Crossroads seeks to admit students with a broad range of talents and interests in academic as well as non-academic areas. The Crossroads community is a blend of cultures, ethnicities, socio-economic levels and religions.
Sixth, seventh and ninth grades are our largest entry points. We enroll approximately 30-40 new students to sixth grade, 30-35 to seventh grade and 30-40 to ninth grade. In other grade levels, spaces become available through attrition.
For the 2024-25 admission cycle, we are reinstating the ISEE and SSAT (on an optional basis) as part of our application process at Crossroads.
At Crossroads, our holistic applicant review process values academic excellence alongside social-emotional growth. Each component of our application supports our goal to gain a comprehensive understanding of your student.
While standardized test scores (such as the ISEE and SSAT) can highlight academic preparedness, they are not the sole factor in admission decisions. Testing is one of the many factors considered in our admission process, and applications without test scores will not be disadvantaged. There are no minimum test scores required to be admitted to Crossroads, and no score guarantees admission. We are committed to considering the full array of information provided in each student’s application. This approach is part of our broader effort to understand each applicant as a whole person.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 310-582-4451 or admission@xrds.org.
Absolutely! We understand the process of choosing a school can be overwhelming and anxiety-filled. We aim to make the process as easy and accessible for you. Please email us at admission@xrds.org as soon as possible if you would like to schedule a revisit.
Yes. We have found that it is crucial to have the most current and complete information possible when considering an applicant for admission. Students wishing to be considered for the subsequent year must reapply.
While there are no scholarships at Crossroads, grants through our Affordability Program are allocated based upon financial need. Please see the Affording Crossroads page for more detailed information. Socio-economic diversity is one of the School’s founding commitments. Crossroads dedicates over $10 million in grants to families from a wide range of income brackets, benefiting one in four students.
No. Current parents and Trustees are not involved with the admission evaluation process, so an applicant’s relationship with them has no influence on admission decisions.
While we give preference to sibling, alumni and employee families, we do not guarantee admission. Ideally, we would like all members of a family to attend Crossroads, but we know that what is right for one child might not necessarily be right for another. We look at each child individually and thoughtfully with an eye to their particular needs, strengths and learning styles. Our goal is to ensure that each child feels secure and successful in our learning environment.
Legacy applicants are defined as either 1) the adopted or biological children of a parent who attended Crossroads School, or 2) the biological or adopted siblings of Crossroads graduates. Step-children, foster children or other children living in the home will not automatically qualify for legacy status, but will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The depth of each legacy applicant’s connection with the School (whether the parent graduated, how long they attended Crossroads, how active the parent has been as an alumnus/alumna, etc.) may also be taken into account in the applicant review process.
Students are advised to find the school most suited to their talents, interests and aspirations. This is the strength of our college guidance program, which results in high acceptance rates. Please view our most recent college attendance list here.
One of the five founding commitments in the Crossroads philosophy is to the development of a student population of social, economic and racial diversity. Our community is a blend of cultures, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, religions and family types. Within our community of learners, 56% identify as students of color and 38% of our K-12 faculty members identify as people of color. Our families come from 91 different zip codes, and one in four students receives grant awards from our Affordability Program.
Beyond our demographics, Crossroads has, since its inception, been at the forefront of equity and inclusion. Our classrooms are filled with rich and challenging conversations, our students learn how to activate their voices and our community understands our role in making the world a more inclusive place for all.
Crossroads recently launched our groundbreaking Equity & Justice Institute to deepen and extend our work and find meaningful solutions to the challenges our students will inherit, including racism, sexism, poverty, war, environmental degradation, educational inequities, religious persecution and genocide.
Learn more about Crossroads' commitment to diversity and inclusion here.
In the Middle School, the sixth grade has approximately 85 students, while the seventh and eighth grades have approximately 115 students each. Middle School class sizes range from five to 20.
There are approximately 140-150 students in each grade of our Upper School, grades nine through 12. Class sizes average 19 students, yet there can be as few as five and as many as 25, depending on the subject.
While we are not an arts school, our commitment to the arts is equal to our commitment to traditional subjects. We view the arts curriculum as a disciplined and integral part of our inspired program. The arts at Crossroads emphasize problem-solving, risk-taking and critical analysis. Crossroads is a strong, college preparatory school whose students are particularly attractive to colleges and universities because of the balance we provide between academics and the arts.
In 2007, after comprehensive study and community dialogue, Crossroads School decided that the Advanced Placement (AP) program did not best serve our students as an advanced-level curriculum and compromised our ability to fulfill the commitments in our Statement of Philosophy. We therefore decided to replace AP courses with our own internally designed Crossroads Advanced Studies (CAS) courses. We believe that this change, one that many nationally recognized independent schools have also made, assures a more stimulating, challenging and relevant academic program for all of our students.
Crossroads offers a comprehensive and competitive athletics program for grades six through 12 as well as developmental athletics teams for fifth graders.Crossroads' athletics program inspires students to pursue competitive team sports, which further friendships, build character on and off the field and instill school and individual pride. For those who participate in interscholastic athletics, the experience is as much a part of their education as any other subject in school. Please visit the Athletics area of our website for further information.
