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Bistmar School

Welcome to Bistmar

An education that prepares students for a changing world.

A coeducational, independent day school for Pre-K through Grade 12. Small classes. Named faculty. A century of preparing curious students for college and the lives that follow.

Apply for 2026–27 → Schedule a Tour ▶ Watch our story

Accredited by

NAIS Member School WASC Senior College & School Commission CASE

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Bistmar at a glance · 90 seconds · Captioned

9:1

Student-faculty ratio across all divisions

100%

College matriculation, 14 years running

$8.4M

Financial aid awarded in 2025

42%

Students of color, 28 countries represented

AI Personalized Tour

Tell us a little, and we'll show you the Bistmar that fits your family.

Three quick questions. We reorder our site to feature the programs, the faculty, and the answers most relevant to where your child is now and where they're headed.

Step 1 of 3

Which division are you considering?

Find your path

The Bistmar journey, by family.

Most prospective families arrive with a specific question in mind. Start where you are.

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Lower School families

Entering Pre-K through Grade 4. What to expect from our literacy, math, and play-based foundations.

Explore Lower School →

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International families

Visa support, ESL pathways, host family options, and timelines for families relocating from abroad.

International guide →

Considering financial aid

Last year, $8.4M in aid went to families across all income tiers. See the eligibility quiz and process.

Aid eligibility →

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Re-enrolling families

Current Bistmar families returning for 2026–27. Forms, payment plans, and division transition timelines.

Re-enrollment portal →

Dr. Elena Marchetti

Head of Upper School

“

The work isn't to fill students with information. The work is to teach them how to ask better questions, defend a position, change their mind when the evidence changes, and stay curious about people whose lives don't look like theirs.

Dr. Elena MarchettiHead of Upper School · 18 years at Bistmar

Ph.D., EducationStanford University

AuthorTeaching the Examined Life (2024)

Read Dr. Marchetti's full bio → Faculty directory →

Programs

Three tracks. One whole student.

Academics anchor everything. Arts and athletics develop the rest.

Academics

Curiosity, structured.

A K to 12 academic program built around close reading, quantitative reasoning, scientific inquiry, and the ability to write a clear paragraph. Honors and AP options in Upper School. Six languages offered.

Explore academics →

Arts

Voice, made visible.

Studio art, theater, choral, instrumental. A senior portfolio capstone.

Arts at Bistmar →

Athletics

22 teams. 14 titles.

Three seasons. No-cut Middle School. Varsity rigor in Upper School.

View teams & schedules →

Where the Class of 2025 is now.

92 graduates. 268 college acceptances. 100% matriculation. A representative selection of where they enrolled.

Class of 2025 · Updated November 2025

Brown University

Columbia University

Cornell University

Dartmouth College

Duke University

Emory University

Georgetown University

Harvard University

Johns Hopkins

MIT

Northwestern

Princeton University

Stanford University

UC Berkeley

UCLA

University of Chicago

University of Michigan

University of Pennsylvania

Vanderbilt University

Yale University

Methodology and full college list, including matriculation by region and major, are published in our annual outcomes report.

View full outcomes report →

Virtual Tour

Walk the campus from wherever you are.

Our 18-acre campus, in 360. Click hotspots to step inside the science wing, the black box theater, or a Lower School classroom. Mid-tour, schedule a real visit in a click.

Start virtual tour →

3 of 12 hotspots · Marchetti Science Wing

News & Stories

What's happening at Bistmar.

Faculty journalism, student work, and school announcements. New posts every week.

Academics

Nov 18, 2026 · 5 min read

How the new Computer Science strand is changing senior capstones.

Three years in, Bistmar's CS strand is graduating students with shipped projects, peer-reviewed papers, and a clear sense of what they want to study next.

By Jamal Kingsley, Department Chair, Computer Science

Athletics

Nov 14, 2026 · 3 min read

Girls' soccer wins league championship for the fourth consecutive year.

The varsity team finished the regular season 14-1, with a 3-0 win over Hillside in the title match. Six seniors will continue at the collegiate level.

By Renata Alvarado, Athletic Director

Arts

Nov 9, 2026 · 4 min read