Independent and Catholic School Directory (cont’d.)

The Park School of 410-339-7070 parkschool.net

Roland Park Country School 410-323-5500 rpcs.org

St. Paul’s School 410-825-4400

stpaulsschool.org

St. Paul’s School for Girls 410-823-6323

spsfg.org

St. Timothy’s School 410-486-7400 stt.org Jemicy High School 410-753-8131/8123 High School jemicyschool.org AIMS (Association of MD & DC aimsmddc.org Independent Schools) Selection Guide

Prepared by St. James Academy Admission Office 3100 Monkton Road Monkton, MD 21111 410.329.3292

-17- Independent and Catholic School St. James Academy Directory Class of 2019 Dear Parents, Boys’ Latin School of MD 410-377-5192 boyslatinmd.com The information in this booklet has been compiled by the St. James Academy admission office to assist you and your child through the 410-323-8800 high school admission process. It includes everything you will need to brynmawrschool.org know as you navigate the many steps involved in successfully transi- Calvert Hall College 410-825-4266 tioning your child from SJA to high school. calverthall.com

Charlotte Riggs, Lisa Davis, Katie Wareheim, the middle school Faculty Concordia Prep 410-825-2323 and the SJA office staff are committed to supporting you and your Concordiaprepschool.org student through this process. During the month of September, the students explore the many aspects of transitioning to high school in Friends School of Baltimore 410-435-2800 their 8th grade Leadership Seminar which includes an individual friendsbalt.org practice interview with a school Administrator. You will also schedule 410-363-1500 a time to meet with SJA’s Administration to discuss your child’s gfs.org admission profile and ask questions pertaining to your child and the high school process. 410-323-3800 gilman.edu Although the admission climate is competitive, be assured that gradu- ates of St. James Academy are well prepared and sought after as The John Carroll School 410-879-2480 prime candidates for independent, Catholic, and public upper school johncarroll.org programs. 410-823-0601 loyolablakefield.org Selecting the best high school match is a time consuming and emo- tional process. It is also a learning process and a cap stone experience Maryvale Preparatory 410-252-3366 for our 8th grade students. maryvale.com

We look forward to working with you and your child during this excit- McDonogh School 410-363-0600 ing time. mcdonogh.org

Mercy High School 410-433-8880 mercyhighschool.com

Lisa Davis Notre Dame Preparatory 410-825-0590 Middle School Head notredameprep.com

Oldfields School 410-472-4800 Katie Wareheim Director of Admission & Enrollment Management oldfieldsschool.org

N.B. Your comments & suggestions regarding the information in this publication are welcome. -16-

Public School Directory Table of Contents

Dulaney High School Guidance Office – 443-809-7635 1………..Admission Process Timeline Shadow visits encouraged during American Education Week in No- vember. 3………..Considerations When Choosing a High School

Fallston High School Guidance Office - 410.638.3542 5………..School Visits Shadow visits are scheduled by counselor

Hereford High School 6………..Completing the Application Guidance Office - 410.887.1907 Guidance Counselor - Ellen Fitzkee or Jackie Bowersox (secretary) 7………..What To Expect During The Interview Visit days are for parents and students. Dates TBD 10………..What Is Considered For Admission To High School Guidance Office – 443.809.3832 11………..The High School Admission Tests Half day shadow visits are scheduled by calling the guidance office

Towson High School 12………..Required Referral Forms Guidance Office - 410.887.3613 13………..Applying for Financial Assistance

14………..After the Decision Letters Are Received

Baltimore County Schools Website — www.bcps.org 15………..School Websites and Phone Numbers Harford County School website — www.hcps.org Magnet School Programs have competitive admission and often require a portfolio of work or an audition. Be sure to meet the application deadline. Baltimore County Magnet Programs Website: www.bcps.org/offices/omp Harford county Magnet Programs Website: www.hcps.org/schools/magnetprograms

