The Spirit of Admissions

Cistercian is known for being a small and highly selective school, which makes admissions very important. The goal of this process is to accept boys with eager minds, different talents, and different personalities so that we can have a diverse classroom that will work towards creating virtuous men. The wide set of personalities not only looks good for the school, but it also allows for an engaged group of boys who want to learn. The specific creation of this challenging and dynamic classroom by the Cistercian admissions team is attractive in and of itself to potential applicants, and every year the achievements of the accepted students draw even more talent into the Cistercian community.

The admissions process starts with getting the word out. As Coach Taylor said, “Admissions goes hand in hand with summer programs.” It all starts with boys from different age groups coming out to programs and having fun at Cistercian. Once the fall begins, Cistercian wants to generate a positive interest in possible applicants for the school and its community. By using social media, Cistercian can encourage people to apply with pictures of sports events, dances, classes, and most importantly the everyday life of the students. Then, open house comes around, and parents and students can come to ask questions, explore the campus, and learn about all of the classes and extracurriculars Cistercian has to offer.

Eventually, the big day comes: admissions testing. Over the course of two Saturdays, boys come in to take admissions testing while the parents of the potential Cistercian students go on tours led by upper schoolers. Though there is not a specific time and place for interviews with the applicants, there are other simple ways of learning about the prospective students. The admissions committee, as well as other faculty members, make mental notes of the boys’ reactions or comments during the testing period.

Fr. Anthony said, “We want to fill a classroom with boys who are not just smart, but also interested in the place or excited to be challenged.” He also mentioned that students in the upper school help with the admissions process by giving tours and answering questions. While doing these things, they notice the behaviors of the applicants, and then relay back to the admissions team on their observations. Though this part of admissions isn’t a perfect process, it reveals whether a person is enthusiastic about being present at Cistercian, which is an important factor in a person’s acceptance.

After testing, it comes down to the admissions committee to work hard to decide on who gets a “yes,” a “no,” or a “wait-list.” Each member takes notes on the different applicants, and then they come together to discuss and make decisions. The Cistercian admissions committee works very hard every year, but many others also help with the admissions process like parent volunteers. The upper schoolers who help give tours also play a crucial role in the process, as hearing a student’s feedback on his school is incredibly valuable to potential Cistercian parents. Current families also help simply by spreading the word.

The well-refined admissions process at Cistercian and the hard work of those on the admissions team is really the bedrock of what makes our school great. What makes admissions so important is the fact that it is the first step in fulfilling Cistercian’s goal of helping a group of boys grow into a group of consequential young men.