Enrollment Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I apply to Gateway? You must fill out a Gateway application. Applications may be downloaded from our website, www.gwhs.org, or picked up from Gateway's main office. Applications will also be available at our open houses.The application deadline for the 2008-2009 school year is January 31, 2008.
2. What is the time line for the application process? To be eligible for the lottery, Gateway must receive your Student Statement and Parent/Guardian form by January 31, 2008. The middle schools have additional time to send teacher recommendations and fall semester transcripts. Gateway will conduct the lottery in early March and notification letters will be mailed to you on March 14. Students who are offered enrollment at Gateway must accept or decline by March 28. Students who were not selected by the lottery must decide by March 23 if they wish to be on our wait list. There will be a reception in April for the new students, and placement tests are in May.
3. Do I apply to Gateway through SFUSD? No. Gateway's enrollment process is completely separate from SFUSD. If you are applying to SFUSD high schools, do not list Gateway as one of your choices on the District's enrollment form. Rather use that form to select the SFUSD schools that you would like to attend. Please be aware that newly enrolled Gateway students will be given a SFUSD enrollment form to fill out. The form is then submitted by Gateway to the Educational Placement Center of SFUSD so that the District knows what students are attending Gateway. Gateway students are part of SFUSD.
4. Does Gateway accept students who do not live in San Francisco? Yes. Gateway has students from all over the Bay Area. However, please note that applicants who do not reside in San Francisco who are offered enrollment at Gateway must apply for an Interdistrict Transfer from your home school district, and if the district refuses to grant the transfer, you will not be able to attend Gateway.
5. How does Gateway select its students? As prescribed by California law, Gateway conducts a lottery for the incoming ninth grade class.
6. Are there any preferences given to any students in the lottery process?Yes. Consistent with state and federal law, siblings of currently enrolled Gateway students are given preference in the lottery.
7. Does Gateway have a separate enrollment process or lottery for students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs)? No. Students with IEPs and students with identified learning disabilities are enrolled using the same lottery process.
8. If Gateway uses a lottery to enroll students, why does Gateway require an application? There are two main reasons Gateway requires an application: first, as a school of choice, Gateway wants to ensure that you will use the application process as a way to decide if Gateway is the right school for you. By visiting the school, reading our materials and responding to the questions we ask, you'll get a good sense of what makes Gateway unique and what you can expect to find if you come. Second, we use the application to help us, if you do enroll, get to know you right away, plan your schedule accordingly and in general, help you make as smooth a transition to a new school as you can.
9. How do students transfer to Gateway? Students who are already attending high school but who wish to transfer to Gateway must submit an application. The January 31, 2008 deadline does not apply to transfer applicants. You should submit an application as soon as you decide you may want to transfer to Gateway. Gateway's transfer capacity is contingent upon available spaces in each class. The enrollment office may not know the number of spaces available until late spring or as late as right before school starts. Please be aware that the Enrollment Office is closed from the end of June through mid-August.
10. Does Gateway admit students during the school year? Students are periodically enrolled in Gateway during the fall semester until the beginning of the second semester in late January when there are spaces available. In order to be considered for mid-year enrollment, you have to have an application on file with us.

If you are interested in learning more about Gateway and the enrollment process, contact the Iris Smith, Director of Enrollment, for an application at (415) 749-3488 or enrollment@gatewayhigh.org.