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High School Placement |
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IntroductionThe high school application process can seem overwhelming, but we try to make the entire procedure more manageable as it becomes understandable. We provide each family with a high school binder that contains:
Children have the biggest assignment during the search for a high school. It is the student's job to call for applications and schedule visits to all schools of interest. The fall of eighth grade is the time for the students to draft essays for their applications, at the same time as they are visiting high schools, attending open houses at these schools, and maintaining their grades. As placement counselor, I meet with families in August to discuss high school choices and provide a calendar of events. When school starts we meet once a week with the eighth graders, keeping in touch with students as well as addressing concerns that may come up. In this class, we have mock interviews to help children prepare for the high school interview. In November, we give the SSAT at the Day School. We provide both a timed and extended time version, for students who qualify. Overall, I act as a sounding board for parents and children, answering questions and helping families balance all that they have to do during this process. Lisa Busby
Frequently asked questionsWhat makes up the high school application process? For independent schools, there are five components to the high school admission process:
High school admission committees look at applications, grades, interviews, and teacher recommendations equally. Tests have been less crucial in the past but, because of the increasing number of applicants, they are becoming more important as one of the determining factors to high schools. What do the high schools look for in an applicant? High schools look for a student who is the "right fit" for their school. The "fit" is often quite broad and it includes many different kinds of students. High schools are looking to construct a class that combines all kinds of people: quiet and talkative, athletes, writers, social enthusiasts, those interested in the arts, those involved in community service, as well as those who come from different backgrounds and different schools. High schools seek student populations that reflect the world children will be living in. How important are standardized tests (SSATs, ERBs, etc.) and grades? Standardized tests are important, but not conclusive, in the process of deliberation. Some schools place more emphasis on them than others, but it is generally true that achievement (grades) and effort marks are much more important than testing. Standardized tests are usually used as a confirmation of what has been demonstrated in transcripts and recommendations. What is the role of the school recommendation letters? The school writes three letters on behalf of SFDS students applying to high schools. The first is the high school counselor's letter, an overall letter of introduction to the child. It describes your child as a student and a citizen of the school. English and math teachers fill out both a checklist about specific skills particular to their disciplines, as well as writing a general comment about each child as a student. All three recommendations emphasize a student's strengths and skills and personal style, while also pointing out areas for growth that a school might need to take into consideration in the admission process. Schools looking for a student who is the right fit must count on the feeder schools to dictate honestly where an applicant may be in terms of skills and learning. What is the role of SFDS in the admission process?
We can advise, facilitate, encourage, and recommend, but decisions rest with the high schools. We provide experienced and individualized counseling at the beginning of the process; we gather information from every upper-school teacher; and we compile all of the information and recommendations for the schools to consider. We stay in constant contact with the admission directors and we provide up-to-the-minute information during their deliberations. We unabashedly go to bat for each of our students and we share both their exultation and their disappointment when the results are announced. We do not "get kids into schools" -- the students themselves have earned the grades, taken the tests, participated in the activities, and written the applications. We are simply a guiding light.
Statistics for 2003-2004
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