Information for Families Relocating to the Bay Area

Castilleja is recognized globally as a leader in girls’ education and our mission is clear.  Castilleja School educates motivated young women to become confident thinkers and compassionate leaders with a sense of purpose to effect change in the world.

To learn more about our mission, values and strategic mission and the value of girls education, please click here

1310 Bryant Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301

The San Francisco Bay Area attracts people from around the world for its climate, beauty, culture, world-class educational institutions, and economy. Located in Palo Alto, Castilleja School is near Stanford University and in the heart of Silicon Valley, a center of innovation and technology. Palo Alto is about 34 miles south of San Francisco, 17 miles north of San Jose, and across the San Francisco Bay from such dynamic cities as Oakland and Berkeley. On a peninsula, Palo Alto is surrounded by a number of vibrant, smaller towns and cities connected north to south by the CalTrain system and a network of highways.

Castilleja students live in
31 towns from all over the Bay Area.

52% from Santa Clara County

46% San Mateo County

2% Alameda County

2% Santa Cruz County

To learn more about the many transportation options to and from Castilleja, please click here.

Our Admission team looks forward to the opportunity to discuss the application process with families considering Castilleja. Don’t hesitate to email us at admission@yxxxstone.com if you have any questions.

The application steps can be found here.

We have many opportunities to visit Castilleja throughout the year.  We encourage you to schedule a campus visit or register for one of the Admission events. Many of the events are virtual as well. However, if you are in the local area and would like a tour of the campus, please email us at admission@yxxxstone.com  and we will try to meet your scheduling needs.

The highlight of our admission season is getting to know your daughter and you through an interview. Your daughter does not need to prepare because the conversations unfold organically. There are no right answers in this—or really any—part of the application process. It’s just an opportunity to learn more about Castilleja and share aspects of her own experience.

When your daughter comes for a Campus Visit, we will schedule an interview at the end of her visit.  However, we certainly understand if you are not able to visit, and we would we will be happy to schedule an interview over Zoom once your daughter's application is complete. We will reach out to schedule interviews for both Middle and High School Students living outside the local area after the application deadline of January 9, 2024. 

Note: This is a required step in the application process. The preliminary application and fee must be submitted before an applicant can register for a campus visit and interview.

Middle School Student Interview
Our conversation will last approximately 15 minutes after your daughter's campus visit, or if you cannot visit, the interview will be on Zoom and scheduled after January 9, 2024.

High School Student Interview
Our conversation will last approximately 20 minutes and will be on Zoom. Sign-up information will be sent via email after January 9, 2024.

Castilleja welcomes international students to apply for admission. All applicants must go through the same admission process and must be fluent (oral and written) in English.

Upon admission to Castilleja, we are able to offer student visas to international students. It is expected that all Castilleja students will live with immediate family members in the Bay Area.

Castilleja is "test-blind" and does not require standardized admission tests.  ISEE, SSAT, and TOEFL tests are not required. All applicants must go through the same admission process and must be fluent (oral and written) in English.

Standardized test results that are submitted will not be included in the applicant’s file. The admission committee will continue to rely on a holistic approach to our process, considering the countless ways that applicants can contribute to and thrive within our learning community.

Castilleja is committed to enrolling a diverse student body and encourages families to apply for admission and tuition assistance. One in five of our families receive tuition assistance awards ranging from $3,000–$59,100.

Tuition assistance will not impact admission decisions. Admission decisions are made independently of tuition assistance applications and decisions.

To learn more about Tuition Assistance, click here