High School Placement
Princeton Academy firmly believes that the most important factor to consider when selecting a high school is the fit between the student and the school. Consequently, our placement process is built upon the premise that it is just as important to know oneself as it is to know about potential high schools. Just as students each have unique interests, abilities, and goals, schools have unique missions, histories, and cultures. It is extremely important that the student feel comfortable with the high school's mission and culture. In order to aid the student in learning about schools, a separate high school placement library has been set up where students can look at literature from various schools and use the Internet to view the websites of area high schools.
Our placement program is designed to start informally in the fifth and sixth grades, where students begin to gain an understanding of themselves in classes and workshops. As the students progress, the program becomes more intensive. The following is a brief outline of the process in the seventh and eighth grade years.
Early in the seventh grade, students begin to browse prospective schools. As the year progresses, students begin to narrow the prospective list of schools by considering what is most important to them. Through guidance from the Director of High School Placement, students begin to contemplate issues such as boarding vs. day, all boys vs. coed, and catholic vs. non-denominational. During the spring of the seventh grade year, students meet individually with the Director of High School Placement to create a list of prospective schools that they will visit during the summer prior to their eighth grade year. Additionally, a parent/student orientation is held to provide information to parents regarding what to expect during the eighth grade year. Parents are encouraged to participate in this process as much as possible and are invited to meet with Director of High School Placement to discuss possible high school options.
In the eighth grade, students meet individually with the Director of High School Placement to discuss their experiences while visiting schools. In addition, discussion times are set-aside for students to share their experiences. After meeting, students are able to decide upon the schools to which they would like to apply. Students receive various forms of help with this process, ranging from mock interviews to help with the application essays. In general, most applications are completed by mid-January and students learn of their acceptance by mid-March. At that time, students again meet with Director of High School Placement to discuss the various options they now have and will make their decisions by mid-April.
