Academy Seven Application for Admission

For students currently in the 5th grade

Application Timeline (check each item as you complete the task)

q As soon as possible: Attend one Family Information Meeting with your student. Call 617-423-6300 for dates and locations or visit www.tsf.org/apply q December 2013 or earlier: Give Teacher Recommendation Form to child’s current classroom teacher. q By January 6, 2014: Family should complete and mail in the following: o Family Questionnaire o Student Questionnaire o Student three-paragraph essay o Most recent report card q By January 6, 2014: Teacher must send Teacher Recommendation Form and test scores directly to Steppingstone. q Early February 2014: Based on a review of the written application, teacher recommendation, grades, and test scores, finalists are selected and invited to interview. All applicants are notified of status by mail. q Late February 2014: Finalists take the Steppingstone Exam. All applicants who have been invited to interview are required to take the Steppingstone Exam. q February – early March 2014: Interviews at Steppingstone’s office during business hours. Both the student and a parent/guardian are required to attend. q April 2014: Final admission decisions mailed. q May 2014: New Scholar and Family Welcome Event. q June 2014: New Scholar Summer Orientation. q July – mid August 2014: First six-week summer session for the accepted Scholars as the new Class of 2015.

If you have any questions or need additional copies of the application,

please contact the Admission Office at 617-423-6300, ext. 233 or [email protected].

Academy Seven Application, ©, 2014, The Steppingstone Foundation ® , Inc.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Steppingstone Academy? The Steppingstone Academy is a program of The Steppingstone Foundation, an educational non-profit founded in 1990. Academy Seven is Steppingstone’s program designed just for fifth graders to provide them with the tools to be successful in seventh grade and beyond.

Academy Seven consists of four components: Academic Preparation, seventh-grade Placement, Support Services, and College Services. Academic Preparation and Placement take place during the first 14 months. Support Services includes tutoring, mentoring, workshops, and college counseling through middle and high school. Steppingstone continues to support Scholars through college graduation.

Who should apply to Academy Seven? Motivated fifth graders who are hardworking, love to learn, want help in accessing college, and are committed to attending one of our placement schools should apply. Applicants must be Boston residents.

How much does Academy Seven cost? Academy Seven is a free program. Families will be asked to contribute $75 for summer transportation and t-shirts. If this contribution is a hardship, it can be waived upon request.

Can students apply for just one summer session? No. When a family applies to Academy Seven, they make a commitment to attend both six-week summer sessions as well as Wednesday after-school and Saturday classes each week throughout the sixth-grade academic year. It is important that both families and students understand the time commitment involved before applying to Steppingstone.

How many students are accepted into Academy Seven? Although we do not have a set number for each class, we hope to admit approximately 100 fifth-grade students each year.

How are students selected for the program? The admission process is divided into five parts: 1) Written Application (Family Questionnaire, Student Questionnaire and Essay), 2) Teacher Recommendation, 3) Transcript (includes past grades and standardized test scores), 4) Interview, and 5) Steppingstone Exam. Final decisions are made based on all of the admission components. We are looking for students who enjoy learning and challenging themselves, families and students who are committed to making Steppingstone a priority, and families who demonstrate a need for tuition-free college access programming and the opportunities provided by our placement schools.

Is transportation provided? Bus transportation is provided by Steppingstone for the summer sessions only. Families are required to provide transportation for their students for the Wednesday (after school) and Saturday classes during the sixth-grade year.

What are the placement schools for Academy Seven? All Academy Seven Scholars will apply to the public exam schools. Those families who are interested will also apply to independent schools. Steppingstone works with a select group of independent schools. Please see the complete list of Academy Seven placement schools on the back page.

Does Steppingstone provide scholarships for students? No. If your student gains admission to a public exam school, a scholarship or financial aid is not needed because the exam schools are publicly funded schools that do not charge tuition. Independent schools are privately funded and charge tuition annually. Independent schools award financial aid according to family need. Steppingstone works with families to apply for financial aid. Most families receive some form of financial aid and many receive generous financial aid packages. Please note that all families are asked to contribute some amount of money towards their child’s tuition at an .

Do students generally get into the school of their choice? The Steppingstone staff works very hard with each Scholar and family to determine which schools would be a good fit for that Scholar. While admission to a placement school cannot be guaranteed by Steppingstone, most of our Scholars enroll at a placement school at which they are very happy.

Academy Seven

Placement Schools for Seventh Grade

Public Exam Schools Academic Preparation and Placement 14-month Component Boston Latin Academy Summer Summer Session I (before sixth grade) July – mid-August Boston Latin School 2014 • Six weeks, Monday through Friday (8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) John D. O’Bryant School of Math and Science Academic Year (during sixth grade) School Year • Wednesday after-school classes (4:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) 2014 -15 Independent Schools • Classes on Saturday (8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.)

Beaver Country Day School Summer Summer Session II (after sixth grade) July – mid-August Belmont Day School 2015 • Six weeks, Monday through Friday (8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) Boston College High School Buckingham Browne & Nichols Dedham Country Day School College Readiness

Dexter Southfield School • Academic tutoring and mentoring • College counseling services Grades 7 - 12 • Workshops, conferences and social events with other Scholars The Fenn School • Discounted SAT classes The • Financial aid application assistance Meadowbrook School of Weston Newton Country Day School Spring 2021 • Graduate from high school! Noble and Greenough School The • Enroll in college! The • Advising services Fall 2021 • Continued financial aid assistance St. Sebastian’s School • Mentoring by older Steppingstone Scholars • Workshops and social events with other Scholars The

Academy Seven Application, ©, 2014, The Steppingstone Foundation®, Inc.

If you have any questions or need additional copies of the application, please contact the Admission Office at 617-423-6300, ext. 233 or email [email protected].

Founded in 1990, The Steppingstone Foundation is a non-

profit organization that develops and implements programs that prepare Boston-area schoolchildren for educational opportunities that lead to college success.

Based on the premise that, regardless of circumstance,

children can achieve at high levels if they are prepared in a focused, demanding academic environment, Steppingstone programs emphasize rigorous standards and achieve meaningful results.

155 Federal Street, Suite 800 Boston, MA 02110 T: (617) 423-6300 F: (617) 423-6303 www.tsf.org

Academy Seven is a division of The Steppingstone Academy, a program of The Steppingstone Foundation®.

The Steppingstone Foundation is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals.