Paige Walus

Assistant Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid

Ms. Paige Walus is the Assistant Director of Enrollment & Financial Aid. She helps manage the enrollment, financial aid and admission processes at Parker.

According to Ms. Walus, the financial aid budget grows yearly. In 2017, the budget was 4.3 million dollars, with 160 students able to receive aid. Ms. Walus feels strongly about all families being able to have the opportunity to come to Parker, regardless of their financial situation. Money for financial aid is funded by endowment, tuition and fees, and fundraising. The amount of financial aid students for each grade get varies per year, but there are some grades that get more financial aid, particularly the Upper School. How much aid a family gets is mostly need based, and is assessed on a third party application called FACTS that looks at a family’s tax information. FACTS helps Ms. Walus and her colleagues decide if a family would need money, and how much they might need. Older applicants then take the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam). While the scores are evaluated, Parker takes into consideration other aspects of the applicant, such as their personality, out-of-school interests and likelihood to thrive in a progressive environment. Ms. Walus believes that Parker is one of the most progressive communities in the area. She believes that when you add more people to Parker's community, you will end up with a more welcoming community.

“I really enjoy the community. It is so supportive and kind.”

Applicants that have siblings at Parker or are family of faculty and staff have preference throughout the process. However, there are no guarantees that a student will be accepted. Students applying to the school from first grade and up experience a shadow day, where they are assigned a buddy to guide them throughout the day. They also meet with two teachers or administrators for interviews. Ms. Walus does not oversee these meetings, but the teachers relay their observations through a recommendation form following a series of questions as to whether the student would be a good fit for Parker. When students apply for JK and SK, they are put into playgroups because when they are that young it is hard to gauge the academic potential a student may possess in the later years. Ms. Walus loves to observe how newly-admitted students grow and flourish throughout the years.

One big factor the enrollment team looks at during the application process is building a diverse community. The admissions team attempts to admit an equal amount of different races, ethnicities and genders. This is made possible as a result of the generous financial aid budget, which grows yearly and totals at 4.3 million dollars this year. Without this budget, students who cannot afford a private school education would otherwise not be able to attend Parker, which would negatively affect the school as a whole. Ms. Walus believes that everybody should have a chance to learn and feel at home.

Ms. Walus goes to many administrative conferences along with other people in her position in other independent schools. She is a member of the AISAP (Association of Independent School Admission Professionals). She works closely with the Business Office and the financial aid department to coordinate decisions on how much money to spend on financial aid. There are some regulations on the way that Parker can use its money. First off, the school must provide for the basic scholarship of the student. Moreover, Parker will help provide money for a commute. Ms. Walus believes that all children should have access to a quality education. She believes that giving them a chance to attend Parker will help them have a larger influence on society.

Outside of her job, Ms. Walus has many things she likes to do in her spare time. She loves to read books and watch movies with her nephew, who just turned one. Although Ms. Walus enjoys watching movies, scary movies do not suit her well. She especially enjoys watching Disney movies, although Bambi is not her favorite. She loves to spend time with her family and friends. She grew up in Michigan City, Indiana, but she has lived in Chicago ever since. Some of Ms. Walus’s closest friendships were made at Parker, and she continues to make more.

Ms. Walus is a huge part of the Parker community. She does a lot of work behind the scenes to make Parker a welcoming and diverse school. We cannot thank her enough for all the contributions she has made throughout her years as the Assistant Director of Enrollment & Financial Aid.

Report abuse