« Auction item previews, 2-29-2008 | Main | Announcements 2-29-2008 »
February 29, 2008
High School Placement 2-29-2008
Ann Meissner Jennifer Franklin (Seventh Grade Humanities Teacher)
Catholic high school admissions decisions will be mailed to families on Thursday, March 6, while independent schools will mail their decisions out on the 10th of March. Ann will be meeting with eighth graders on Wednesday March 12 to begin compiling information about acceptances. Please remember, the dates by which schools need to receive a family's deposit are firm, and so it is important that they don't miss those dates.
Before opening any envelopes, please keep in mind the following:
1. While it may sound simple, you are all wonderful people, regardless of the outcome of this process.
2. Did I mention you are wonderful people?
3. You will have a great high school experience, so keep things in perspective. In a few months, you’ll be so nervous about walking into the wrong science class on the first day of school that the decision week will be shoved into the back of your mind.
4. Don’t expect the impossible; there will be some disappointments in that mailbox. There will also be opportunities for the next four years. Focus your energy and emotions on the positives, not on what you wished would have happened.
5. Unanticipated outcomes can be good ones. Some things are just meant to be.
6. Think before you act. Don’t pick up the phone impulsively or march into an admissions office the day after you receive your letters.
7. Admission is competitive enough these days that the following really is true: To be waitlisted or denied admission to a high school does not mean that you are unworthy of going there. It simply means there are better places out there for you.
8. If you really want to go somewhere that put you on a waitlist, tell them! When you return your postcard asking to stay on the waitlist, add a nice note directly to the card, or, if you really need to say more, attach a letter. Speak from your heart! Schools will not know if they can accept students off the wait list until after the enrollment deadline. Be respectful of their time and this reality; it is a myth that simply making yourself known will help you get what you want. If you call the admissions director every day, this is overkill! Stick with one genuine letter (faxing it is fine) and maybe a phone message. And be sure to communicate to Ann what is happening as well so that we can advocate for your family when appropriate. Let us know if you have further questions about this part of the process.
9. Be kind and sensitive to others. The only admission decision you should be concerned about is your own. Please avoid the inconsiderate habit of burning up the phone lines all week. Give yourself and your friends space.
10. If you have choices to make, parents and students should listen carefully to each other. Parents, the goal is to enroll in the school that will best suit your child’s growth. It is tempting to steer your child toward the school that you would choose for yourself. Avoid this pitfall!
11. Once you have made a decision, please let any other schools know that you will not be accepting a space so that they may move on to their wait pool.
This list is not exhaustive, so please call us and ask if you need help, or someone to listen to you. When you are ready, please email or call Ann regarding your decisions so that we have an accurate understanding of who is going where in the fall, or who is waitlisted and needs support. We have enjoyed working with each family through this process, and look forward to sharing your joys in the coming weeks.
Ann and Jennifer
P.S. Thank you to Karen Amaker, former middle school dean, for the content of this letter!