-15-

Admission Timeline After The Decision Letters

August - 2018 Are Received □ Read letter emailed from SJA. □ Contact the schools you wish to visit. Request one of the □ When your child has applied to several schools, it is dates established exclusively by SJA for Grade 8 students important to allow all schools the opportunity to inform to visit: October 18, October 19, November 8, the family of a decision before a commitment is made to November 9 or November 13. one school. If two schools are still weighted equally for you and your child, call to schedule a second visit. Most September - 2018 schools will accommodate this request. □ Read and discuss the contents in this handbook as a fam- ily. □ Once you have made a school selection for your child, immediately notify the other schools to which □ Select at least four schools and gather information from their websites. your child was accepted, releasing your child’s spot for another student in their wait pool. □ Mark your calendar to attend Information Events.

□ Meet with SJA Administrator. St. James Academy expects our families to complete the admission process in an ethical way. A October - 2018 personal call to the admission office is strongly □ Plan to attend SJA's Upper School Admission Night encouraged. Delaying your call to notify the schools that on October 4th from 6:30PM-7:30PM. your child will not be attending puts the school and families waiting for a decision in an unpleasant position. It □ Organize your applications - noting special requests, in- formation needed and deadlines. Begin working on the can also be a poor reflection on St. James Academy and essay draft. the valued relationships SJA has established with the high schools. □ Register online for ISEE and/or HSPT test dates. Be sure the dates do not conflict. Often an admission director will inquire why you have □ Submit Referral Forms, transcript requests, and release of records forms directly to the Academy office; complete made another school choice. Your response provides student information on each. helpful information to schools as they strive to improve the admission process for families. Your cooperation is □ Meet with SJA Administrator. appreciated!

November - 2018 □ If you will be taking the Catholic School Test in Decem- ber, be sure you are aware of the exam date, location,

and specifics.

□ American Education week—opportunity to visit local pub- lic high schools. High school info nights also held in Nov. -14- -1-

December - 2018

□ Complete and submit online applications to the schools Applying for Financial Assistance you have selected by December 1st. Save a copy.

□ File financial assistance forms online with payment. Re- If your family needs financial assistance, parents should request infor- tain a copy for your records.

mation from the high school Admission Office or follow the directions for □ Catholic High School Placement Test (HSPT) — applying on the school’s website. Financial assistance awards are based on December 1st (tentative) or December 8th family need and availability of funds. Each school has a financial aid ser- (tentative). Call individual schools for correct date and vice with whom forms are to be filed. The form must be completed by time.

each school’s specified date and are filed online. Some schools also require □ SJA ISEE test date is December 15th (tentative) — that you provide them with your most recent federal income tax form, online administration only. and/or other financial information. These details should be part of the ad- mission information on the school’s website. January - 2019 □ Mail supplementary financial assistance forms (1040) to Based on the information provided on the financial aid forms, your family's the schools. Watch deadlines especially for scholar- ability to contribute to an individual student's education is computed using ship testing. a standard formula. Factors considered include: parental income; assets; debt; special family or business circumstances, cash savings and available funds; number of children in tuition paying institutions; etc. Be sure to adhere to deadlines; a late application can result in refusal of aid. February - 2019 □ Decision letters mailed Friday, February 22nd. Each school determines the amount of an individual award. For example, if □ High School welcome events for accepted students. the FA results determine that your family has $5,000 available to contrib- ute to this student's tuition and the tuition at a particular school is □ Possible revisit to schools before making final decision / $15,000, it does not necessarily mean that you will be awarded $10,000 in enrollment deadline is Friday, March 8th. financial assistance from that school. The number of requests for aid and funds available for distribution fluctuates each year. Schools may consider March - 2019 requests from current families before considering the needs of new stu- □ After you have enrolled your child in the selected high dents, as well. school, notify any schools to which your child was accept- ed and will not be enrolling to allow schools to contact N.B. Some high schools offer competitive academic scholarships. Infor- students in their wait pool. mation can be found on the school’s website or through the admission □ Magnet School decisions are announced. office. May 1, 2019 Catholic families interested in scholarships should also search The Knott □ If enrolling in a public high school, schedule an appoint- Scholarship Fund at ww.knottscholar.org. The Knott Scholarship Funds ment with a Counselor to discuss course selection and award four-year, full-tuition scholarships to attend a local Catholic high

school. Please see the scholarship website for specific requirements and placement.

detailed information. □ N.B. After this date enrollment contracts at many independent schools become binding for the full year’s tuition.

