At Redwood Day, preparing students for high school is an intentional, multi-year journey that supports each learner academically, socially, and emotionally.
Our goal is to help students develop the confidence, skills, and self-knowledge they need to thrive in high school and beyond.
Academic Readiness
In the upper grades, students engage in a rigorous, inquiry-driven curriculum emphasizing critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. Through a mix of core subjects and enriching electives, students build strong academic habits and deepen their understanding across disciplines. Our approach encourages independence, curiosity, and the ability to advocate for oneself in various learning environments.
Leadership & Identity
We believe that self-awareness and community engagement are key to high school readiness. As students move through middle school, they take on increased leadership roles—whether in student government, affinity groups, service learning projects, or peer mentorship. We guide students in exploring their strengths, values, and goals so that when it’s time to apply to high school, they are well-prepared to make thoughtful decisions about their future.
High School Counseling
Redwood Day offers personalized high school counseling to all 7th and 8th-grade families. Our Director of High School Counseling works closely with students and parents to identify schools that align with each student’s learning style, interests, and aspirations—whether independent, parochial, charter, or public. The counseling process includes:
- Individual and family meetings
- High school information sessions and panels
- Interview and essay-writing preparation
- Application timeline and organizational support
- Communication with admissions teams on behalf of students
A Thoughtful Transition
We view the transition to high school not just as a next step, but as a rite of passage. Through advisory, capstone experiences, and end-of-year events, we help students celebrate their time at Redwood Day and embrace their next chapter with pride and purpose.
We’re proud of the diverse array of high schools our graduates attend—and even prouder of the confident, capable people they’ve become along the way.
High School Matriculation 2016-2026
Our eighth-graders apply to a number of high school programs that represent the diversity of their experiences, interests, strengths, and ideal learning communities. Independent, parochial, and public high schools recognize Redwood Day graduates for their strong academic preparation, keen self-awareness, community consciousness, and global sensibility.
Each family is supported by Redwood Day through the high school search and application process so that each student finds their perfect next reach!
| Acalanes High School | Deerfield Academy | Montclair Kimberly Academy |
| Alameda High School | Drew School | Moreau Catholic |
| The Athenian School | Dunn School | New School |
| ATI | El Cerrito High | Oakland Technical High School |
| Bay School | Encinal High School | Oakland School for the Arts |
| Bentley School | Exeter | Redwood High School |
| Berkeley High School | Groton School | Redwood Christian School |
| Berkeley High International Baccalaureate | Hawaii Prep Academy | San Leandro High School |
| Bishop O’Dowd High School | Head-Royce School | Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School |
| Brebeuf Jesuit | Holy Names High School | Saint Mary’s College High School |
| Campolindo High School | International High School | Salesian |
| Castro Valley High School | Lick-Wilmerding High School | San Francisco University High School |
| Cate School | Marin Academy | Thacher |
| Choate Rosemary Hall | Maybeck High School | The Urban School |
| Clayton Valley | Mentoring Academy | Twin Oaks |
| College Preparatory School | Millennium High School | |
| Crystal Springs Uplands | Miramonte High School |
College Matriculation 2016-2026
Just as Redwood Day graduates attend a variety of exceptional high schools, they also go on to attend colleges that represent the diversity of interests, learning approaches, skills, and talents of our incredible alumni. Below is a sampling of some of the colleges and universities attended by Redwood Day alumni.
| Amherst College | Haverford College | University of California, Davis |
| Arizona State University | Holy Names University | University of California, Irvine |
| Bard College | Howard University | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Barnard College | Humboldt State University | University of California, Merced |
| Bennington College | Las Positos Community College | University of California, Riverside |
| Berkeley City College | Lewis and Clark College | University of California, San Francisco |
| Boston University | Loyola Marymount University | University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Bowdoin College | Macalester College | University of California, Santa Cruz |
| Brown University | Marquette University | University of Chicago |
| California Institute of Technology | Middlebury College | University of Denver |
| California State University, Chico | Mills College | University of Hawaii at Manoa |
| California State University, Northridge | Morehouse College | University of Miami |
| California State University, San Diego | New York University | University of Michigan |
| Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo | Northern Arizona University | University of Oregon |
| Carlton College | Occidental College | University of the Pacific |
| Chapman University | Pratt Institute | University of Pennsylvania |
| Colorado School of Mines | Princeton University | University of Puget Sound |
| Columbia University | Rice University | University of Portland |
| Connecticut College | Rochester Institute of Technology | University of Southern California |
| Cornell University | Santa Clara University | University of Texas |
| Dartmouth College | Sarah Lawrence College | University of Vermont |
| Davidson College | Smith College | University of Washington |
| Dodge School at Chapman University | Spelman College | University of Waterloo |
| Drew University | Stanford University | Vassar College |
| Duke University | St. Mary’s College | Wake Forest University |
| Elon University | Stony Brook University | Warren Wilson College |
| Emerson College | Swarthmore College | Washington State University |
| Emory University | Syracuse University | Washington University, St. Louis |
| Evergreen State College | Tufts University | Wesleyan University |
| Fresno State University | Tulane University | Williams College |
| Georgetown University | University of Arizona | Whittier College |
| George Washington University | University of California, Berkeley | Yale University |
