How to Apply

JCHS uses the online web service Ravenna to help us communicate with families. Our online application will be available in early September. Please call us or use Ravenna to schedule your campus visit. 

Request Information

To receive information about JCHS, please create an account on Ravenna by clicking on the button to the right. If you have questions about this system, please feel free to contact Ravenna solutions (help@ravennasolutions.com) or the JCHS admissions office (admissions@jchsofthebay.org).

Virtual Wolf Wednesdays and Open Houses

We are excited to offer virtual events and family meetings during Fall 2020. 

Please "explore" JCHS on Ravenna for virtual event registration information.
During these events, you will have a chance to get to know JCHS and:
  • Hear from our Head of School, Rabbi Howard Jacoby Ruben and our Assistant Head of School, Michael Brody
  • Learn about academic programs from our faculty and students
  • Get to know our Jewish Studies and Jewish Life programs with our Dean of Jewish Studies, Tamar Rabinowitz and our Director of Student Life Roni Ben-David
  • Learn more about co-curricular programs including Athletics and Drama
  • Hear first-hand from our student ambassadors and alumni about JCHS, our programs, and our virtual learning innovations
  • Find out how our Flexible Tuition program works
  • Get answers to your most important questions during Q & A sessions
We regret that at this time, we are not scheduling in person campus tours or shadow visits. If you would like to see the beautiful JCHS campus through the eyes of our students and faculty, please be sure to check out our Virtual Tour.
During Fall 2020, virtual Wolf Wednesdays are replacing in-person campus and class visits.

These warm, relaxed information sessions for students and/or families introduce JCHS and highlight our extraordinary co-curricular, academic, and experiential programs. 

  • September 9, 2020 at 5:00 pm: General Information Session
  • September 16, 2020 at 5:00 pm: General Information Session
  • September 23, 2020 at 5:00 pm: General Information Session
  • September 30, 2020 at 5:00 pm: General Information Session
  • October 7, 2020 at 5:00 pm: Alumni Panel & College Counseling
  • October 14, 2020 at 5:00 pm: Social Justice and Community Service
  • October 21, 2020 at 5:00 pm: Athletics
  • October 28, 2020 at 5:00 pm: Performing Arts
  • November 11, 2020 at 5:00 pm: Visual Arts
  • November 18, 2020 at 5:00 pm: Robotics and Computer Science
  • December 2, 2020 at 5:00 pm: General Information Session
  • December 9, 2020 at 5:00 pm: Flexible Tuition Program
  • December 16, 2020 at 5:00 pm: General Information Session
Come to as many Wolf Wednesday events as you want! Please also join us for a JCHS Open House on October 18 at 10 am or November 8 at 3 pm.

Register for any JCHS Admissions event on Ravenna.

Test-Free Program

For the 2020-21 Admissions season, JCHS will be test-free for all applicants. This means that JCHS will not accept SSAT, ISEE, or any other standardized test scores as part of the admissions process.

To read more about our test-free policy, and to learn about our portfolio submission requirements, please click here.

Complete and Submit Your Online Application and Forms

You can submit the JCHS application online through Ravenna by January 7, 2021. 

JCHS requires the following for a complete application. Detailed description of each apllication step can be viewed on Ravenna: 
  • Part 1: Parent/Guardian Application
  • Part 2: Student Application, Student Essay, and Student Activity Form
  • Principal/Counselor Recommendation
  • Current English Teacher Recommendation
  • Current Math Teacher Recommendation
  • Current and previous year’s transcripts (sent directly from school)
  • Portfolio of work
  • Student Interview
  • $90 Application Fee (JCHS also offers fee waivers for families for whom this application fee would be a barrier to applying. Please contact the Admissions Office.)

Student Interview (Required)

We want to get to know you better! After you have submitted Part I (Parent/Guardian application) and your application fee, you will be able to schedule an interview through Ravenna. This year we are offering conversations with members of our Admissions team via Zoom. 
 

Complete the Flexible Tuition Application (Optional)

JCHS offers a flexible tuition program designed to help keep a JCHS education accessible to families from a variety of economic backgrounds. Please contact Mary Ellen Hunt, Director of Enrollment Management, with any flexible tuition questions at mehunt@jchsofthebay.org or 415-345-9777 x104.

Admissions Checklist

List of 7 frequently asked questions.

  • + Step 1: Create a Ravenna Account

    We encourage applicants and their families to learn more about JCHS. The first step is to create an account with Ravenna, a web-based application system used by many Bay Area independent schools.

    For more information on how to create an account, read "Getting Started With Ravenna."

  • + Step 2: Add JCHS

    Once your account has been created, you can find our profile page by searching "Jewish Community High School" in the school directory on the left-hand side of the screen - click to expand our page.

  • + Step 3: Attend Virtual JCHS events

    To help you get to know JCHS and make sure that your questions are answered, we are hosting virtual Open Houses and Wolf Wednesday information sessions. Register for any of our virtual events on Ravenna.

  • + Step 4: Complete the Parent Form

    Our application is now live and you may click “apply” when you are ready to begin the application process.

    When you are ready to complete the Parent form:  to access our application, please scroll down slightly on the JCHS application timeline until you come to a section titled "Complete Application Form and Pay Application Fee." There will be two blue links - one for a parent application and one for a student application. When you have answered all the questions on a given form, please click continue. Now you will have two options: “show me what’s left” and “view my application.” To continue and submit your application, please click “view my application.” A ​green​ button should appear at the top right­-hand corner of the JCHS timeline that says "Go to Pay & Submit"­ please click  there. The system will prompt you to pay and then will send your application to JCHS. 

  • Step 5: Schedule an interview

    Once you have submitted Part I: The Parent Guardian Form, you'll be able to schedule a one-on-one interview via Zoom with a member of our Admissions team.

  • + Step 6: Submit your Student Application, Essay, and Activity Form

    The student's portion of the application consists of Student Application, Student Essay, and Student Activity Form. These steps are located right below the Parent form. 

  • + Step 7: Request Teacher Recommendations

    To send recommendation forms to teachers: scroll down to the section titled "Delegate Teacher Recommendation Forms." To send these forms directly to teachers, please click on each blue link and type in the email address for each teacher. The forms will be sent straight to the teachers and they will send them back to JCHS. The personal recommendation form is optional.
     
Jewish Community High School of the Bay
1835 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
Phone: 415.345.9777
JCHS is grateful for generous operational, programmatic, and financial support from:
The Jewish Community High School of the Bay (JCHS) is a unique college preparatory high school committed to integrating deep learning, universal wisdom, and Jewish values. We empower each student to embrace her or his Jewish identity, generate empathy and compassion, delight in lifelong education, and improve the world.