Secondary School Placement
点击这里 to review the Class of 2023's secondary schools.
The Secondary School Guidance Office comes under the 入学 Office umbrella and serves, 平均, 40 families each year. We enjoy a deep connection with the Directors of 入学 and their associates at numerous independent schools around the country.
We begin our process in the spring of a student's 8th grade year with individual counseling and advice on finding the "right fit." Our office oversees 400 plus applications to roughly 90 independent schools each year. We are responsible for gathering all recommendations and transcripts and guide our families through the completion of their applications.We coach our students on upcoming interviews, and offer an SSAT overview class complete with practice tests and analysis of individual scores. Hillside School is a test site for the SSAT's and we assist all families with their test registrations, including those requiring specific accommodations.
Our son attended Hillside for two years (8th and 9th grade), and I can unequivocally say that he had a distinct advantage applying to secondary schools as a result. Hillside's placement team were constant guides and provided invaluable advice every step along the way. I cannot provide a higher recommendation for Hillside School. Simply put, the best of the best."
– A Future Groton Parent
2023–2024 Secondary School Guidance Timeline
| May/June of 8th Grade Year: |
Individual family meetings |
| 夏天 之前 9th Grade Year: |
Families re搜索 and visit |
| 8月下旬 之前 9th Grade Year: |
Parents schedule school |
| Fall of 9th Grade Year: |
Lunchtime visits with secondary school representatives on campus; SSG Office helps students prepare for interviews |
| October 9-13: | Secondary school interviews (no classes for 9th Grade) |
| 11月11日: | SSAT administered at Hillside (register by September 24th) |
| By Thanksgiving Break: |
Parents register accounts with online application systems (Standard Application Online, Gateway to Prep Schools, and/or Ravenna Solutions); students make progress on Student Questionnaires and Essays |
| 12月1日: |
Families notify SSG Office of |
| 12月2日: | Deadline to request supplemental recommendations and notify the SSP office |
| 12月9日: | SSAT administered at Hillside (Register by November 18th) |
| During Winter Break: | Students finish short answers and essays for uploading |
| January 6, 2024: |
SSSAT administered at Hillside (register by December 17, 2023) |
| January 15, 2024: | First wave of application deadlines; SSP Office will upload teacher recommendations and transcripts (families are responsible for submitting the student essay, graded writing sample, entrance exam scores, and any neuropsychological testing) |
| 3月10日: | Families notified of decisions by secondary schools |
| Late March and early April 2024: | Revisit Days at secondary schools |
| 4月10日: | Enrollment Deadline |