-13- -2-

Considerations When Choosing a Required Referral Forms High School

Many factors determine where students should apply to high school. As part of the Admission process, the application for each school will Each family will need to decide which factors are most important in include at least one Teacher Referral Form and a Release of Records. the decision making process for each individual child. The chart below Both of these forms should be submitted to the SJA school office. is a guide to help you prioritize. Please do NOT give referral forms directly to individual teach- ers. The Academy Office keeps a record of the incoming forms to as- sure that they are completed, returned to the Office, and mailed with Selection Criteria Parent Priority Student Priority the students’ transcripts.

You may designate which teachers you wish to complete the referral Academic Atmosphere forms. The Academy Office will direct the referral form to that teacher. Sometimes schools specifically name an individual, i.e. the head, guid- Affiliation of School ance counselor, current Math or English teacher, etc. to complete forms. Student Diversity Please be considerate of the faculty’s time. Often faculty members have Daily Class Schedule several forms to complete for each student. Submit forms to the SJA school office by November 1, 2018. Campus Facilities Please be sure to complete your portion of the referral form: including

Colleges Graduates Attend name and the school to which you are applying if not printed on the form. The Release of Records form requires a parent's signature au- thorizing the Academy to mail copies of report cards and CTP4 test re- Competition Level sults.

Cost Referral forms and Release of Records should be provided in early fall to ensure completion by the end of the first marking period (early De- Counseling Services cember). At that time, faculty can provide a more comprehensive eval- uation of each student's performance and the first trimester grades can Course Offerings accompany the referral. No referral forms will be completed during the

Cultural Experiences Christmas holiday, so submit them early!

Distance From Home

Extracurricular Offerings

-12-

-3-

The High School Admission Tests

Parent Priority Student Priority Applicants for high schools are expected to take admission tests. Selection Criteria

Registration for these tests is required. Be sure to inquire about Financial Assistance possible scholarship testing at each school, as well.

Four Year Attrition

□ Baltimore area independent schools require that applicants take

the ISEE ( Entrance Exam) administered, H onor System scored, and results mailed by Educational Testing Service in Princeton, NJ. St James Academy will administer an on I ndependent Study line ISEE on Saturday, December 15th (tentative). Regis- Interscholastic Athletics tration is online at https://www.erblearn.org/parents. Students

may take the ISEE multiple times. Check the ISEE website and I ntramural Athletics high school application deadlines before considering this option.

Results will be sent to each school specified on your registration. M ethods of Instruction The ISEE is two and a half hours long and includes a timed, # of new students enrolled written essay section. For questions regarding the ISEE please i n Grade 9 contact Elizabeth Mangas, [email protected] or go to the

FAQ section on the website. Please add St James Academy R eligious Affiliation to the score report list. If requesting testing accommoda- tions, a copy of the educational evaluation must be submitted at Sch ool Policies

least 5 weeks before test date for approval. The link for more S ize of Freshman Class information is: https://www.erblearn.org/parents/accommodations-isee Size of Content Classes

□ Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore administer the S tudent/Fac. Relationship HSPT (High School Placement Test) to prospective students at

the Diocesan schools on December 1st and S tudent Government

8th (tentative). Testing date and time may be obtained from the Catholic school to which you are applying. The test is three T echnology Integration

hours and the fee of $40. Registration is online at http:// T ransportation www.archbalt.org/schools/highschool-information/index.cfm

U rban / Rural Setting □ Boarding schools and some day schools require applicants to take the SSAT (Secondary School Achievement Test). Infor- mation and pre-registration should be provided by the school as Find time to discuss your choices. Narrow your priorities to those part of the admission process. that are most important to both parent and student. Although your collective priorities may change during the process, remember to use □ Portfolios and / or prime assessments are required for Public these priorities as benchmarks for your decision making. Magnet Program Schools. Portfolios and auditions can take a full year of preparation.

