Lowell High School admits by merit for fall 2027, through three bands that all start from the same two inputs: seventh and eighth grade grades and the Star test. If you have read that Lowell is a lottery school, that guide is out of date. This explainer walks through how the three bands work, using the SFUSD Band Summary for 2027-28 and the board policy.
Merit, not a lottery
SFUSD's Lowell page says admission to Lowell is based on academic and non-academic criteria as outlined in the Lowell Admissions Policy. It adds that Lowell is the only high school in the district with academic based admissions criteria. The Band Summary describes its band data as coming from the last three years of merit-based admission. The board policy says the three-band structure was created in 2001.
The policy has changed in public discussion over the years, and we have not tried to reconstruct that history here. For a family applying now, the published method is merit-based with three bands, and that is what the rest of this guide covers.
The Star test
SFUSD uses its Winter Interim Assessment, Star Reading and Star Math, as the Lowell admissions test. Current SFUSD students take it at their school in late January. Non-SFUSD and charter applicants take it at Lowell. Each of the two scores is worth up to 12.5 points, from a percentile table. The Band Summary lists 12.5 points for the 98th to 99th percentile, and 7.5 points for the 60th to 64th percentile, which is the Band 2 minimum.
The grades
Grades come from English, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science. SFUSD counts the final grades for semester 1 and semester 2 of seventh grade and semester 1 of eighth grade. For schools on trimesters, seventh grade averages all three trimesters and eighth grade uses trimester 1 only. If a student takes two equally weighted courses in one subject, the higher grade is used.
The points differ by year:
| Year | Each subject, per semester | Maximum | | --- | --- | --- | | 7th grade | A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0 | 16 per semester | | 8th grade, semester 1 | A=8, B=6, C=4, D=2, F=0 | 32 |
Together the grades are worth up to 64 points.
Band 1: grades and the test
About 70 percent of admitted students, roughly 700 offers according to the Band Summary, come through Band 1. It is worth up to 89 points in total: 64 from grades and 25 from the two Star scores. SFUSD says the 2026-27 cut-off score for Band 1 was 82.5 points, and that it may change for 2027-28. Notice what that means in practice: a student needs almost every grade point and a strong test to clear it.
Band 2: a committee reads the whole student
About 15 percent of offers, roughly 150, come through Band 2. To be considered, a student needs a minimum 3.00 GPA and an average at or above the 60th percentile on Star. Then a school-based committee scores up to 45 points for factors such as extracurricular leadership, extenuating circumstances, the ability to overcome hardship and family information.
The Band Summary lists the evaluation factors: socioeconomic factors, English Language Learner status, ability to overcome hardship, extenuating circumstances, athletics, community service, creative abilities, extracurricular activities, peer support or mentoring, school leadership or service, and technology skills.
With grades at up to 64 points and the committee at up to 45, the maximum is 109. The 2026-27 cut-off was 83 points, and SFUSD says it may change. The committee's deliberations are confidential and final, with no appeal, according to the board policy.
Band 2 also includes an essay. SFUSD's page describes an essay written at the student's current school in January 2027, while the policy uses the term personal statement. Both sources say it helps the committee. The policy says it is not scored as a writing sample.
Band 3: schools that are under-represented
About 15 percent of offers, roughly 150, come through Band 3. A student needs at least 64 points from grades and Star scores, and must attend a Band 3 school. SFUSD identifies those schools based on under-representation at Lowell, using three years of merit-based data. Middle school principals nominate students, and under-represented schools are allocated seats in proportion to their eighth grade population. The 2027-28 list is not public until the March assignment letters.
The Band Summary also notes extra seats for Special Education RSP students, typically 3 to 5.
Every student is assessed for every band
SFUSD states that all students have a chance to be assessed for admission through each of the three bands. You do not choose a band when you apply. That is useful to know if your student's grades are just under the Band 1 line: the Band 2 route may still be open.
How the bands meet the Main Round
Lowell offers are decided in the winter, before the March Main Round. A student who qualifies and lists Lowell first gets the Lowell offer on March 15, 2027. A student who qualifies but lists other schools higher is assigned to those first, and gets Lowell only if none of the higher choices has space. SFUSD says there is no waitlist or appeal, and no sibling tiebreaker for Lowell.
What to take from this
- The grades are mostly fixed by now. Semester 1 of eighth grade is the only year-in-progress input, so steady work this fall counts.
- The Star test is the same assessment SFUSD already uses, and sample items are linked on the Lowell page.
- If Band 2 applies, ask your student's school how the January essay will be run.
- Plan your other schools carefully, since there is no waitlist.
For help thinking through your own student's situation, send us a note or see the EduAvenues high school admissions page.
Sources
- Lowell High School 2027-2028 Admission: Bands Summary, SFUSD
- Board Policy 5120.1: Lowell High School Admissions Policy, SFUSD
- Applying to Lowell High School, SFUSD
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