I initially became interested in The Nueva School after subscribing to receive job postings. What immediately stood out to me was how frequently new openings were being posted -- sometimes seemingly every week. As an educator, that naturally made me wonder about staff turnover. Eventually, I applied for a position and interviewed with someone who honestly seemed very kind and thoughtful. I left the interview feeling optimistic, especially because I was told I would hear back by the end of the week. In education hiring, timelines usually move quickly because schools want to secure teachers for the upcoming school year before candidates accept other opportunities. Weeks went by with complete silence. No follow-up, no rejection email, nothing. Wanting to close the loop professionally, I eventually emailed to thank the interviewer for her time and wish her and her team the best for the upcoming year. Oddly, the message bounced back, even though I had been communicating through that exact same email thread previously. At that point, I honestly began wondering whether the communication had somehow been compromised or whether I had fallen into some strange scam situation. I even called the school directly to verify that the interviewer actually worked there, and thankfully she did. The school then provided me with another email address associated with their official domain. I forwarded my message there as well, but once again received no response at all. Whether the message reached her or not, the overall experience felt surprisingly unprofessional and dismissive, especially after what had initially seemed like such a warm interaction. After later reading additional reviews and experiences from others, I ultimately realized this probably was not the right fit for me anyway. Still, basic communication and professional courtesy go a long way, particularly in education, where relationships and respect matter. read more

Interviewed here and saw some things that were surprising to me for a school that is as well funded as this one is. i would likely avoid this school if you want your children to have a fully rounded education experience. read more

This is what I experienced: Me: Do you think my daughter will feel cold in this room? Should I bring her a jacket? A: (Raised her voice in front of my child): IT IS YOUR CHILD, YOU KNOW MUCH BETTER THAN I DO. (Soon the examiner told her to turn on the heater as she felt chilled) Me: Here is the snack for her. (The email sent to us especially suggests that we should bring some nut-free snacks) A: (Yelled): YOU CAN'T EAT HERE! Initially, I told myself, wow, she must have a really bad day. But now, after reading some bad comments, I am so relieved that we don't have to go to this school. I don't understand where is the quality of the school admission ppl, especially she treated me like that right in front of my young child. This is defiantly a bully. read more

Look carefully when you visit Nueva! Both individual bias and systematic discrimination applied! Their admission team turns out to be extremely cold and never respond if parents are not SVP or CEO. Most frustrating experience ever. read more

Our son joined Nueva's Upper School this year as a 9th grader (class of 2021). We like Nueva's rigorous high school curriculum; a number of advanced courses can be deemed college-level. Its math sequence is very well thought out (e.g., one track for pure math and one for applied math) and allows plenty of room for advanced students to progress beyond calculus. We are pleased to see that our son has been spending a good amount of time at the I-Lab before/after school (helped greatly by his new found independence via the bike+Caltrain combination) and loves every minute of it! Nueva's Upper School teachers are helpful and highly qualified; many are practitioners/experts in their field. Our son's Japanese language teacher has a wonderful sense of Japanese humor that makes language learning so much more enjoyable. The Upper School has an advisory system that allows small groups of students to interact with their advisors, who in turn provide feedback to parents (especially new families!) on how their kids are doing at school from time to time. It's a great way to integrate incoming 9th graders (i.e., many new friends were made over a 3-day camping trip before start of school) and build strong ties between school and families from the get-go. Our son has a great start of the year with Nueva. Its Upper School is one we would highly recommend for families looking for a well-rounded STEM education and great teachers in a supportive environment for their kids. read more

The Nueva School - Nueva STEM Fair @ Bay Meadows Campus (Sunday March 19, 2017) - Elementary Schools Near Me - Hillsborough, California

