When do students visit high schools?
High school visits occur throughout the fall term. Parents or eighth graders should call schools to make these appointments in late August or early September. If you wait too long to make an appointment, you may miss your opportunity. Some high schools require you to submit a portion of the application before they will allow you to make an appointment. Before you call, review their admissions procedures as printed on the school website.

Most school visits are half-day visits and many include interviews; each school outlines which days of the week visits are available. Nueva provides two special Eighth Grade Visit Days/Recital Project Days in the fall. We expect students to use this time, in addition to Professional Days and Conference Days, for their high school visits. We understand some visits may fall on dates outside of these, but we encourage all students to make good use of these opportunities. For all high school visits, students should understand their first priority is eighth grade school work, and they are responsible for any assignments they miss due to high school visits.

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What's the best way to learn about high schools?
In your meeting with the High School Placement Counselor, we'll create a list of schools for you to investigate. For most schools, there is a great deal of information available on their websites. In addition, they will mail you application brochures. You may want to request additional curriculum guides as you get further along in the process. Open Houses, sports events, and all other school events are great sources of information. We also highly recommend you attend Nueva's "Life After Nueva" event to hear from our very own graduates about their experience transitioning into high school.

If you are planning to visit boarding schools, please plan these visits as early in the year as possible. Missing school is difficult in the eighth grade year and we hope you will make every effort to visit boarding schools on the weekends; many schools have Saturday academic classes.

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What do we do with the Recommendation Forms?
Please follow the detailed instructions in the High School Notebook. There are different instructions for each type of form and clear deadlines for submitting forms to Nueva. We need every family to meet these deadlines in order for the School to complete the hundreds of recommendations each year.

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What if we are interested in our local public school?
Great! Many public schools are fantastic options. If you are interested in your local public school as an option, or if you know that is where you would like to attend, please contact your District Office to find out the appropriate procedures. Some districts require you to provide proof of residency and others may provide opportunities for you to choose between public schools in your district. Because these requirements change frequently, we recommend you go directly to your district rather than relying on other resources. If your public school requires any forms or documentation from Nueva, please submit these to the Assistant to the Middle School.

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How many schools should we apply to?
The number may vary according to the individual student, but in today's highly competitive market, five should be sufficient. This number may be slightly larger however, if you are applying to local day schools and boarding schools. We hope you develop your final list of schools in partnership with Nueva; finding the right match includes applying to an appropriate mix of schools.

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How important are the standardized test scores?
Standardized test scores are just one item in a student application file. High Schools often receive applications from as many as 150 different schools and the test scores serve as a standard element. We are happy to assist you with interpreting the scores when you receive them. As you examine scores, the independent norms are the most relevant.

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How important is the interview?
The interview is your child's opportunity to come alive in the admission file. Some interviews may be in groups and others will be one-on-one. Nueva provides an interview workshop as preparation for these conversations. Before visiting the school and having your interview, do your homework by reading the admissions brochures and current information on their websites. While an interview is rarely a make or break event, it is important to prepare carefully.

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What do we do if we are applying for financial aid?
Each school will outline its process for applying for financial aid. Most schools use the SSS (Secondary School Service) forms; this is what we use at Nueva. Because the financial aid process can be significant work in addition to the lengthy parent application forms, you should plan ahead. Make every effort to attend the financial aid workshop at a high school of your choice (if they offer one). Most schools make their admissions decisions separate from their financial aid decisions and almost no schools provide scholarship awards (as opposed to need-based grants). Because schools rarely have the resources to provide financial aid to all the families who qualify and are admitted, it is important for families interested in financial aid to apply to a larger list of schools. The High School Placement Counselor will discuss this with you in your family's high school meeting.

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What do we do with questions after the high school meeting?
The High School Placement Counselor is happy to answer your questions at any time. We have another eighth grade high school meeting in December. In addition, you should plan to attend the Nueva Alumni Panel on Tuesday, November 13, 2007.

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For more information about The Nueva School's High School Placement Program please contact Cynthia Kosut.