Guide to the Secondary School Placement Process

2014–2015

Table of Contents

Secondary School Placement CalendarSchedule of events in the placement process.

Components of Your Son’s Admission FileA list of the parts of the application and who is responsible for each section.

Common Application ResourcesInformation regarding common applications, as well as a list of select schools that are accepting common applications for the 2014–2015 school year.

School Visits and InterviewsTips on how to make a favorable impression, common interview questions, examples of questions to askan admissions officer or tour guide, things to consider following a school visit, and attendance policy.

Standardized Testing (SSAT and TOEFL)Information on each test, how to prepare for the tests, and registration information.

Contact InformationRelevant addresses and phone numbers for the Placement Office and for financial aid information.

Secondary School Placement Calendar 2014–2015

Please follow closely the instructions that coincide with each date to ensure your son the smoothest and most productive placement process possible.

June and July Complete and return the Placement Office questionnaire. This, along with your son’s questionnaire, is very valuable to us in creating a list of suggested schools for your son. (Please note that international families will complete this process in May.)

Begin preparing for the SSAT test. You may want to look into a preparatory guide for some summer study. Two good ones are Barron’s How to Prepare for the SSAT/ISEE and Princeton Review’s Cracking the SSAT & ISEE. SSAT also produces a guide, mainly consisting of practice tests. It is available from their website, ssat.org, which also has practice questions and “word of the day” features.

August List of suggested schools mailed to you. (Please note that international families can expect these school lists in June.) View websites/send for catalogs from these and any other schools you may be interested in. Keep in mind that our choices will reflect your son’s current level of performance and may have to be adjusted in the fall depending upon his progress.

Once you have looked at information from the schools, decide which ones you wish to visit and make appointments to interview at these schools during Cardigan’s long weekend in the fall.

Rick Exton will visiting with international families during international travel.

Early September All interview appointments should be made for the week of October 20–23, 2014. It is far better to schedule an interview and cancel later on than not to schedule one. October is the busiest interview month for schools! Additional school visits may take place Columbus Day Monday and/or the days following the Thanksgiving vacation.

September Opening weekend of school there will be a “placement meeting” for ninth- -grade parents and students.

SSAT preparation will be offered in the fall for

interested students.

October 5 Optional SSAT flex test offered for interested students. Please contact Patti Crowe to register your son for this test.

October 17- -18 Parents’ Weekend—Placement Team available to meet with ninth- -grade parents.

October 20- -23 Fall Term Long Weekend: SCHOOL INTERVIEWS! Students are free to depart on Saturday, October 18, after their final commitment. Arrange interviews for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Boys are due back at Cardigan at 9:00 p.m. Thursday evening, October 23. If you need to use extra days, Columbus Day (no classes at Cardigan) works well, as do the days that immediately follow Thanksgiving vacation: December 1–4

After Interviews “Thank you” notes (handwritten preferred): Nothing elaborate or lengthy, but they should be done in a timely fashion. In the hotel, the evening after the visit, is a good time to take care of them.

November After school visits, most boys reduce their list to eight or fewer schools (international families will reduce their lists to 10–12 schools), and students applying for financial aid will reduce their list to 10- -12 schools. Given how busy boys are on campus, we encourage the boys to complete drafts of their applications over Thanksgiving vacation and complete their applications during December vacation. We are more than happy to help your son with his applications once a draft is complete. To simplify the process, we encourage students to use an online common application offered by SSAT (Standard Application Online, or “SAO”) or Gateway to Prep Schools. For more information on common applications, please refer to the “Common Application Resources” section.

November 15 Ninth- -grade SSAT—Your son will be automatically registered for this test by Patti Crowe, our SSAT coordinator. Students will be excused from classes that morning.

December 13 Ninth- -grade SSAT—Optional testing date for ninth graders who want a second set of scores for their applications. Your son will be automatically registered for this test by Patti Crowe, our SSAT coordinator. Students taking the test would be excused from classes that morning. If you do not want your son to take the December test, please notify Patti Crowe.

January 15 Deadlines for financial aid forms vary from school to school – make sure the on- -line forms are completed on time. Remember to request that a copy of the report be sent to you as well as the schools so you can see what financial aid officers are looking at as they calculate your need. More information can be found at http://sss.nais.org/

January Cardigan placement packets mailed to schools. Packets include letters of recommendation both from teachers and from the head of school/Placement Office, fall grades, Cardigan transcript, and SSAT test scores. Please note that international families must send TOEFL scores directly to schools to which their son is applying.