I'm a parent at the school. Lower School: Fantastic teachers. Super engaged, every lesson is customized by each teacher. No textbooks. No grades. No tests. Kids do projects in teams, and tackle the projects how they want to. The kids learn, and learn a lot, because the teachers do a great job of making learning fun, interesting, and challenging. They don't learn as many facts as kids in other schools do. Instead, they learn problem solving, innovation, public speaking, debating, cooperating, conflict resolution. One of the best things about Nueva is its SEL (Social Emotional Learning). One of the first schools to adopt this, Nueva teaches kids how to express themselves, how to de-escalate conflict, how to cooperate with each other. Probably as a result, Nueva is a very kind place. However, the school is not a fit for kids who need a lot of structure and feedback. It's much better for kids who are self-motivated. It's also NOT a fit for parents who need to compare their kids progress to other kids. As times, you'll feel like your kids are falling behind because your friend's kids are learning things like the multiplication table before your kid. Nueva is not interested in cramming as many facts as possible as soon as possible. Neuva is highly respected in educational circles.. They invented the Innovation Lab, for example, which has now spread not just to high schools but to colleges. Nueva teachers are constantly being recruited away by other schools. Cons: Nueva starts foreign languages very late. There isn't much emphasis on social responsibility or helping the disadvantaged. It's a very child-centric, not society-centric. There is little socioeconomic diversity. It's expensive, and many parents are VCs, startup founders, etc. Not a lot of families are dual income families, and many are zero-income families, where no one needs to work. Many school functions are during the work day, with the assumption that one or both parents will be available. There are very few divorced or single parents. Having said that, there's no one-upmanship about wealth. Creativity and intellect are valued over money, and most rich families studiously avoid ostentation. Yes, they may fly private, but they don't talk about it. Yes, they might own a Rolls, but they don't bring it to school. Flaunting wealth a faux-pas. There is even less political diversity. It can be a tough environment for conservative families. Middle School: Teachers, again are phenomenal. Middle School is a happy place. Yes, there is always some drama at this age, but much less than typical. The teenage angst seems to be delayed at Nueva by several years, and as I said, it's a supportive, warm place. Middle School is when things all come together. Your kid who seemed to be couple of years behind in math compared to your friends' kids? Now he/she is 2-3 years ahead. The fundamentals have been laid down, they not only understand how to DO math and science, they know WHY, and the learning comes breathtakingly easy to them. They're not using formulas, they're deriving them. They're not repeating experiments from a book, they're designing them. Upper School: Again, great teachers, including some former Ivy League professors. The high school was founded specifically as a counterweight to the college admissions-obsessed pressure cooker schools. Nueva is not a college prep school. The goal is not to get students into the best colleges. It is to give the students the best education possible. As such, college admissions is de-emphasized. Yes, they provide excellent support, but they try to keep it as low-key as possible. They try to keep the students calm and centered about colleges, and it is frowned upon to be obsessing and talking about colleges all the time. Nueva does do incredibly well in terms of college placement but it's because they focus on education. Having said that, IF GETTING INTO THE BEST COLLEGE POSSIBLE IS YOUR GOAL, NUEVA IS NOT THE RIGHT SCHOOL. If getting the best education possible is your goal, Nueva is the right school. While the school goes out of its way to reduce competition (no honors/AP courses although most courses are college-level, no GPA, no class ranking), your child will be in a pool of very very talented kids. It will be much harder to stand out when the average ACT score is 35 and almost half the students are Merit semifinalists/commended. Kids who would be top 1-2 student at other schools may be 50th. In order to stand out, the kid can't just be book smart. He/she needs to be creative, independent thinker, articulate, unique. You should know going in that you kid would likely get into a better college if he/she went to another high school. However, the Upper School is a dream if you're interested education. Your child will learn to think, to innovate, and be really happy because it's a fun school, full of bright, curious kids. read more

I have been a parent at this school since our eldest son started in 4th grade and he is now in 11th, with two other younger siblings joining along the way. From our experience, the program is excellent in every way--if the ultimate goal is that your kid will go off into the world a highly prepared, kind and curious individual capable of pivot, flexibility and the ability to forge their own path in a world where climbing a linear ladder no longer exists. I recently organized work brought home from school over the years, and as is often the case, reflected on how lucky we are and whether we deserve to have our children educated in an environment which is, in my opinion as a former teacher, ideal in every way for the intellectual, social and emotional growth of children. I can honestly leave my kids in the care of this school without anxiety--parents get detailed and careful insights into their kid as a whole person, but even without that I'd feel secure that between child and school they've got this. Another point to share, and this is subjective of course and my personal experience only, is that at every step of the way from admissions (huge gratitude to the feedback, care and concern of these savvy few who I know wish they had twice the number of spots for all the children they'd love to admit) to teachers and management, counsellors, advisors (part of the family at this point), grounds staff, and the other parents...we've truly felt at home as members of the community. I could go into so much detail and rave for pages. This is such a magical school, and at the end of 11th grade I am feeling that the early promise of this unique ethos has proven itself in every way. read more

Sure, goof school with thoughtful curriculum. I like many things about it.. But they should be upfront that all / almost all of the Stanford admits on their college acceptances list are Legacy admits. The school gets a high number of parents who are Stanford profs and folks otherwise affiliated with Stanford. So, the college acceptance numbers are kind of tainted. Be honest with your data, Nueva. Your SEL curriculum requires that you be authentic. read more

