Advice for parents

What should I be doing right now to help my child prepare for applying to a competitive high school?

• Help your child maintain high grades (85% and above). This is very important. This gives your child more choices in selecting a high school. Receiving a failing grade (less than 70%) in a class on a report card means your child cannot attend schools like Cristo Rey. If your child is interested in an ISTAC school (Paideia, Westminster, Galloway, Marist, Pius, etc.), they will need very high grades and test scores all year long.

• Help your child research and visit high schools. With your child, look at the admissions sections of the web sites of schools your child is interested in. Plan to attend open houses. (For example, sign up and plan to attend the Cristo Rey Open House with your child) You can often also arrange tours of schools by calling the admissions offices. These steps help your child learn more about the schools, but they also could help your child have a better chance of being accepted. (Schools like to see that families are interested!)

• Encourage your child to sign up for the Google Classrooms group, check his or her email, and follow deadlines. I will be sending out information about school applications through Google Classrooms this year, as well as through this website, so students should sign up and keep checking back for emails. Most deadlines are in January, but it can be important to get materials in as early as possible. Ask your child: when are applications due? Have you given forms to teachers yet? Have you asked the main office to send your records? Have you talked to Mr. French about your plans?

• Help your child be realistic. Students do not always get into the schools they want, and some schools are harder to get into than others. Have back-up plans in mind. Note especially that it is very difficult to get into an ISTAC school (Paideia, Westminster, Galloway, Marist, Wesleyan, etc.).

• Sign up for the SSAT. This is only for students interested in most ISTAC schools (Westminster, Galloway, Marist, Wesleyan, etc.) who are NOT in Reach for Excellence or A Better Chance. You’ll need to make sure your students sign up early for the SSAT, a standardized test. You will need to sign up online for a Saturday time, and there will be a fee. The school may be able to help with this fee if you talk to us early.