Catholic High School Admissions

[Anonymous]

How do sports factor into this if we have a competitive, travel/advanced athlete applying to these schools from an Arlington diocese school? I assume we the parents contact the coaches a year(?) in advance (if athletes not already involved in recruiting events) to determine interest and then work with school to determine academic fit.

To complicate matters, our middle school son doesn't want to apply to a Catholic High School that won't consider him to tryout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do sports factor into this if we have a competitive, travel/advanced athlete applying to these schools from an Arlington diocese school? I assume we the parents contact the coaches a year(?) in advance (if athletes not already involved in recruiting events) to determine interest and then work with school to determine academic fit.

To complicate matters, our middle school son doesn't want to apply to a Catholic High School that won't consider him to tryout.

Not much unless they are an absolute superstar.

They get kids from DC, MD and VA and tend to attract kids from top teams all over the DMV…so much so your kid may not even make the team. I see this happen to so many kids.

The “cut sports” are extremely competitive; basketball, soccer, baseball, etc. Lots of former students in NFL, NBA from my kids’ HS.

And, no YOU don’t contact the Coach. Lol they don’t want parent involvement. This isn’t travel. Lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do sports factor into this if we have a competitive, travel/advanced athlete applying to these schools from an Arlington diocese school? I assume we the parents contact the coaches a year(?) in advance (if athletes not already involved in recruiting events) to determine interest and then work with school to determine academic fit.

To complicate matters, our middle school son doesn't want to apply to a Catholic High School that won't consider him to tryout.

Well, it depends.

Acceptance certainly isn’t automatic by any means.

What sport? Not all sports are equal. Football seems always to be a priority for the boys schools. Basketball is important, but the applicants have to be outstanding. Lacrosse is becoming more important. They typically get enough participants for “minor” sports through the regular student body they admit.

The coaches, through the Athletic Director make clear to Admissions who their priority candidates are. This isn’t a carte Blanche. Not all the athletes are going to get in and if you are not outstanding just playing a sport will not be enough to overcome a so-so academic record.

The school will accept some, but not all, athletes. The exception to this is truly top athletes in all sports that bring notoriety to the school. (e.g., Katie Ledecky in swimming)

But the starting point is the coach of the sport you play. He or she has to want the athlete as a priority. And then they have to indicate to the Athletic Director just how bad they want you.

[Anonymous]

If your kid was good, they already would have found him. I’m not joking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid was good, they already would have found him. I’m not joking.

This. they already ID’d them at camps and leagues. They contact the coach.

This isn’t travel where parents bombard the coaches/TDs and brown nose. They don’t want ANY parent involvement at the HS level. Parents never contact the Coach at that age. Major faux pas.

[Anonymous]

My kid was recruited D1 for his sport and didn’t make his HS team. I don’t hold HS sports in high regard. He was crushed at the time, but having a great college career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have thoughts on the other part of OP's question? Do the high schools call the K-8 principals and say, Principal Jones, 5 kids applied who are qualified to attend our school, how would you prioritize them?

It's not that formal and it is more likely to occur in years where the number of applicants is much higher than usual. And, it depends on the relationship between the schools, including the personal relationships between the players.

What the K-8's do not want to happen is to have the high schools coming back them asking them why didn't the K-8 warn them about academic, behavioral or family problems.

Conversely, the high schools do go back and tell the K-8's how pleased they are with some of the kids the K-8 school recommended.

That's part of how the long-term relationship of trust between the schools is built.

Is that your guess, or do you have first hand knowledge of these conversations?

Well, I’m neither a K8 principal or a high school Admissions person.

But my spouse was on the staff of one of the high schools and I have seen the process work as a parent at one of the K8’s that supplies a lot of kids to the most desired Catholic high schools. Besides, how else would you expect this to work?

Do you imagine the K8’s would sell their students hard and leave it up to the high schools to figure things out (caveat emptor)?

Outplacement success to these Catholic high schools is very important to the K8’s. They aren’t going to jeopardize this long term relationships.

This sounds about right as someone with a daughter coming out of a Catholic K-8 and just finished up with the process. Our principal was intimately involved in the guidance in the application process. A lot of discussion about fit and she was clearly guiding DD to specific schools -- namely the ones that were the most academically challenging. We are assuming that she feels DD would easily be accepted at these schools. She steered us away from the other schools but said it makes sense to apply as safeties. So just through these discussions, you can gage your chances.

OP here again -- Wow, I wish the folks at my DC's Catholic K-8 were this good! They don't give any direction -- they only say apply to no more than three schools and we will see what happens! Also don't get your hopes up! I think they have been burned in the past, so now they don't say anything of value. Unless your DC was in the 90th percentile on the HSPT, the school says anything can happen! Obviously, this is not helpful guidance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid was recruited D1 for his sport and didn’t make his HS team. I don’t hold HS sports in high regard. He was crushed at the time, but having a great college career.

Let me guess: soccer?

More politics than any sport I’ve ever encountered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have thoughts on the other part of OP's question? Do the high schools call the K-8 principals and say, Principal Jones, 5 kids applied who are qualified to attend our school, how would you prioritize them?

It's not that formal and it is more likely to occur in years where the number of applicants is much higher than usual. And, it depends on the relationship between the schools, including the personal relationships between the players.

What the K-8's do not want to happen is to have the high schools coming back them asking them why didn't the K-8 warn them about academic, behavioral or family problems.