I have been touring and communicating with many schools in the Bay Area these past few months as I'm looking for a middle school for my daughter. I have to say when we toured the Nueva school during the open house everyone was very friendly and willing to help, that changed. After starting the application process and a few hundred $$$ later that tone changed. My emails for help with the Ravenna system were answered very cold. We have decided to withdraw application, the lack of support this early in the process says a lot. All the other schools I toured have shown a much friendlier tone. read more

Very unpleasant experience with admission people. She is very rude, literally yelled at me and kept rolling her eyes in front of my child, when we checked in. I will not move forward. read more

We have 2 kids at Nueva, 6th and 7th grade. They both transitioned in at the 6th grade and it was super seamless. Nueva is a school for gifted learners but this is not emphasized with the kids. What is emphasized is self motivation, love of learning, engaging in learning, growth mindset and kindness. The staff and teachers are absolutely exceptional. The campus is gorgeous! We love this school and our kids feel like they have finally come home. read more

It most cases it is hard to know how your school compares, as one typically picks a school and doesn't experience the alternatives. However, we had to relocate for work for 6 months and went to another top rated school. I quickly realized how incredible and special Nueva is and I couldn't wait until our daughter returned. It was night and day. The level of personal attention is exceptional. The teachers get to know the students and focus on not just education but their emotional needs (SEL). The teachers are very thoughtful in planning of curriculum. They customize the teaching based on the students interests, what is going on in the world, etc. If the kids find a deep interest in a subject, they incorporate it in. The parents are very supportive of the school and other parents and willing to engage far beyond what is typical. read more

Committed teachers, a mansion out by the forest, small classes, and interesting students. I went here for two years, and the whole time I heard that the place isn't quite what it used to be. It went through some large changes a few years ago. Still highly recommend for inquisitive young students. read more

The Nueva School - Nueva logo - Elementary Schools Near Me - Hillsborough, California

Our son started in 6th grade and is now part of Nueva's first high school class. The school focuses on the development of the whole child. The curriculum centers around social-emotional learning and interdisciplinary education. The school "teaches to stage and not to age" and is truly unbounded. The humanities, arts, math, and sciences are all remarkably well taught. Nueva's unique style makes education more enjoyable as evidenced by fact that kids seem to always be smiling. I think the pedagogy also significantly helps the retention of knowledge. For these reasons, Nueva stands apart from its peer private schools and the standards-based public schools. The school is an exemplar of what education can be for grades pre-K to 12th. I hope many others will follow Nueva's path. If you can make the time, attend Nueva's biannual innovative learning conference, STEM fair, or go for a visit day. read more

I am a Nueva alum, and I just have to respond to the post that Nueva is only for pretentious, wealthy children. Clearly the poster didn't actually attend the school, because if they did, they would find that to be far from the truth. I was one of many (granted, not the majority, but still many) scholarship kids. My family did not have much money at all, but I never felt like an outsider in the slightest, and Nueva was able to provide a generous scholarship that made it possible for me to get a truly amazing education that I believe set me on the positive path that I am still traveling today. read more

We've been a Nueva family for 12 years, and we've seen first-hand that it's a spectacular school - truly unparalleled. Our experience has been positive from day one, when our 5 year old daughter toured the campus before starting Kindergarten, and a graduating 8th grade boy (who didn't know us) asked us why we were there, and when we introduced ourselves, he knelt in front of our daughter and told her that she was joining a unique and wonderful school and would be very happy there. What a sweet and caring thing for a 14 year old boy to do for a stranger! It put my daughter at ease from Day One! I admit I was a skeptic at the beginning - I grew up in public schools, so I wasn't sure about "child-directed learning" or "progressive education"....but the proof's in the pudding and I've seen the education our three children (now 16, 13, and 9) have received. The faculty are exceptional - passionate about teaching, compassionate and nurturing with the kids, and all-around great teachers. In 12 years we only once had a bad teacher, and she was new to the school and only lasted one year (Nueva counseled her out the minute they realized she was a bad hire). The kids are bright, engaged, and motivated - but there's no snobbery or intellectual arrogance. Quite the opposite: the kids know that everyone is smart, and they equally understand that each of them is not the center of the universe, which is a great way to be humble and group-focused. The parent community is diverse in every possible way, interested, engaged, and fun to hang out with. And the administration is responsive and thoughtful in everything they do. The few times we have encountered hiccups, we've found them to be responsive and focused in their desire to help us resolve them. Negatives? Well, I still think tuition is high. And sometimes I think the administration is *too* responsive to a few loud (squeaky-wheel) parents, who want too much of a voice in their children's education. But honestly, I am very grateful - every day - that our kids get to go to a school where learning is so much fun, where there's a dual focus on the intellect and the social-emotional side, and where they can spread their academic wings so fully, with teachers and fellow motivated students as partners. I can't think of a better environment than Nueva. read more