January 15- -31 Deadlines for most application forms. Please check deadlines carefully. Late applications are often looked at secondarily and may result in waitlist decisions, at best.

March 10 Schools notify you of their decisions.

End of March Schools offer revisit days to accepted students. Families are encouraged to notify school admissions offices should they chose to decline an acceptance or remove their son from the waiting list. Notifying schools of your decisions allows them to offer acceptances to students who may be on the waiting list.

April 10 Parents should notify schools as soon as possible of their son’s decision to attend, but no later than this date.

Components of Your Son’s Admission FileBy Parents—

Application: The only portion of the placement papers that must be handled by parents and their son is the application form. The application often includes such items as a student autobiographical sketch, student response to short answer questions and/or an essay on a topic selected by the school, and parents’ comments about their own perception of the candidate’s talents and/or needs. Parents must also provide payment of the application fee. Late or absent payments will delay the application process. International students often have to pay higher application fees to cover the cost of international communication. We encourage parents to play an active role in supervising the student’s completion of the application materials.

Many schools now use common applications offered through SSAT (Standard Application Online, or “SAO”) and Gateway to Prep Schools. More information on the common application process can be found in the “Common Application Resources” section.

By Students—

Application: Questionnaires and personal essays are often required in addition to an application form. For those who choose to complete the student portion while at school, Mrs. Scoville, Mr. Exton, and Mrs. Newbold will be happy to review the application. During January, the primary focus of the Placement Office is the writing, gathering, and mailing of recommendations (see “Senior Packet” subsection below), so we have much more time to dedicate to application assistance in November and December. We strongly encourage families to work together on this piece of the application while the students are home during Thanksgiving vacation and winter vacation. It is highly recommended that the students have their piece of the application completed upon their return to school in January.

By Cardigan—

Senior Packet: Sent out to each of the schools to which your son is applying. Families must notify the Placement Office of the final list of schools to which their son is applying. The Senior Packet includes:

• Cover Sheet—Includes your son’s school photo, full name, hometown, and grade for which he is applying.

• Cumulative School Record—Includes fall term grades, marks from previous year(s) at Cardigan, and standardized test (SSAT) results. Note: Boys who have only been at Cardigan one or two years may find that some secondary schools require grades from previous schools (attended prior to Cardigan) as well.

• Teacher Recommendations—Cardigan utilizes a standard recommendation form, which will mean that you do not have to worry about math, English, or personal forms for any specific school. If a school requires specific additional forms (e.g., foreign language, science), please notify the Placement Office if such an additional recommendation is needed so that the appropriate Cardigan teacher can complete the form and it can be included in your son’s admission packet. Given the importance of these recommendations, it is essential that your son work to display both superior attitude and performance in all classes as soon as he returns to campus in the fall.

• Graded Student Composition—Many schools require a graded composition from an English or history class. The Placement Office will work with your son’s English and history teachers to select an appropriate piece of work and include this in your son’s application materials.

• Placement Letter—A letter co- -written by Dave McCusker and either Mrs. Scoville (for domestic students) or Mr. Exton (for international students), that summarizes your son’s achievements, activities, and general performance while at Cardigan.

• The Inside Push—Occasionally, in the case of a remarkably talented musician, athlete (or the like), a teacher or coach at Cardigan will apply pressure to assist a boy’s candidacy.

By Schools—

Interview Impressions—An interviewer’s notes about your visit are often pivotal in the decision- -making process.

In completing the application form and the accompanying requested materials, please observe the following:

• Send all parent and student application materials directly to the receiving school from home.

• Assistance in completing forms, essays, and so forth, can be provided by a boy’s English teacher, dorm parent, or by Mrs. Scoville, Mr. Exton, or Mrs. Newbold. Faculty will generally be glad to help, when approached courteously. Faculty are typically more receptive to requests for help when they come early rather than at the last minute.

• Remember that the application and materials submitted along with it are judged both on content and neatness. Students must do rough drafts of everything they write for their application forms and carefully consider their responses to all questions, while doing the best possible job on spelling, grammar, and such.

• Some students will send additional writing samples, newspaper clippings, or artwork to supplement their applications. As long as the amount of additional information is not overwhelming, schools are receptive to these submissions.

