It’s Admission Season at Northwest Academy

The Admissions Committee at Northwest Academy has been busy reading applications and conducting interviews with potential students. With nearly 110 students applying, this year is on track to be a busy one.

The admissions process is very complex. To apply, prospective students must submit a written application, complete a placement test and attend a casual interview with a teacher and Lainie Ettinger, Director of Admissions.

“We look for two qualities above all else: intellectual curiosity and students who really want to be here and want to engage in the program,” Ettinger said. “What that means is they’re willing to try new things and take risks. They are interested in both the academic side and the arts side of the curriculum.”

Before applications are written, Northwest Academy offers many opportunities for potential students and their families to become informed about the school and its community.

These opportunities include a shadow day, during which a prospective student spends a day with a current student to get a better feel for the school

“[The shadow day] was pretty accurate of the school,” Anders Larson, a freshman, said. “Honestly, I don’t see any difference between shadowing and being a student.”

After the shadow day, the student must fill out a formal written application with their parents. Once this application is submitted, Ettinger and a faculty member sit down with the applicant in a semi-formal interview.

“[The interview] is a good opportunity to meet potential candidates to the Northwest Academy,” Jada Pierce, a high school English teacher, said. “It’s exciting to see who may be your students and to get to know their personalities.”

Although academics are discussed, the interview mainly focuses on the student and who they are.

“They asked mostly about you as a person,” Braam Beresford, a junior, said. “They do care about academics, but they want to know if you’re a good fit.”

Beresford said this was very different experience from applying to other high schools, which were more focused on his grades.

Prospective students are also required to take a test which measures where they are academically.

“We don’t use the standardized SSAT test,” Ettinger said. “Instead, the teachers write the exams. They grade it, they compare notes and work together.”

Applications were due on January 30th and acceptance letters will be sent out on March 13th.