I am currently a Nueva 6th grade student and I absolutely LOVE it. Nueva has a unique and open teaching style and is open to student leadership. Nueva not only teaches arithmetic and grammar but how to make your work powerful. Nueva teaches life skills that I know I will use for the rest of my life. Overall, 10/10! Also I love the language program! 日本語！(That says "Japanese!" in Japanese) read more

Our son just started Kindergarten at Nueva, so we went through the admissions process last year (fall 2015 - winter 2016). Here's my take based on my experience thus far: - We didn't know anybody at Nueva, or even anybody who had ever gone to Nueva, and hadn't heard of the school until we started looking into it based on a recommendation from our son's teacher. I'm a mid-level product manager at Google, making enough to consider a private school like Nueva, but not CEO of anything, nor pre-IPO employee, not a VC or angel investor, etc. So no "connections" and no reason Nueva would be especially interested in our family from a "monetary" perspective. - Admissions staff were very friendly, helpful, and professional at all times. The process is a bit laborious and time-consuming, but very much seemed aimed at finding students who are a good fit. - After admission, Nueva and the parent community made a concerted effort to help us feel at home, and to help our son adjust (e.g. arranging playdates and picnics over the summer). - I've met a lot of parents of older children at Nueva, and unanimously their feedback is that their kids "love Nueva". (Caveat: clearly a somewhat self-selecting group!) - It took our son a couple of weeks to settle in and establish new friendships (half the class was in pre-K together and so had less of a transition to make) but now he also says he "loves Nueva". We get detailed reports from his teachers, and from the math and science specialists, and my impression is that they're doing way more and way cooler stuff than kids would do in a "normal" kindergarten. (Caveat: but then again I don't really know what they do in other schools, since this is our first-born child.) - Many of the other parents are clearly wealthy: they drive Tesla's, have nannies, have houses with swimming pools, etc. I haven't seen evidence that that impacts the formal education in the classroom, but if you're looking for a more diverse upbringing for your child, you're not going to find it at Nueva (or probably any private school, for that matter). Anyway, I hope that helps others who are considering Nueva for their child. Good luck! read more

This review is based solely on their phone mannerisms. Perhaps I have called on an off day or so but I think (name deleted...you still know who you are since you, or someone you know personally messaged me!) from the admissions office was somehow blessed by the pope or god or something the way she acted over the phone. When inquiring about the school and admissions process, she was extremely vague and scoffed at me when asking what the dates were and if we were too late to go through the process. From high up on her blessed perch, she sneered down below to me and was not vague when telling me I've missed the train. Gosh, I read in their ad from the Parents magazine that the school was for gifted children. I didn't know their staff could be so overly gifted as well, so much as to make me fell well beneath them. I hope they teach the kids attending this school empathy and good phone mannerisms or manners overall. (name deleted)=Rude, rude, rude! read more

Over the past 4 years, Nueva has been fantastic for our children on every level -- academically, socially, and emotionally. Our kids love the school, and look forward to each and every day (zero sick days in four years). The faculty love what they do, are consistently passionate and are incredibly responsive. The administration is top notch. Please don't believe the "elitist" hearsay on the Web-- admissions is need-blind, and there's lots of financial support available. Highest recommendation, read more

Incredibly outstanding institution. I admit, when I go back and visit it seems to be constantly changing, but I know that the goals and vision are still there. I attended from K-8 (9 years!), and couldn't feel more blessed that I did. I learned to love the process of learning, to love understanding more than memorizing, and I believe it was those academic skills that helped me be so successful in high school. When I sat down to write my college essays this past winter, I wrote my main essay about the learning I experienced at Nueva. Yes, it's a tad uncouth to write about middle school learning when it's so far in the past, but the ideas I expressed in the essay and that Nueva expresses daily display such a love and respect for learning that it went over rather well. I had more than a few choices of where to attend, and am attending my first choice this coming fall. All of which I attribute to Nueva. Beyond the academia, Nueva DOES teach children empathy, in response to "Sassy M." We actually start having philosophical, psychological, and above all, empathetic discussions in about 1st grade. It is one of the most important things to Nuevans to learn socially, emotionally, and with maturity. It was so wonderful to grow up in a community where we all felt so safe and comfortable with one another. I'm sorry that your phone conversation was less than pleasant. Perhaps, since your call was after the deadline, the admission office was already knee deep in applications and the craze that ensues. I have worked personally with the admissions office to help answer questions to applying parents -- they have always been cordial, friendly, grateful, and have even sent me very unnecessary handwritten thank you cards. I am sure that if you call them before the deadline some other year, they will be much less stressed and more pleasant on the phone. All in all, I thank my parents regularly for sending me here -- I cannot imagine a better way to grow up. read more

