Secondary School Counseling

• Spring of Grade 8: Working with a secondary school counselor, begin generating a list of target schools.
• Summer Before Grade 9: Review school list with family and make plans to visit schools suring fall of 9th grade year.
• Fall of Grade 9: Attend on campus school fairs and visit schools! Visits should be planned for Columbus Day/Indigenous People's Day in October (also known as Sandwich Fair Day at Cardigan; there are no classes), during the Fall Term Long Weekend, and if necessary, the week following Thanksgiving Recess. Remember that interviews are required for admission. All arrangements should be made with the permission of the director of secondary school counseling and the director of student life.
• January 1 of Grade 9: Students should be completed with their portion of the application process.
• March 10 of Grade 9: Secondary schools notify students of admissions decisions.
• March 11 - April 9: Revisit schools to help in making a final decision.
• April 10 of Grade 9: Students notify schools of their decision to attend.

Cardigan will administer the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) for all interested ninth-grade students in October and November, with an additional optional date in December. Any requests for special accommodations should be made officially through the Enrollment Management Association after July 1 and forwarded to the director of secondary school counseling and the dean of academics.

The Secondary School Counseling Office will assemble the necessary materials for each student and share them with schools via the appropriate application portal. The Standard Application Online is required if it is an available option. These materials include all letters of recommendation, the head of school/counselor report, and the student's Cardigan transcript (including ninth-grade fall term grades). All of these items will be submitted before January 10. We will also provide guidance regarding the submission of SSAT scores.