Common Application ResourcesMost schools accept the common applications available through SSAT (http://www.ssat.org) and Gateway to Prep Schools (https://www.gatewaytoprepschools.com). These applications are often completed online. The use of a common application removes a great deal of stress from the ninth- -grade year. It is important to note that most schools require a supplemental portion to the common application. Each school is unique in its supplemental requirements, so please be sure to clarify any application questions you may have while on school visits.

As mentioned, students and their families are responsible for the components of the common application, including the general application form, student short answer responses, student essay response, and any supplemental materials. Cardigan will submit the English teacher recommendation form, math teacher recommendation form, any required additional teacher recommendations, SSAT test scores, school transcript, graded student composition, and placement letter.

For more information or instructions regarding these common applications, please refer to SSAT’s Standard Application Online site (http://www.ssat.org/admission/the- -sao) or Gateway to Prep School’s resources site (https://www.gatewaytoprepschools.com/resources).

On the following page, you will find a list of schools (to which Cardigan graduates have recently applied) that accept the SSAT common application and/or the Gateway to Prep Schools common application. Schools marked with an * accept both the SSAT common application and the Gateway to Prep Schools common application.

SSAT Standard Application OnlineThis is a selection of schools to which Cardigan

graduates have historically applied—the complete list of schools accepting the SAO can be found at

http://www.ssat.org/member- -search ✓ indicates that a school requires a supplemental form in

addition to the SSAT SAO application.

Gateway to Prep Schools

Avon Old FarmsBaylor School Berkshire School*✓

Berwick Academy Bishop’s College School Blair AcademyBlue Ridge SchoolBolles SchoolBrewster Academy Brooks School* The Bullis SchoolThe Canterbury School✓

Cate School*The Church Farm SchoolChapel Hill- -Chauncy Hall School✓

Cheshire Academy*Christchurch SchoolConcord Academy*✓

The Culver AcademiesCushing Academy Darrow SchoolDexter School Dublin School* Dunn SchoolEpiscopal High School*Forman SchoolFountain Valley School of Colorado* George School✓

Gould Academy*The Governor’s Academy* The Gunnery*✓

Hawaii Preparatory Academy Hebron AcademyThe Hill School Holderness SchoolThe Hun School of Princeton Hyde SchoolsKent School* Kents Hill SchoolKimball Union Academy✓

Lawrence Academy✓

Lawrenceville School Loomis Chaffee School* Lowell Whiteman School McCallie School Mercersburg Academy✓

Millbrook School*Milton Academy*New Hampton School* North Country School Northfield Mount Hermon* ✓

Northwood School Peddie SchoolPingree SchoolPingry School Pomfret School*Portsmouth Abbey School*Proctor Academy✓

Ridley CollegeSt. George’s School (RI)* St. Mark’s School*✓ Salisbury School South Kent School Stanstead College Suffield Academy*✓ Tabor AcademyTaft School✓

The Thacher School*✓

Tilton SchoolTrinity- Pawling School Vermont Academy* Western Reserve Academy*✓ Westminster School*✓

The White Mountain School* Wilbraham & Monson Academy The Williston Northampton School*The Winchendon School Woodberry Forest School Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School

Berkshire School* Brooks School* Cate School* Cheshire Academy*Choate Rosemary HallConcord Academy*Deerfield Academy Dublin School* Episcopal High School*Fountain Valley School of Colorado*Gould Academy*The Governor’s Academy* Groton SchoolThe Gunnery*The Hotchkiss School Kent School*Loomis Chaffee School* The Madeira School Middlesex School Millbrook School* New Hampton School* The Newman SchoolNorthfield Mount Hermon* The Perkiomen SchoolPhillips Academy Pomfret School* Portsmouth Abbey School* The Putney SchoolSt. George’s School (RI)* St. Mark’s School*St. Paul’s SchoolSt. Timothy’s SchoolSuffield Academy*The Thacher School*Valley Forge Military AcademyVermont Academy*Walnut Hill School for the ArtsWestern Reserve Academy*Westminster School*The White Mountain School*The Williston Northampton School*

School Visits and Interviews

We encourage students to complete school visits during the October break (October 20–23), Columbus Day Monday (October 13),or the days immediately following Thanksgiving vacation (December 1–4, during which normal classes are scheduled). Should a student miss any portion of the class day for a school visit, the director of student life must first approve this. For more information please refer to the “Attendance Policy” section.