Very hands off in nature, do not respond to calls or e-mails. Pretty much hurry , hurry and get through with you and move on to another situation. Poor time management and disorganized, putting out fires with work load overwhelmed. The poor customer service is sad for such a wonderful school. read more

I went to this school for 5th grade in the years 1994-1995. I found the other students there to be suuuuper smart and creative. One friend of mine could recite all the lines in every one of the 6 recent Disney movies by memory. Another one could recite pi up to the umpteenth digit. One of them played piano unbelievably well, improvising songs on the spot that were hard to tell apart from those of Beethoven or Bach. Another was a really great nature photographer. A lot of my friends have accomplished quite a lot with their passions, having appeared in publications such as the New York Times or won national awards. A few of them I felt had some social issues to deal with, but the number of these students was certainly less than at other schools I've attended. The teachers were really caring and great professors. We were given a lot of individual attention and were encouraged to pursue our interests with great guidance. I'm not sure how the school has evolved since, but at the time I went, it was a really fantastic place. read more

This review is for the Nueva Summer Camp, not the School. I believe the school orchestrates the Summer Camp so I'm putting my review here. My son has been to a number of summer camps. He has been to Nueva for two years and Nueva is by far the best he's been to. Feel free to read some of my other reviews of Summer Camps. Nueva places a lot of emphasis on creativity and imagination. Camps are themed. There's a pirate camp, a superhero camp, an circus camp, an invention camp, etc., etc. Themes lasts half the day and rotate through the weeks. Registration is online and a bit clunky, but being that you only register once and your kid attends the camp daily, I can easily oversee the registration process. This year we opted not to do Nueva due to a long family vacation. However, upon our return, we're sorry that we missed it as other camps are just not comparing itself to Nueva. Nueva, in my opinion is the Cadillac of summer camps. Great counselors with good interaction and attention. Counselors are also mature and professional and don't seem to be just there for a summer job. They actually convinced me that they enjoy the themes as much as the campers and that makes it extra fun! Plus, a good blend of structure along with independence. Summer Camp at Nueva. My son loves it and wished he went there this year. read more

I was a student at Nueva for 10 years (K-8th) and it is the first alma mater I will donate to. Nueva is a truly unique and special place, and words cannot capture my wonderful memories from its beautiful and unique campus. The teachers are all wonderful people who inspire intellectual interest in their students. Further, Nueva fosters unrivaled problem solving skills. If you are truly looking to invest in your children's future, send them to Nueva, I thank my parents regularly. My classmates are like a family, (a intellectually sophisticated family) whom I continue to speak to and see daily. As far as Sassy M.'s review goes, here are my two cents. You called a school for highly gifted and talented children past the deadline for admission which is clearly posted on the website. Hundreds of parents pray their children will be accepted to this special place, and you figure it's a bandwagon you can jump on last minute. Get real. read more

I guess I am befuddled by some of the reviews as the experience our children had at Nueva was fantastic. They developed a deep love of learning that has continued through high school and I expect will continue through life. Perhaps the difference is due to our daughters being recent graduates of Nueva, but during our time with the school, we saw none of the negative traits portrayed in other reviews. read more

We have 3 children attending Nueva and have been there for 3 years. Although our 3 kids are, of course, very different in temperament, talents and preferences, all 3 are thriving at Nueva. Nueva is a place that truly practices, not merely preaches, differentiated learning. There are no glass ceilings to limit students and they are encouraged and supported in the pursuit of their interests and passions. The Social Emotional Learning program is a critical feature that is incorporated and highly valued at every grade level. The kids are engaged and excited about learning and thoughtful about the choices they make -- both in school and beyond. So many things make Nueva a unique and incredible educational experience and, though it is not right for everyone, we have found it to be a phenomenal place and we are thrilled to be part of the Nueva community! read more

wonderful teachers who truly care. honored for my children to be part of the community here.

