Lowell High School admits students on merit for the 2027-28 school year, and the Grade 9 application closes on December 11, 2026. This guide lists every published date for fall 2027 entry, in the order families meet them, with what the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) says about each step.
The short version
If your student is in Grade 8 and your family lives in San Francisco, you can apply. The Lowell application is separate from the main SFUSD high school application, and its deadline comes earlier. SFUSD states that it will not be possible to apply for Lowell Grade 9 after December 11, 2026.
Who can apply
SFUSD sets two residency rules. Students who apply to Lowell must live in San Francisco with a parent or legal guardian when they apply, and they must continue to live in San Francisco while attending Lowell. Interdistrict permits are not allowed for admission to Lowell.
Both SFUSD and non-SFUSD eighth graders may apply. Current SFUSD students do not need to send proof of address unless their address has recently changed. Non-SFUSD and SFUSD charter school students send a picture ID of a parent or guardian, proof of birthdate and one proof of address with the application.
The dates, in order
| Date | What happens | | --- | --- | | October 23, 2026 | Online (ParentVUE) and paper applications open | | November 10, 2026, 6:00 PM | Virtual "how to apply to Lowell" workshop on Google Meet | | December 11, 2026 | Last day to apply: 5pm online, or close of business at the Enrollment Center for paper | | Late January 2027 | Star test given at current SFUSD schools | | January 20 and 23 | Test sittings at Lowell for non-SFUSD and charter applicants | | February 1, 2027 | Main Round deadline for the other SFUSD high schools | | March 15, 2027 | Assignments posted on ParentVUE |
SFUSD lists the January 20 and January 23 test sittings without a year. In context they fall in 2027, but check the Lowell page before you plan around them. Your student picks a test date on the Lowell application.
Step 1: Apply by December 11
Most families apply online. SFUSD says all SFUSD and non-SFUSD eighth graders may apply by listing Lowell as one of their choices on the 2027-28 SFUSD Online Enrollment Application in ParentVUE.
Paper applicants submit the general Enrollment Application plus the Lowell Supplemental Application. SFUSD accepts them in person at the Enrollment Center, by email to enrollinschool@sfusd.edu, or through the current SFUSD middle school.
Lowell does not need to be your first choice. Families can list any number of other SFUSD high schools on the same application.
Step 2: Fix your list of other schools
Because the online application no longer offers Lowell after the Lowell window closes, SFUSD gives families a way to adjust the rest of their list. After you apply to Lowell, you can add or re-order choices by the Main Round deadline of February 1, 2027, using the 2027-28 Application Revision form.
This matters because of how the two processes fit together. Lowell applications are reviewed in the winter, before the Main Round assignment run in March. A student who qualifies and ranks Lowell first receives the Lowell offer. A student who qualifies but ranks other schools higher is considered for those schools first, and receives Lowell only if no higher choice has space. Students who do not qualify for Lowell are not harmed in the assignment for their other choices.
Step 3: Take the Star test in January
SFUSD uses its Winter Interim Assessment, the Star test, as the Lowell admissions test. Current SFUSD students take Star Reading and Star Math at their own school in late January. Non-SFUSD applicants and SFUSD charter students take it at Lowell on one of the two sittings above.
The district links sample Star Reading and Star Math items on its Lowell page. Those are the right place to start, since the test is the same one SFUSD already gives.
Step 4: Write the January essay if Band 2 applies
Lowell admits through three bands, and Band 2 includes an essay. SFUSD's page describes it as an essay written at the applicant's current school in January 2027. The board policy calls the school-based writing a personal statement that informs the Band 2 and Band 3 committees. The policy says it is not given point value as a writing sample. The next guide in this series explains how the bands work.
Step 5: Results on March 15, 2027
Applicants are notified on ParentVUE on March 15, 2027. SFUSD states there is no waitlist or appeal process for Lowell, and no sibling tiebreaker. All students must meet the admissions criteria to enroll. That makes your other choices on the Main Round application important: they are the plan if Lowell is not offered.
After Grade 9: transfers
Students in Grades 10 to 12 can apply to transfer. For 2027-28, the Lowell Transfer Application window runs May 10 to June 28, 2027. SFUSD says between 25 and 50 transfer assignments can be made overall, and most are available for Grade 10. Transfers have no waitlist, no appeal and no sibling priority either.
What SFUSD has not published
A few things are not on the pages we reviewed, and we have left them out rather than guess:
- The 2027-28 cut-off scores. Only the 2026-27 cut-offs are published, and SFUSD says they may change.
- The number of Grade 9 seats and any admit rate. SFUSD gives approximate shares by band, not a total.
- The list of Band 3 schools for 2027-28. SFUSD says it is not public until the March assignment letters.
A practical plan
1. Confirm your San Francisco address and gather proof of address if it changed or your student is outside SFUSD. 2. Open the Lowell page on sfusd.edu and note the current policy year before reading any older guide. 3. Apply before December 11, 2026. 4. Rank your other SFUSD choices, and use the Application Revision form if you need to change them before February 1. 5. Ask your student's school how the Star test and the January essay will be run.
If you want help thinking through your own student's situation, send us a note or see the EduAvenues high school admissions page.
Sources
- Applying to Lowell High School, SFUSD
- Lowell High School 2027-2028 Admission: Bands Summary, SFUSD
- Board Policy 5120.1: Lowell High School Admissions Policy, SFUSD
- Apply to SFUSD schools
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