Any student planning on applying to private schools should first approach their English and Math teachers to ask them directly for recommendations.
All requests for recommendations and transcripts should be submitted to the Pollard no later than 4 weeks before the application deadline. Requests received after this time may not be processed in time.
Pollard school counselors are the primary contact for all private school applications and are responsible for the submission of all transcript materials (grades 6-8) and Administrator/Counselor recommendations.
Many private schools provide an online application. It is the decision of the school personnel writing the recommendation, whether he/she wants to complete the recommendation online or provide a hard copy. If all applications are through the same portal (e.g. Ravenna) it is likely, but not guaranteed, that teachers will complete the recommendation online. Please do not send online recommendation links until your student has connected with teachers/counselors. If applying on-line, you must contact the site directly to connect the appropriate counselors and teachers to your student’s account.
If applications are not to be completed online paper copies of each application should be provided along with individual stamped and addressed business envelopes (#10) for each recommendation form and a large manila envelope (9x12), addressed to the school of choice and stamped with 3 first class stamps for student test results and transcripts. This material should be sent to the student's counselor. All recommendations and transcripts will be mailed directly to the schools by the counselor. Teacher recommendations require the same material and will be sent directly by the teacher.
Please do not contact teachers directly about time lines and refrain from contacting the office to check on the status of an application. Please contact your child’s school counselor with any questions.
Lastly, Parents should make sure they pay application fees for all schools they apply to. Often times, this is not done and this holds up schools receiving transcripts and recommendations from on-line portals.
If you do decide to leave the Needham Publics Schools at any juncture, parents/guardians must demit their student from the NPS system by completing this form. It is a Massachusetts State requirement to do so. Email notification will, unfortunately, not suffice. This will ensure that your student's school record is sent to the receiving school. Receipt of school records is usually required for enrollment.
Please note, the following websites are application portals that can be useful when applying to private schools:
Standard Application Online (SAO)