclusion here.
  • How many students are in a class?

    In the Middle School, the sixth grade has approximately 95 students, while the seventh and eighth grades have approximately 120 students each. Middle School class sizes range from five to 20.
     
    There are approximately 130-140 students in each grade of our Upper School, grades nine through 12. Class sizes average 19 students, yet there can be as few as five and as many as 25, depending on the subject.
  • 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 inspired 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?

    In 2007, after 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 the commitments in our Statement of Philosophy. We therefore decided to replace AP courses with our own internally designed Crossroads Advanced Studies (CAS) courses. We believe that this change, one that many nationally recognized independent schools have also made, assures a more stimulating, challenging and relevant academic program for all of our students.
  • What is Crossroads athletics program like?

    Crossroads offers a comprehensive and competitive athletics program for grades six through 12 as well as developmental athletics teams for fifth graders. Crossroads' athletics program inspires students to pursue competitive team sports, which further friendships, build character on and off the field and instill school and individual pride. For those who participate in interscholastic athletics, the experience is as much a part of their education as any other subject in school. Please visit the Athletics area of our website for further information.
  • How does college counseling work at Crossroads?

    Please visit our College Counseling web pages for an in-depth explanation of this important process.