Lola Zein ‘27
School admissions processes can be confusing and often extremely stressful. I recently talked to Ms. Lisa Shambaugh, the head of the admissions department, and she has provided some insight on how the admission process works within our upper school and some tips when applying anywhere.
During the interview with Ms. Shambaugh, we talked about how the admission process works, the purpose of interviews, and the work that goes into admissions events such as shadow days. When an applicant comes in for a shadow day, the admissions team does their best to match up people with similar interests or who do similar activities. Lots of thought goes into the pairs, so the applicant can have the opportunity to connect with the people in the St. Andrew’s community and not only learn from their visit, but enjoy it as well.
Interviews are another important part of the application process. During the interview, it is important to be authentic to yourself and share your story. At St. Andrew’s, the interviews are set up with the same questions, so the important thing is how people respond. Ms. Shambaugh said the interviews are to “get to know the student and answer the questions they might have to make them feel at ease.”
Now for the main event, the actual application. Here at St. Andrew’s there are three forms of applications a person can submit: an essay, a standardized testing score, a portfolio, or a separate project. The reason that there are multiple choices for the actual application is because it allows the applicant to show off their strengths. As Ms. Shambaugh said, the admissions team at St. Andrew’s does their best not to “build barriers and allow students to have ownership over the process.”
According to Ms. Van Tol, one of the upper school admissions officers, when applying to St. Andrew’s you should “be yourself,” as “all different kinds of kids can be successful here, so there is not just one route.”
Once the application is submitted, multiple faculty members read through it, each one making individual private comments. After all of the comments are written, the faculty get together and talk about the applicant to make a final decision. During the interview, Ms. Shambaugh made it clear that even if someone isn’t accepted it doesn’t mean they couldn’t do well here at St. Andrew’s because who gets into a school and who doesn’t is a very hard decision to make.
Ms. Shambaugh’s biggest piece of advice when applying to any school is to put your best foot forward.
“Your authenticity comes through, and everyone has their own unique story to tell, she said.
Her second biggest piece of advice is to proofread your final submissions: the little details are also important, not just the big picture.
As Ms. Shambaugh said, “there is no one formula,” the best thing you can do is simply be you.
Photograph via the Communications Department