Love love love this school! With two children at the school, we could not be happier as we watch our children thrive in this learning environment... I've never seen a better learning environment, committed teachers, unique approach to learning and engaged children. Many schools tour Nueva to learn from and copy some of the school's core strengths in innovative learning and social emotional learning programs (along with others.) We will be part of this community for many years. read more

I interviewed for a position helping to run their Innovation Lab's shop. Note that I am a 30 + year engineer with tons of extra-professional experience. Two phone interviews went well but during my site visit I was to give a 15 to 20 minute talk to 8th graders on hammers. I covered the design, history, types of, and physics be hind them. But I had failed to (optionally) call the head person about the presentation. When I arrived she was angry at me. I was told my presentation would not interest these kids. The presentation went well and I spent half a day interacting with the kids. I was then told I would not get the position. And that I failed to interact with the kids. I estimate I spoke with 60% of the kids and helped quite a few with tools. There was quite an emphasis on the fact that the kids pay $42k per year and need to be treated as such. There are no grades primarily because the kids are pampered and cannot take failure and failure might result in less parental participation ($). The shop has new "gee whiz" tools but lacks a lot of the basics. And there is no formal safety training so, for example, all the kids must leave the shop when the table saw is used. There is also a lot of rushing around. The kids are quite smart and I enjoyed working with them. It amazes me that such a free form program is so dogmatically run. There is an emphasis on "Design Thinking" but design is like art; trying to systematize it is not always possible. And that I was disqualified for not phoning in in spite of all my skills and experience is representative of the program. I question what actual design experience the staff actually has. read more

We moved our kids to Nueva during their lower elementary years. One did not get in the first time around and then got in the next year, so we got to know the admissions team pretty well. They all were incredibly helpful, supportive, and fair during the process. This same team is in place now, and I continue to hear wonderful things about them from families looking at the school. Nueva is a great fit for our kids. They are thriving and at dinner have no shortage of exciting things to tell us about their school day or what they learned. Their teachers are phenomenal and passionate, and our kids deeply respect and admire them, which is apparently rare for middle school kids. I encourage those looking at schools to check out Nueva, take a tour, talk to current families, and put a few random or extremely negative comments in perspective. If it's the right fit for your child, you'll know it. read more

Our kids have had amazing experiences in the High School- phenomenal teachers who are willing to meet kids where they are and stretch with them to explore to the extent of their potential. Such a vibrant, exciting learning environment. Great kids. Fabulous teachers. Gorgeous new facilities. read more

The Nueva School has a lot of positive factors: the community is great and the families are nice. The facilities are fabulous. The fundraising activities are elaborate and bring in $millions--more than entire school districts. They have access to highly acclaimed speakers. So in that sense the school is quite good and getting better. However, there are a couple aspects to be aware of. (1) in recent years the school has become more of an East Coast prep school than really a school for the gifted. (2) the school administration seems to make a big difference in the way they treat you depending on how much money they think you have. If you are a highly wealthy or influential family looking for other highly successful families to socialize and vacation with and then this is *the* premier school for that. If you're wondering where the movers and shakers of Silicon Valley send their kids, this is it. The socials and fundraisers are really great, but beware of the scale and magnitude. Participation is optional, but it is possible to bid over $200K at the fabulous annual auction for a chance to dine with Colin Powell. One curious thing about the parent population is that many seem to have plenty of free time, as in "retired". Wealth aside, most of the families truly are interesting, fun, down-to-earth, and sincere. The admissions program does a pretty good job of screening the parents too. A dark aspect is that it appears increasingly that the school administration really loves having wealthy people in the community and makes a big difference in the way they treat you depending on how many digits they think are in your bank account. They appear to be increasingly not blind to financial means, if they ever were. You might expect there to be more kids of professors at a gifted school, but they are rare. I have noticed that the administration can be downright rude to those who appear not to be of means, while fawning over celebrities and top-tier VCs, fund managers, and post-IPO dotcom founders. The wealthy families are not the problem, though there are a few pretentious snobs. It is the administration that makes the differentiation. As for the school really being for gifted kids, that's debatable. Yes, they have an IQ test, but the scale seriously appears to take financial giftedness into account. Also, consider that about 1/2 the kids are doing Kumon or Score after school. Many parents are rightfully concerned about their children lagging those at other more structured schools. Because of the no-grade policy, it is possible for a child to fall through the cracks without anyone really knowing about it until it is too late. The school has a controversial stance on teaching math: it is seen as a social, collaborative activity where solutions are discussed and solutions (opinions) are sought from each. But the kids end up with rather weak math facts and Nueva kids tend to be bad at performing under time pressure since they have little practice in skill building (i.e., no drilling). There are some kids who are off-the-charts, able to do complicated lightning math in their heads. But they didn't learn it at Nueva. The school used to have a highly acclaimed Menuhin Music Program, but a sad thing is that over the past 5+ years the program has been pared back to a ghost of what it used to be. Overall, it appears the school is aiming for a demographic of kids who are bright, attentive, and well-behaved. Beware that there may be a disconnect between what they tell you at admissions versus how they actually operate. They are not equipped to deal with those who have special needs. If you think this is THE gifted school for YOUR child because your child is incredibly smart and has gotten into trouble at his regular school because he was so bored, then this is probably not be the school for you. They don't want kids who are so off-the-charts that they pull resources away from the herd. Despite the school hosting a much-vaunted "Gifted Learning Conference," which has recently been renamed "Innovative Learning Conference," the school does not cater to the "Twice-Gifted" population. So, no anxiety, sensitivity, strong-wills, ADHD, Rainman, or even silliness and other age-appropriate developmental issues. In fact, they may proactively try to remove your child if your child exhibits any trace of such issues (unless you are donating 6-figures). They are, in their own words, a "non-therapeutic school", though you will not find this mentioned in their brochures. In the lower grades perhaps 15-25% of the kids are under review for removal. They aggressively require kids to have a psych eval ($5-10K), based on a casual observation by the lower school principal, even if the teachers don't agree. Some kids are required to have shadows. Seriously, the school spends more resources on removing kids than on accommodating them. There appears to be an effort to socially-engineer the population by directed attrition. read more

