Admissions FAQ

Go to the Ravenna Hub and create a Student Profile. When you have an account, find The Branson School in the School Directory and press “Explore.” Once in our system, you will receive notifications before we open up registration for admissions events. After we open up, you will need to press “Apply” to be able to sign up for admissions related events and begin your application process.

If you wish to apply outside of our current admissions season, please contact admission@melissa-midwest.net and we will guide you through the next steps.

To begin the application process, families must first create a Student Profile on Ravenna Hub and press the “Apply” button for The Branson School.

Once you enter the application, you will need to sign up for a Campus Visit, complete the preliminary and supplemental application steps, and schedule an interview by the deadline. For more details, please see our Apply page.

Open Houses, Informational Meetings, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion events are all optional but a great way to learn more about our community. You'll find a quick list of events on our Admissions Events page. Registration for these events is required and should be completed on Ravenna Hub.

Interested families are strongly encouraged to register for one of our Open House events, which we are pleased to offer in person. Other events will be either in-person or virtual, as announced on Ravenna.

Please register for an Open House or one of our other events by logging into Ravenna Hub and going to the Branson application “Open House” step; registration is required.

Branson will not accept or require standardized test scores as part of the application process for the current admissions season.

Tuition for the 2023-2024 school year is $59,610. Additional expenses of roughly $2,800 to $6,300 cover the cost of the lunch program, textbooks, dues, cultural and social activities, and other miscellaneous expenses. Financial aid is available by application for tuition and the associated costs of attending Branson.

We believe that all qualified students should be able to have the benefit of a Branson education, regardless of their family’s ability to pay. Our school commits over $3.8 million each year to supporting students with financial aid. If you want to apply to Branson, but are not sure you can afford the costs, we urge you to apply for financial aid. To request more information about financial aid, please email business@melissa-midwest.net or visit our Affording Branson page. Financial aid applications are due January 9, 2024.

Yes. While the majority of students will enter Branson as 9th graders, we do accept applications from students who want to transfer into the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade. The application process is the same for each applicant grade.

We are interested in learning more about your family situation; however, we are not able to issue the I-20. Please contact our office at admission@melissa-midwest.net. We’d love to hear from you.

We are looking for students who have demonstrated strong commitment for, dedication to, and engagement in their academic and extracurricular activities. We want students with a passion for learning and exploration. We have no fixed criteria for academic qualification, although many of our students have performed well in their middle school years.

Branson does not have any quotas for any specific type of student or group of students. We look for a wide range of students from different backgrounds, and our outreach extends throughout the entire Bay Area. We attract students from San Francisco, the East Bay, and both Marin and Sonoma Counties. Applicants from public, private, parochial, and charter schools as well as those homeschooled are strongly encouraged to apply.

We have no specific policy for siblings. Every applicant is assessed thoughtfully and considered within the balance of the overall pool each year.

Continuing to cultivate and nurture a diverse and inclusive educational community is a priority for Branson. We believe that diversity equates with an excellent educational experience and we work to create a "Beloved Community" where each individual feels a deep sense of belonging and agency. We demonstrate this by ensuring the diverse makeup of our student body – where 76 middle schools are represented, 49% of students self-identify as individuals of color, over $3.8 million is set aside for financial aid, and affinity groups (religion, race/ethnicity, gender, LGBTQ+, ability, and more) are an integral part of the community experience. For more information on our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion please visit our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page.