-11- -4-

What Is Considered For Admission To School Visits High School

Testing Profile Schools for serious consideration should be contacted to schedule a student Admission Test Scores( ISEE, HSPT, SSAT) visitation day. Personal visits for parents and students are arranged in Achievement (CTP / ERB) Test Scores different ways by each school. School Ability Test Scores (OLSAT) CTY Testing (Center for Talented Youth) The Director of Admission or a designee will meet with you during your visit. If you would like your child to visit “honors” or advanced level classes on the Academic Record shadow day or participate in particular subjects of interest to your child, you Quality and Range of Courses should request that your child’s student host be in these classes. Consistency of Performance Improvement of Performance If your child visits a school on the same day as other St. James students, it is Report Card for Grades 6, 7, & 8 important for him/her to focus on the purpose of the visit. SJA visitors should be courteous and attentive to their hosts and spend their time learning about Extracurricular Activities the school. This is a chance for the high school faculty and admission team to Degree of Involvement in School Activities get to know your child as well. Summer Activities

Sports, Performing Arts, Visual Arts This is the time to ask questions to determine whether the school can provide an appropriate program to meet your child's educational needs and personal Community Service preferences. A parent and/or student interview might also take place during Leadership Service / Student Council this visit. Teacher Referrals/ Recommendations Interview In an attempt to maintain continuity of your child's curriculum and facilitate the selection process, the Academy has established several dates for eighth graders Quality of Application and Essays to schedule upper school visits. We encourage you to call schools in August and early September and use these dates, if possible: Other Considerations Demonstrated Academic Excellence & Achievement Affiliation to school / Sibling or Child of Alumnus/Alumna Thursday, October 18 Individual Talents: Athlete / Musician / Performer/Artist Friday, October 19 Religious Affiliation Thursday, November 8 Outstanding Social Contribution Friday, November 9 Unusual Background Tuesday, November 13 Moreover, schools are looking for candidates and families who under- Again, after the visit a "pro & con" list can be helpful in recalling and organiz- stand their mission and will be contributing members of the school com- ing information, experiences, and impressions when you are comparing munity. schools. Open discussion between parents and students and comparison of lists helps. While student input is valued and important to consider, the final decision has to be one that considers the impact on the entire family. -10-