The school had a great reputation at one time, less so lately (I note that many of the positive reviews are from people who graduated long ago). But I am posting to echo the criticisms of Nueva's admissions office. They don't tell you this anywhere in their admissions application or on their website, but they have a strict 130 IQ cutoff. Yet they take applications, and the hefty application fee, without advising parents of this fact. We went through the entire applications process, and were even contacted for a shadow day, before we received a form letter informing us that our daughter didn't qualify because her IQ score was marginally below their threshold. Clearly they are just trying to maximize the application fees they can collect. Odyssey School does it right -- you submit the test results and THEN they tell you whether you should apply. Our daughter is very happy there. Buyer Beware. read more

I attended Nueva from 1991 - 1996. You would think that an expensive private school would be better suited to help deal with social problems that can have an effect on students! The amount of cliques were insane. Teachers were notified numerous times about the "bullying", but nothing was done, or even monitored properly. My parents finally decided to pull me from this school and put me into a public school down the street. All I can say is WOW. I will admit, I had a big head start in the areas of art, language arts, and music. But when it came down to maths and sciences, I was far behind. This is because Nueva focused MAINLY on the arts. Math was a 3 times a week thing, for maybe an hour. As a third grader, I was still learning subtraction, while public school students were already on multiplication. I Don't have a math disability, but for the rest of my school career, I had to play "catch up". The lack of support I recieved from my teachers from pre-kindergarden to 3rd grade was so strong, that it still cripples me today. Children are very impressionable at that age, and the last thing you want is for your child to experience negative situations. Nueva's teaching methods were simple. Finish the assignment, with very little direction or help. If you do NOT complete the assignment, you are punished. Even the music classes were strict to the point that if you sang a note out of key, you were sent out of the room. Two times, and you were sent to the headmaster. Favorites were constantly played. If you were paying more money, the school focused more time into your child. How can a school with such horrible academics get away with it for so long? The same way anyone gets away with anything for a long period of time; bribes. The school itself is beautiful. This history behind the school; beautiful. 33 acres with over 25 hiking trails, play structures, and lots of room to run around and just be kids. Because the school gets so much money, it does have access to a lot of amazing resources. While learning about the stars, I recall one teacher actually built his own map of the stars, covering the entire room with black fabric. You then got to crawl in a small tunnel, and while sitting in a circle, a light was turned on. The feeling you got was that of actually being outside looking up at the stars. Sometimes the school would bring in guest speakers or preformers. During my time there, I got to meet the great Jane Goodall, as well has have the book "jumanji" read to me by Robin Williams himself (voices included; but this only happened because his daughter, Zelda, was in my class). I got to learn how to sing and express myself through art and music... But at what cost? I can't do math in my head and without a calculator. I have no self esteem. I was lead to believe at an early age that money makes you more important and the more money you have, the higher your status as a human being. I learned that teachers don't really care about you. I learned that if you don't score high, you're stupid. I learned that if you DO score high, you get a brownie, and if you don't you have to sit by the wall. I learned that people will only be your friend if you live in a 2 story house and your parents have a car with leather seats and automatic windows. I learned that school was something more painful to me than ripping off my fingernails. I learned that even if your parents hold countless meetings with your teachers and the headmaster, it doesn't mean anything will change. Thankfully, a lot of what Nueva taught me was corrected when I entered the public school Baywood Elementry. I learned that teachers Can help you, if you have the courage to ask, and if they have the time. I learned that not every teacher will point out your flaws to the class just to prove a point. I learned that while school is still painful, it will help me accomplish things later on in life. When I first came to Nueva, I had an IQ of 151. At 8 years of age, that IQ helped me realize that this school is all smoke and mirrors, and that I deserved better. read more

