Families applying to Lowell High School or Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts (SOTA) for the 2027–28 school year should not rely on SFUSD’s general February 1, 2027 main-round deadline. Both selective schools have an earlier application deadline of Friday, December 11, 2026.
What is the exact deadline?
| Application or step | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Lowell High School, entering 9th grade | December 11, 2026 |
| Ruth Asawa SOTA SFUSD enrollment application | December 11, 2026, 5 p.m. according to SOTA |
| Some SOTA departments’ audition-assignment uploads | December 11, 2026 |
| SOTA in-person auditions | January 9, 2027 |
| Other SFUSD main-round applications | February 1, 2027 |
What does a Ruth Asawa SOTA applicant have to do?
SOTA lists three required parts: submit the SFUSD online enrollment application and include SOTA in the school preference order; complete the assigned audition preparation or upload; and attend the relevant in-person audition. Some departments require an assignment uploaded by December 11, including Architecture + Design, Media + Film, Visual Art, Creative Writing and others. Other departments complete work on audition day. Check the department-specific instructions rather than assuming every applicant uploads the same materials.
The school gives Saturday, January 9, 2027 for auditions, with department times expected to be posted by December 19, 2026, at 5 p.m. It requires San Francisco residency and does not accept interdistrict permits for its regular admission process.
Is there a Lowell admissions information session?
Yes. SFUSD advertises a virtual Lowell enrollment workshop on Tuesday, November 10, at 6 p.m. Families can find the joining information on the district’s current 2027–28 Lowell application page. This is a useful opportunity to clarify eligibility and testing arrangements before the December 11 application cutoff.
What is different about Lowell High School?
Lowell uses an academic admissions process and requires a qualifying assessment. SFUSD says current district students will complete the Star Reading and Math tests at their current schools in late January. Students outside SFUSD, including charter-school students, are directed to testing at Lowell High on January 20 at 6 p.m. or January 23 at 8:30 a.m.; the online application asks them to indicate the date they plan to attend. The published special deadline concerns the upcoming 9th-grade application, not the separate 10th–12th-grade transfer window later in the year.
How do families apply?
Start with SFUSD’s official enrollment dates and the online application, which opened October 23, 2026. Then consult the school-specific guidance: SOTA’s three-part application and audition requirements or Lowell’s admissions and testing information.
When are placement results released?
SFUSD’s schedule lists the week of March 15, 2027 for main-round assignment letters and March 25 for accepting or declining assignments. Passing an audition or assessment does not by itself establish that an assignment has been issued; families should wait for the district’s official notice.
Important distinction: This article covers entry for the 2027–28 school year, not the separate November 13, 2026 spring-transfer deadline for the current 2026–27 school year.