High School Placement
Prospect Sierra provides high school placement counseling and assistance
for all interested eighth-graders and their parents, whether they are
interested in public or independent high schools.
The Application Process
Admission Packet
Request an application packet by phone or via email. See our List
of Area High Schools for numbers, addresses, and web sites. For some schools it is possible to apply on line and to download forms.
School Visits
Sign up for a school visit for your child. You do not need to have submitted
an application in order to visit the school. Some schools strongly encourage
these campus tours, while others require them for all applicants and sometimes
for parents as well. The length of these visits varies from school to school. Some
high schools interview the students and/or ask them to write a short essay on that day. Find out so your child knows what to expect.
Open House
Call, email, or return the RSVP postcard that came in the application
packet to reserve admission to an open house. (Again, check with schools.) Some schools will mail
you tickets or a confirmation notice.
Please note that some high schools do not require you to make a reservation to attend their open house.
Financial Aid
Return the postcard to request a financial aid packet. Plan to do your taxes early this year. Although you have the option of “estimating” when filling out forms, schools require a copy of your actual tax return before they make their final decision.
Entrance Exams
Register for the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) or the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam). Some schools accept either of the tests while others only accept one of the two. You can register online, by fax, or by phone. Check registration deadlines carefully. Please note that schools have different code numbers for the ISEE and for the SSAT. Information on how to register for these exams is usually found in admissions packets and on line at www.ssat.org and www.iseetest.org.
Catholic schools administer their own exam, the HSPT (High School Placement Test).
A few of them accept the ISEE and/or the SSAT. Sending the application and fees will automatically register the student for the HPST.
The SSAT, ISEE, and HSPT are all different versions of the same concept: a standardized test designed to determine proficiency in verbal and mathematical skills through timed multiple choice sections and an essay section.
Depending on the schools your child is applying to, he/she could end up taking three different exams.
- Prospect Sierra School will administer the ISEE on 1/13/2007.
- When registering for the ISEE, please request that Prospect Sierra School receives your child’s scores. Our school's code number for the ISEE is 054155
Interviews
Most schools require an interview; call to schedule one. Some schools
will do the interview on the day of the student's campus visit. However,
most schools will not schedule an interview until the parents' portion
of the application and the application fees have been received. Interviews
are done individually or in groups. Try not to schedule the interview at the
1st choice school first, if at all possible.
Recommendation Forms
Most high schools require three recommendations (from the principal or
counselor, English or humanities teacher, and math teacher). A few high
schools request a recommendation from a teacher of an academic subject
other than math or English. Religious schools usually require a recommendation
from a member of the clergy.
Please fill out
and sign the forms and provide stamped envelopes addressed to the high schools
to which the student is applying.
- At Prospect Sierra our teachers ask that recommendation forms be hand-delivered
by the student (not put in their box), along with a note from the student.
- Please turn in these forms during the first week of December. Teachers usually
start working on them after the first grading period and finish them
during the winter break.
Transcripts
- Most high schools request transcripts from seventh and eighth grades (grades and ERB scores).
- Fill out and sign the “Transcript Release and Confidentiality Form.”
- Please give transcript requests to the middle school office during the first week of December.
- Provide a stamped ($1.75) envelope (9x12) for each high school.
Create a Calendar
When all dates are scheduled, make a master calendar. Record all scheduled
events over the next four months for quick reference. Include time to
work on applications.
Complete the Applications
Carefully read over the application and admission information.
Note all due dates (They vary from school to school).
Complete the parents' section which can be mailed (along with the application fees) before the student portion (note the “courtesy” date).
The student's section usually requires answering questions and writing
one or two short essays. Most high schools use a common form. After the
student completes his or her section, it can be photocopied and mailed
to the different high schools.
Lalia BenMohamed
High School Placement Advisor,
527-4714, ext. 244
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