FAQs

We seek to enroll students who demonstrate a love of learning and have the ability to pursue a challenging college preparatory curriculum that is balanced by participation in a broad array of activities outside of the classroom such as athletics, service, the arts, and outdoor education. Our students and faculty work together to create an environment in which every member of our community can take on the greatest possible challenges—and succeed at them.

The Admissions Committee, comprised of faculty, administrators, and staff, assesses the information given on the parent and student applications. We make our academic assessment by looking at grades from the last two years and the first semester of the current year, the results of test scores and writing samples, as well as the recommendations from teachers and the school principal or counselor. The results of standardized test scores play an important role, as do extracurricular activities that complement the student’s academic pursuits. We want to become familiar with a student’s extracurricular interests and personal characteristics. When our Admissions Committee makes its recommendations, we want to be confident that the student is the right match for Marin Academy, meaning they will feel comfortable finding their place in a school that places a high value on its student centered cooperative and collaborative working environment.

We encourage applications from students of all races, national and ethnic origins, religions, and physical abilities. As diverse as they are, our students have one big thing in common: they are appreciatively immersed in an educational environment that encourages compassion and commitment. Marin Academy students are serious about learning and are already on a path towards becoming caring and responsible citizens.

Neither student visits days nor open houses are required. We do encourage prospective students to  virtually attend either a visit day or an open house to learn more about MA. Families can attend an Open House together on a weekend, or students can experience a visit day and parents can attend a Parent Information Session during the week.

Interviews are required. There are multiple ways for students to interview: 1:1 interviews are informal, relaxed conversations that offer you a chance to ask questions about MA and for MA to learn more about you. The Design Workshop Experience, an alternative to the interview, is an opportunity for groups of prospective students to collaborate, design, and problem solve as a team. The Passage Discussion Interview is a chance for students to read a poem or portion of literature and participate in an engaging exchange of ideas about the text. Transfer students have the option to submit a video interview instead of a live interview. Please note: MA CANNOT GUARANTEE SPOTS IN SPECIFIC FORMS OF INTERVIEWS; should students prefer one type of interview we encourage you to sign up early.

Nearly 40% of MA students hail from beyond Marin County. In order to facilitate travel to and from campus, MA contracts with Michael's Transportation and KidzJet to provide daily bus service connecting both San Francisco and the East Bay with our campus in San Rafael. Bus routes are convenient to many neighborhoods in the City and in the East Bay and allow students to depart campus both immediately after class and following afternoon athletics and arts commitments.

Our transfer acceptance rate is greatly influenced by attrition and class size. In the past few years, we have admitted as few as one and as many as eleven transfer students in a given year. We do encourage students in good standing at their current school to submit an application. The application process for a transfer student is the same as for a prospective 9th grader: Visits or Open Houses are encouraged but not required. The application is required and must be completed by the regular January Application deadline. 

The curriculum is rigorously college preparatory with highly developed requirements in all academic areas, the arts, and physical education. The academic program consists of over 100 course titles in seven departments. More than 60 elective courses are available across all disciplines, including honors work in every department. The academic program is enhanced by an exemplary Visual and Performing Arts Department. The co-curricular programs include an outdoor education program, a community service learning program, a required week of experiential education each spring, and a well-developed interscholastic athletic program. View the 2023-2024 course catalog.

Marin Academy students apply to and are accepted at leading colleges and universities around the country. Over 99 percent of our graduates attend four-year colleges after graduating from Marin Academy, more than half of them out of state. For more information, please visit our College Counseling page.

At Marin Academy, students and adults work together to continually push what we know about diversity and equity and how we practice it every day. We strive to use an equity framework in all we do at MA. 

This begins by confronting barriers to ensure that our entire community reflects the racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity of the Bay Area. Inclusive teaching and learning doesn't ask newcomers to assimilate to an established norm; rather, each individual helps redefine and expand how we teach and learn. Acknowledging and respecting difference and creating opportunities for discussions about identity factors and how they shape our community here at school and beyond is a key part of our work at MA every day. Finally, by engaging with the broader community inside and outside of the classroom, we encourage students to get outside their bubbles and experiences to truly contribute to the Bay Area community. 

We encourage you to learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion here. 

We do not have merit scholarships. All tuition assistance is designed to provide access to an MA education and is awarded to families based on financial need alone. For additional information about tuition assistance, visit our Affording MA page, or email us at admissions@ma.org.