Many schools require an inquiry form to be completed prior to scheduling school visits and interviews. These forms are often on the school’s website and should be completed by parents.

First impressions are extremely important in the admissions process, for the school as well as for the student and his parents. From the school’s point of view, the tour guide and interviewer’s job is to gain an impression of the candidate in a half- -hour or less, and he/she may be comparing the student with many other candidates. Keep in mind that tour guides often provide feedback to the admissions office, so polite and courteous behavior during the tour is wise. The following suggestions are intended to be helpful to our boys, especially as they approach their first interview.

• Study the school website prior to the interview so that you can ask intelligent questions that reflect your interest in the school.

• Be neat and well groomed. A coat, tie, slacks, dress shoes, and such, are always acceptable interview dress, even if the school has a more casual dress code.

• Look through the school’s materials in the admission office (yearbooks, course catalog, school newspaper, etc.).

• Give a firm handshake.• Try to remember the name of the interviewer and address him/

her by the proper name (e.g., Mr., Mrs., Miss ).• “Yes, sir” and “No, sir” are more impressive than “Yeah” and

“Nope”!• Show your interviewer that you are interested and involved in

this process by giving him/her direct eye contact.• While bearing in mind all of the above, be yourself and act

natural!• Smile and be enthusiastic!

Common Questions Asked by an Admissions OfficerBelow are questions that sometimes are asked by interviewers. This is a good time to consider answers to such questions.

• Why do you want to come to this school?• What goals do you have in life?• What hobbies and interests do you have at (and outside of )

school?• In what sports, clubs, and activities do you participate at school?• What is your favorite class, and why? Most difficult?• What book have you most enjoyed reading in the last year?• What have you done to help your present school?• If you want something, how would you advocate for yourself?• What have you enjoyed most about CMS? What would you

change?• Have you been in a leadership position? What have been the

biggest challenges?• Tell me about your family.• How would your best friend describe you?• How do you spend your summers?• Use three adjectives to describe yourself.• If you knew you were going to be stranded on an island for a

month, what three things would you bring with you (besides food and water)?

Remember that the interviewer is also trying to sell his/her school to each boy. It is, therefore, important to be an attentive and discerning listener. Prepare questions (from both student and parent points of view) prior to visits, and then write down the school’s responses immediately after leaving.For the student who is not convinced that he wants to even visit a specific school, or perhaps any school, keep in mind that one always wants to keep options open. If a boy intentionally tries to mess up an interview, it reflects poorly on him, his school, and his classmates, some of whom might be quite interested in that school. If that school later becomes a more attractive option, it is impossible to erase that first negative impression. If appropriate for your son, please ask about the structure and effectiveness of academic support systems. Ask questions of the kids on campus, not just the interviewer. Don’t make too much of your son’s learning difference so as not to tarnish his candidacy unnecessarily.

Examples of Questions to Ask an Admissions Officer or Tour Guide

This is by no means intended to be a script to follow, but merely an idea of the sorts of questions you might wish to have answered. Be careful not to come on too strong, but do make sure that you are finding out all you need to know about a place where your son will be spending his secondary school years.

• What are the specific strengths of the school—academic and other—that distinguish it from other similar schools?

• How important are SSAT scores in determining the admissibility of a student? What factors are more important?

• What colleges and universities do the school’s top graduates generally attend? How about students from the middle and lower sections of the class?

• Are study hours mandatory? Where do students study? To what extent do faculty members supervise them?

• How does the school handle counseling? Does each boy have a faculty advisor? How are advisors chosen? Do advisors report regularly to parents?

• What type of contact is scheduled (from an advisor, dorm parents, or counselor)?

• Is the nonacademic portion of the day fairly structured, or do the students have significant independence?

• What service commitment is required of the students, either on campus or in the local community?

• What sports commitment is required of the students? Are there other options provided or encouraged?

• Weekends: What is the school’s attitude toward providing weekend activities for the boarding student? What percentage of the student body is generally off- -campus for any given weekend?

• If the school is church- -affiliated, what is expected of the students in terms of religious participation?

• How is faculty supervision in the dormitory handled?• For international students: What percentage of the student

body is international? How many students from [your country] will be accepted?