Conversely, the high schools do go back and tell the K-8's how pleased they are with some of the kids the K-8 school recommended.

That's part of how the long-term relationship of trust between the schools is built.

Is that your guess, or do you have first hand knowledge of these conversations?

Well, I’m neither a K8 principal or a high school Admissions person.

But my spouse was on the staff of one of the high schools and I have seen the process work as a parent at one of the K8’s that supplies a lot of kids to the most desired Catholic high schools. Besides, how else would you expect this to work?

Do you imagine the K8’s would sell their students hard and leave it up to the high schools to figure things out (caveat emptor)?

Outplacement success to these Catholic high schools is very important to the K8’s. They aren’t going to jeopardize this long term relationships.

This sounds about right as someone with a daughter coming out of a Catholic K-8 and just finished up with the process. Our principal was intimately involved in the guidance in the application process. A lot of discussion about fit and she was clearly guiding DD to specific schools -- namely the ones that were the most academically challenging. We are assuming that she feels DD would easily be accepted at these schools. She steered us away from the other schools but said it makes sense to apply as safeties. So just through these discussions, you can gage your chances.

OP here again -- Wow, I wish the folks at my DC's Catholic K-8 were this good! They don't give any direction -- they only say apply to no more than three schools and we will see what happens! Also don't get your hopes up! I think they have been burned in the past, so now they don't say anything of value. Unless your DC was in the 90th percentile on the HSPT, the school says anything can happen! Obviously, this is not helpful guidance.

It’s not what the K8 says to the parents. There’s no reason for them to give parents even hints. It’s all downside for them because they know the admissions process is unpredictable.

It’s what the K8 shares with the high school outside the formal application process that matters. And most of the time they let the applications stand on their own. But they also communicate about candidates, sometime damning with faint praise.

[Anonymous]

"Damning with faint praise" -- very sad to hear this, but I believe this does happen.

Has anyone ever seen the actual recommendation form that the Catholic k-8 schools have to fill out for each student who applies to a Catholic high school? I have only heard that each of the student's 8th grade teachers have to write one sentence about the student. But there must be more to the form than that. Does the principal have to write anything? Why is this form so top secret?

[Anonymous]

it's available online. Search ADW Teacher Recommendation Form. I do not see a space for the Principal but I could have missed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:it's available online. Search ADW Teacher Recommendation Form. I do not see a space for the Principal but I could have missed it.

Here is the form from a couple of years ago. There is a check list for the principal at the bottom of the form. I am surprised there is nothing more expected, however, I am sure the principal still has some significant influence and likely reviews all the forms before they are submitted.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ECVTO04U-B60q8Psce5va4rNVwkHa6Dd/view

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:it's available online. Search ADW Teacher Recommendation Form. I do not see a space for the Principal but I could have missed it.

Here is the form from a couple of years ago. There is a check list for the principal at the bottom of the form. I am surprised there is nothing more expected, however, I am sure the principal still has some significant influence and likely reviews all the forms before they are submitted.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ECVTO04U-B60q8Psce5va4rNVwkHa6Dd/view

Meant to say at bottom of page one. The form is pretty robust and gathers info from all teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid was good, they already would have found him. I’m not joking.

This. they already ID’d them at camps and leagues. They contact the coach.

This isn’t travel where parents bombard the coaches/TDs and brown nose. They don’t want ANY parent involvement at the HS level. Parents never contact the Coach at that age. Major faux pas.

I disagree! We contacted all the coaches before our visits (were told to), and they made a point to meet us. If they couldn’t, many have camps or play days/leagues where upcoming freshman could play with their jv or varsity team. It creates a nice relationship and lets them not only see your kid play, but let’s your kid see if they like the coach and older teammates. It was a game changer for us. It also shows the school that you are interested/invested and more likely to go there if accepted. The coaches all get to throw a few requests on the table/ to the AD. So yes, email the coach and ask what the team looks like for (kid’s position) over the next four years and see if there is any need. Email the coach this summer to check on camps and follow up in the fall when you visit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid was good, they already would have found him. I’m not joking.

This. they already ID’d them at camps and leagues. They contact the coach.

This isn’t travel where parents bombard the coaches/TDs and brown nose. They don’t want ANY parent involvement at the HS level. Parents never contact the Coach at that age. Major faux pas.

I disagree! We contacted all the coaches before our visits (were told to), and they made a point to meet us. If they couldn’t, many have camps or play days/leagues where upcoming freshman could play with their jv or varsity team. It creates a nice relationship and lets them not only see your kid play, but let’s your kid see if they like the coach and older teammates. It was a game changer for us. It also shows the school that you are interested/invested and more likely to go there if accepted. The coaches all get to throw a few requests on the table/ to the AD. So yes, email the coach and ask what the team looks like for (kid’s position) over the next four years and see if there is any need. Email the coach this summer to check on camps and follow up in the fall when you visit.

There’s some confusion here between parental questions and input before enrollment and after your DC is a student athlete.

Coaches might be interested talking to the parents and to potential “recruits” before enrollment. But once the kid enrolls, that door closes. Allowing parents to input on rosters, playing time, strategies, etc. is a recipe for disaster for a high school coach.

If parents have been used to being able to “input” at the club or even middle school level, they may be in for a real shock at the high school level, particularly in conferences like the WCAC.