2021-22 Current EPS Family Admissions Information Meeting
Do you have another student applying to EPS for the 2021-22 school year? We’re excited to connect with you. Please join us to learn more about the admission process and ask any questions you may have within a smaller group of current EPS families on Friday, October 9, 7:30-8:30 a.m. Questions? Email Cheryl Miller, Director of Enrollment Management at cmiller@eastsideprep.org
Meeting Link: Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
Sibling Admissions Applications
If you have a sibling headed our way, please email admissions@eastsideprep.org with the sibling name and application grade level. We are happy to work with the next member of your family.
Eastside Prep values our enrolled students and their families as members of our school community. As EPS has grown over the past eighteen years, enrolled families’ desire to have multiple children at the school has been important not only to our enrollment, but to our culture. With respect to enrollment, our early action timeline for siblings has previously aided families in having a December notification timeframe regarding our admissions decisions.
While this earlier notification may have provided families with some reassurance in knowing their sibling’s decision, particularly prior to the re-enrollment timeframe of mid-January to early-February, two challenges have emerged in offering these early decisions. First, we have a significantly large enough group of siblings applying for admission that the majority of a grade level could be composed entirely of siblings if all sibling applicants were admitted to the grade. Our school has agreed that a mix of both siblings and students new to EPS is desired for creating the most diverse grade composition possible, without either the sibling or non-sibling population being significantly larger than the other. Second, the December sibling admission deadline necessitates reviewing these sibling applicants prior to the standard mid-January application deadline—this is before we are fully aware of the size of our non-sibling applicant pool, as well as the mission-appropriateness of the non-sibling group. Because a significant amount of conjecture is involved in this exercise, we are not truly evaluating sibling applicants relative to their applicant peers, which ultimately could be a disadvantage to either group.
Therefore, in an effort to establish the most equitable admissions process possible, EPS will discontinue communicating early admissions decisions for siblings. Through reviewing siblings in the full context of their applicant peers, we are confident that we will make the most informed, mission-centered decisions possible as an admissions committee. Sibling applicants will naturally continue to have the advantage in their admissions process of being families who are known to our community.
For families applying for a sibling child in the future, we look forward to engaging the admissions process with you!
Here are some questions and answers that help further explain some details of the revised admissions timeline for siblings:
In an effort to maintain a healthy and safe community this admissions season we are offering virtual admissions events and EPS community experiences; we hope that after the new year (when the EPS campus will potentially open to visitors) we will be able to add some in-person, on campus experiences as well.
We know that the admissions process can be overwhelming sometimes! To help with your potential needs and concerns, here’s an overview of changes to the 2020-21 admissions season.
- The Microsoft Teams platform will be used for all virtual meetings and events:
- Families will register for all events in Ravenna and a Microsoft Teams link will be emailed 1-2 days before each event.
- Opportunities for students and families to connect with EPS include:
- Optional Events – Not required for the admissions application, but providing opportunities for families to get to know our EPS community.
- Virtual Tours and Q&As will be offered during a variety of times throughout the admissions season – and a recorded session will be posted online for those unable to attend a live session. The 90-minute session will include a video walk-through of campus, a condensed curricular overview, and time for Q&A with the Admissions team. (A link to the Virtual Tour will be posted on the Admissions page at https://www.eastsideprep.org/admissions/)
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- Live topic-based Q&As with EPS community members will cover a range of topics and take place at a variety of times to accommodate diverse family schedules. Sessions will be recorded and made available for view on the Admissions page at https://www.eastsideprep.org/admissions/
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- Student Game Sessions with Q&A hosted by current EPS students. These activities will be scheduled after school
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- Required Admissions Events: These events are required in the EPS admission process.
- Parent/Guardian Interviews are a core aspect of our process. Interviews will begin in early fall and conclude in February when application review begins. Again, a diverse variety of days and times, including evenings and weekends, will be made available to accommodate family schedules.
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- Student “Visits” will take place after the January 14 application deadline and include mock classes as well as group activities.
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- Upper School (Grades 9-11) Student interviews with a EPS faculty/staff will also continue. We build in fun but thought-provoking questions,
- Financial Aid: Our commitment to financial support of families with demonstrated need continues for tuition aid as well as all components of the full student experience (e.g. food, experiential education opportunities, technology). Financial aid information sessions in which you can learn about the process and anonymously ask questions about our support will be offered, and you can always reach out to Cheryl at cmiller@eastsideprep.org with additional questions you may have.
- Contacting Admissions: The Admissions Team is currently working remotely. The best way to contact the Admissions Team with any questions is via email at admissions@eastsideprep.org . This email is monitored throughout the day and we are committed to responding to all emails within 24 hours.
For the current admissions season, Eastside Prep recommends that families pursue at-home testing options available through SSAT or ISEE. Eastside Prep will not offer in-person paper-based testing on our campus. We recommend the at-home SSAT and ISEE’s testing options; they both provide flexible dates, and can be taken in any location where a student will have their own quiet space for testing (e.g. their home or a school or program office).
Please note:
– For applicants to fifth grade, the ISEE Lower Level test is the only at-home testing option currently available.
– Upper School (Grades 9-11) applicants may submit a PDF of official results for one of these tests that has been taken within the last two years in place of taking the SSAT or ISEE.
SSAT Information
- You can register for the SSAT here: http://www.ssat.org.
- Eastside Preparatory School’s code is 2949.
- The last test date that will provide EPS with scores on time:
- fifth- eighth grade applicants: February 8th, 2021
- ninth-eleventh grade applicants: January 4, 2021
ISEE Information
- You can register for the ISEE here: https://www.erblearn.org/parents
- Eastside Preparatory School’s code is 481417
- The last test date that will provide EPS with scores on time:
- fifth- eighth grade applicants: February 8, 2021
- ninth-eleventh grade applicants: January 4, 2021
Yes! The Ravenna application will open on September 1 and families can register for parent interviews and student visit days as soon as they are offered (mid-fall). Please note that applications will not be due until January 14, 2021. This deadline will allow us the opportunity to hear from teacher recommenders after they have spent four to five months with your student in their classroom, and for us to review at least one full term of the current year transcript. We are confident that reviewing siblings’ applications with these additional months of experience will provide us with a fuller picture of their school success. Finally, we will review applications and communicate decisions in February 19, 2021 (Upper School) and March 19, 2021 (Middle School).
Yes, you will need to meet the deposit deadline for your currently enrolled child.
Tuition liability takes effect on June 1; if you elect to withdraw your enrolled student prior to June 1, you will forfeit the enrollment deposit but limit your full tuition liability.
We will be hosting an information session specifically for enrolled families with sibling applicants on October 9, 2020 at 7:30 a.m. Please watch your EPS emails for more information!
Important Dates:
