Beginning in the second half of their seventh-grade year, Nativity students begin to research different high schools, deciding which schools would be the best match for their specific talents. It is also their time to make concrete, effective preparations for the high school application process.

Throughout the span of a year and a half, the High School Placement Director teaches two semesters of an SSAT Prep Class; the SSAT is the test used for admission to private, independent schools. Utilizing LEXIA reading software – a program which targets specific literacy challenges – the Director will help seventh and eighth graders make intensive, compensatory gains. The Director will also teach basic skills: how to interview, how to present oneself before admissions officers, and what social and academic challenges await Nativity graduates in high school.

The High School Placement Director also works to educate our students’ families about the application process. He facilitates meetings between high school admissions directors and interested families, arranges high school tours and interviews for eighth graders, guides parents through the difficulty of filling out financial aid forms.