Great school my kids have never been happier there. Office people need more help with organization but it's a good place for kids to learn and to grow. read more

I read all these reviews about Nueva, and I know that each person's experience is valid and personal. However, I feel strongly that I need to give my view after my 12 years of experience as a parent at the school. When you have a child that is high ability, gifted and talented, high IQ, etc, etc, etc.... whatever your description is of the kind of child that you have... and they are really passionate about learning, thinking, doing all the time, there comes a point as a parent when you wonder how you are going to meet their needs. They need to be taken seriously at a young age, to be listened to and to have avenues and options for expressing themselves in ways that seem to be beyond their years. No matter what your situation is, it becomes clear that this child needs something special to thrive, and it is your job to bring it. It is a daunting responsibility. We were blessed to learn of our older son's abilities when he was 4 years old, and it truly challenged us in ways we never expected. At that time, we had full confidence in our plans for a public school education for both of our boys but as we learned more about them, we began to consider options of different educational styles and settings, and we found Nueva. Both our boys attended from PK - 8th grade. Our sons' desires to learn, do and think have always been intense, like a hunger that we could not satisfy as parents. Nueva fed both of them in a way that can only be described as a feast: ** with a philosophy of learning that allowed them to stretch, to choose, to study deeply and collaboratively.... EVERY DAY. ** with an approach that developed the complete child - both intellectual and social & emotional... they learned to be good people, to form good judgements and to trust in their abilities and their emotions. ** with teachers that cared so very deeply for their success each day, with each interaction; the teachers are the beating heart of the school and their passion is unparalleled. ** with peers who brought their love of learning and their thoughts and ideas to school ... this added such richness to our sons' lives every day. It is something immeasurable, but very, very real. ** with a school administration who put the mission of the school into action and made the classroom experience a primary importance. We can stand back and reflect that we made the right decision for our boys as they are both happy AND high achieving high school students now. We can tell you that for us it was worth the years without vacations because of the price tag. Whether it is "worth it" for you is a decision that is yours alone. We can tell you that there are days that are uneven in every organization, and that someone having a bad day on the phone is not sufficient information to judge what is going on in the classroom. We can tell you that there is no perfect school; there are just good school / child / family matches. In order to be informed consumers, we took our boys and tested out classrooms and other schools periodically during our Nueva years. In every setting we tested, all we could see was that we had two stallions who would be broken from painful arbitrary structure. We agonized, but could never move them from Nueva's living, breathing learning philosophy. Lastly, we needed to nurture our children's gifts. We could never have done it throughout these years without Nueva's teachers and staff. Now our children have grabbed the baton and are nurturing their gifts themselves. We feel truly blessed. read more

Two of our children currently attend Nueva. It's a truly wonderful, thoughtful, caring school and community.

Please look at the extensive filtered reviews. Many parents & students have written reviews in response to a the few negative reviews. I have no idea how or why Yelp chooses to filter the reviews in the manner they do, but the filtered page is certainly not reflective of Nueva families overall experience. read more

Three of my children have attended Nueva over the past 11 years and it has been a positively transformative experience for each of them. One of my children went on to Stanford, one is in high school and one is still at Nueva. I have seen the long lasting effects of the Nueva educational approach as my kids went on to other schools. Nueva is a school that puts the child at the center of the learning experience and gives them a love of learning that persists through time. They have a self confidence about learning and belief in themselves in the learning process that is remarkable. I highly recommend the school to those who want an educational experience that builds the child up. read more