-5-

Questions Parents May Want To Ask □ What is the student body makeup and geographic distribution? □ How does the school communicate to parents and how frequently? Completing the Application □ What is expected financially beyond tuition? □ What are the school's specialized programs? □ How does the school teach and reinforce study and organizational skills? □ What support services are offered for students? FOR THE STUDENT: □ How individualized can the program be for my child's abilities? □ What types of projects do teachers assign? How much Before Starting the Application independence is expected? □ What does the faculty consider to be important in their teaching? □ Download and print a copy of the online application to use □ What forms of literature do the students read? as a draft. □ How accessible are teachers outside of classroom time? □ How much does class discussion, writing assignments, and test □ Read the entire application carefully. Some school websites engage the student's higher order thinking skills (analysis, will not save a partially completed application for later comple- interpretation, synthesis, and application)? tion. Some applications have an “optional” essay. SJA students □ How do you advance moral development beyond dependence should complete this essay. upon rewards and consequences? □ What do your students value? Is it “cool” to be smart, involved, and friendly with teachers? □ Highlight any special instructions - e.g., the details of an □ How does the school involve students in leadership? essay to be included with the application; or an application dead- □ How does the school ensure that students are doing the best line, submitting online, etc. work of which they are capable? □ Who handles college guidance? For how many students? □ Set a target date of December 1st for submitting all □ How would you describe the class my child will be entering? applications. □ How is technology integrated into the program for students? □ Where can I view your student publications? □ Submit transcript request & referral forms directly to the SJA school office. Clip together all forms for each school. Be Once the interview process is complete, it is important for parents and sure to complete the student & family information. Please do students to emphasize the positive points of each experience. Consider NOT give forms to classroom teachers. making a pro/con list similar to the one on Page 5 to formalize your thoughts and feelings. (It will be easier to remember your im- You may be able to prepare one essay for several applications, how- pressions later if you make notes after each visit and/or inter- ever, some schools require essays on a specific topic. Your child's view.) English teachers, by request, will review the application essay with A Final Note: Consider sending a handwritten note or email to the the student. Allow plenty of time for consideration and completion of school within a few days of the interview; express your continuing in- the draft application. The student should complete the applica- terest in the school, mention experiences you had as a visitor and tions. meeting with the Admission staff. This applies to both parents and stu- dents. Mrs. Fowler can provide a student with the names of the Admis- sion Officers and school addresses. These can also be found on the High School’s website.

-9- -6-

Questions Students May Be Asked What To Expect During □ Why are you considering our school? The Interview □ Where else are you applying and why? What is your first choice? □ What makes you think this school is a good match for you? □ What are your academic strengths / weaknesses? □ Do you play video games? The admission process requires a parent/student interview in most □ Do you watch TV? How Much? schools. The interview will focus on the student and his/her personal □ Do you like movies? What have you seen recently? attributes, academic history, and extracurricular interests. □ What are your special interests? □ What makes a good teacher? In early fall, an SJA Administrator will meet with each Grade 8 □ How would your friends describe you? student individually to practice interviewing skills. A subsequent □ What’s the last thing that you read and enjoyed? meeting with parents will be held. Families find these meetings □ Tell me about your family. Tell me about a typical day at school. informative and reassuring as they experience the process of choosing □ How do you spend your summers? their child's next educational setting. □ What extracurricular activities have you found most satisfying? □ Who are your heroes? Why? When you meet with an interviewer as part of the admission process, □ What qualities are important in a student leader? realize that these professionals expect to meet a nervous student and □ What contributions have you made to your school? are trained to obtain information by making the interviewee comfort- □ How would you handle the following situation (example given)? able. □ What event or person has had a profound impact on your life? □ What is one thing you would like to try that you have not yet done? This interview is your child's chance to “toot his/her horn”. For years □ What is one thing you’d like to change about yourself? we have taught our children not to boast, but to be humble. An oc- casion such as an admission interview, however, is an opportunity for Questions Students May Want to Ask your child to share his/her exceptional accomplishments and success- □ Tell me about your advisory system. How many students does es. Schools are looking for: 1) academic performance and intellectual each advisor counsel? ability; 2) quality students with good values; 3) specific □ How many new students do you enroll in the Freshman Class? talents, interests, or accomplishments; 4) willingness to try new □ How many students are in a typical English/History/Math class? things. □ Do your students have laptops? How are teacher using technology in the classroom? □ As part of the interview, students are expected to answer ques- □ Describe student access to theater/music/athletic facilities. tions honestly and succinctly, and they are expected to ask perti- □ Do you have design, tinkering or building classes? nent questions specific to that school and/or program. A thor- □ What are the big issues on campus? ough review of the school's website or literature before the inter- □ What is the usual course load? view is essential for a student to formulate appropriate questions. □ How does the school assist with college guidance? How many students work with each college counselor? □ You might want to bring an iPad, photo or short DVD to demon- □ How often are AP courses in English, U.S. History, etc., offered? strate your particular accomplishment or skill. □ Can a freshman play varsity sports? □ Do you have a list of recent college acceptances?

-7- -8-