Things to Consider Upon Leaving the SchoolPut a lot of stock in your “gut reaction” to the school. Often, that initial feeling about the overall warmth of a campus or the fact that students were very helpful to you in finding the admissions office, for example, is a good way to judge how happy you might be with a school. Prior to visiting schools, determine those criteria that are important to your family. Facilities can be important, but closely evaluate the people you meet. Observe the relationships between students and faculty. Finally, take the time to summarize your feelings about a school orally and in writing, considering responses to your questions as well as the following.

• Academic appropriateness of the school for this student.• Interview procedures.• Extent of the facilities and grounds and their general state of

repair and cleanliness.• Friendliness, spirit, and enthusiasm of the students (and faculty)

for the school.• The general level of involvement of the faculty in the daily life of

the students.• The overall “fit” of the school and how much of a “fit” it would be

for the applicant.

Attendance PolicyThe School realizes the importance of allowing ninth- -grade boys and their parents opportunities to visit secondary schools during the fall and winter. At the same time, Cardigan ninth graders are engaged in rigorous courses of study, in addition to myriad other on- -campus responsibilities for which missing time is prohibitive. Thus, the School approves the following times for ninth- -grade boys to visit secondary schools during the fall and winter terms. Students are accountable for all academic work missed during secondary school visits.

• October 13: Founders’ Day/Sandwich Fair Day• October 19- -22: Fall Term Long Weekend (Seniors return by

9:00 p.m. on October 23.)• December 1- -4: Final opportunity for senior school visits.

Any other days missed beyond the above for secondary school visits will be considered unexcused absences.In regard to revisits in the spring, ninth- -grade boys may miss a maximum of two school days to revisit secondary schools if a revisit is necessary for the boy’s decision process.

Standardized Testing

Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT)As has been mentioned earlier, the SSAT is an important component of a boy’s application. Recognizing that a few points on the test can sometimes make or break a candidacy, it is essential that boys take the test seriously. However, recognizing that anxiety about the test can hinder performance, it is important for parents not to overly emphasize the test or any “target score” a boy should be striving for. Returning students have already taken the test, in some cases multiple times. As ninth graders, boys will be automatically enrolled for the November 15 sitting. Even if a boy is not considering private secondary school, the experience of taking the test is excellent preparation for collegiate entrance exams, and the like. An optional sitting will be offered on December 13.

To prepare for the test, the School provides a variety of offerings:

• Math and English classes spend a bit of time reviewing in early November.

• A fall SSAT preparatory course is offered focusing on both verbal and math areas. The SSAT Flex Test is also offered in conjunction with this course. The SSAT Flex Test will be offer in October. Parents interested in registering their son for this course should contact Patti Crowe.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)Most schools require a TOEFL score for all international students for whom English is not their first language. Families will have to register their son for the TOEFL test themselves at www.ets.org/toefl. The School encourages students to take the TOEFL test during the summer after their eighth- -grade year. If the student needs to take the test again, the School prefers that the student take it during a vacation. If there is no alternative, students may take the test while at Cardigan. The family will need to clear this with the director of student life, and the student will need to notify his teachers of his absence. This absence will be counted toward one of the five visit days. Transportation can be arranged with our travel coordinator. Finally, parents will need to have official TOEFL score reports sent to all the schools to which their son is applying.

Keep in Mind

• Make a positive impression whenever you can—at the interview, with thank- -you notes, with the application, and with your record.

• You can’t do anything about last year’s grades, but you have control over the future.

• Don’t listen too much to friends—the right school for others might not be the right school for you.

• Meet all deadlines, in classes and with applications.

• Take tests seriously, but don’t panic about them.

• This can be a stressful process, but try to keep it fun!

Contact Information

Cardigan Mountain School62 Alumni DriveCanaan, New Hampshire 03741603.523.3500 • Fax: 603.523.7227www.cardigan.org

General Student Placement Information:Sarah Scoville603.523.3532sscoville@cardigan.org

International Student Placement:Rick Exton603.523.3838rexton@cardigan.org

SSAT Preparation:Patti Crowe (contact for sign-up or questions about program)603.643.3507pcrowe@cardigan.org

Absences:Ethan Harris (contact for clearing school-day absences for visitation)603.523.3591eharris@cardigan.org

Travel Plans:Mary Knapp (contact for school visits that occur while school is in session)603.523.3500mknapp@cardigan.org

Financial Aid Forms-School & Student Service Help Line:866.387.2601http://sss.nais.org/