The high school admissions process is, for right now at least, moving along as scheduled. Students should expect to test for public and private high schools in the fall, and to prepare admissions portfolios as usual. But we wanted to give you some updates to help you plan ahead and stay stress-free in a most stressful time.
Expect Spring Cancellations: Tests that most 7th grade students take in the spring will likely be cancelled. As we’re sure you’ve heard, the state and federal governments have cancelled all public elementary and middle school exams for the remainder of the school year (NYS Common Core exams). Aside from a few private schools that gave students compulsory grade-level assessments very early in the year (Williamsburg Northside, for instance) no applicants for public high schools will be relying on 7th grade standardized test scores for admissions. There is talk of hosting some kind of exams for public school students in the fall, but that is at a very preliminary stage.
Grades, Grades, Grades: All of this simply puts more emphasis on grades (ELA and Math, specifically).
There also won’t be any spring tours, and now more than ever it’s valuable to check in with parents of students at schools you’re interested in learning more about. It’s through engaged parents that the best information can be obtained. Tours, as valuable as they are, are nothing compared to direct parent-to-parent feedback. We work with parents at a number of the city’s best public and private high schools. Please reach out to us if you’d like to hear some insights into particular schools you’re considering.
Keeping Things In Context: We’re encouraging families to keep the upcoming test season in context: testing is not the most important thing in the world. The goal of the admissions process is about preparation, not overwhelming anxiety. This year more than ever, we want to ensure our 7th graders keep that stress at bay.
Here are some ways to help with that:
Know what tasks your child is undertaking – no surprises, no last minute scrambles to add things to the mix. Decide on the tests and auditions to pursue
Know which schools your child is applying to – now is the perfect time to make a list and gather intel about the schools you are targeting. A lot can be learned about schools from the comforts of home.
Plan your next steps – should you reach out to a few private schools now to show interest? Should you begin gathering / creating parts of the admissions or visual arts portfolio that schools would like to see?
Here are a few examples of tasks your child can work on now, to get them out of the way before the admissions season ramps up in the fall:
If your child plans on applying to a visual arts program, it's a great time to have them work on their portfolio.
If your child plans to audition for an arts, dance, theater, or music program, this is an excellent time to encourage them to think about their plan and preparation for their audition
Beacon essay prompts are online all year long. There's no better time for your child to start brainstorming on these now if they're interested in applying.
Additionally, it's a great time to begin collecting and organizing a 'Student Work Sample' for Beacon and other HS's that may require them
These are just a few ideas we’re sharing with parents right now. Please feel free to reach out to us if you’d like to discuss high school admissions . We’re here to help.