Next Steps for the Cougars, Classes of 2022 and 2023

Spring seems like it should be a slow time for a secondary school counseling office; ninth graders had to commit to their next school by April 10, and rising ninth graders haven’t started the application process yet. There shouldn’t be many students left to counsel. But for Cardigan’s Director of Secondary School Counseling Kris Langetieg P’24 and Assistant Directors Cynthia Day P’12,’13 and Kristin LeRoy P’23 there’s still plenty of work left to do. The secondary school counseling team is already getting to know the Class of 2023 and working with admissions offices to identify priorities for the next application cycle. Mr. Langetieg is also organizing a secondary school fair for the eighth graders, the first spring fair in at least a decade. Fortunately, Mr. Langetieg isn’t so busy that he doesn’t have time for an interview with Verbatim. In early April he sat down with Editor Mateo Escalante ’22; this interview first appeared in the April 10 issue of Verbatim.

As we edge into the last hours of April 10th, can you share a summary of the outcomes of the secondary school process for the Class of 2022?

It's important to know that we're not done. We're still working on some waitlists for some kids to finalize their homes, and that's always something that comes down to the wire. And it's important to note too that most waitlists don't convert, so it's a challenging time for kids who have their hearts set on places. But more than anything, as you look at the Class of 2022, you see a group that was recognized in the secondary school landscape as a community-minded cohort that understood relationships and shared purpose.

Did COVID present many challenges to the secondary school process this year?

COVID has continued to present challenges. The most drastic ones are over-enrollment and increases in applications. Schools are up 25% to 50% in their applicant numbers, many schools moving over 1,000, 2,000, or even 3,000 applicants. And more and more schools are admitting under 10-20 percent, which is an impressive landscape! When you look at over-enrollment, it affects no grade more heavily than 10th, and we have a lot of qualified applicants applying for 10th. So, when you then look at how things panned out for the Class of 2022 and recognize that there are even fewer spots, the outcomes are even more impressive!

Can you tell us about the upcoming 8th Grade Secondary School Fair?

We are hoping to have 60 to 70 schools at the fair; 60 have already replied. We were geared up to do an 8th-grade fair in the spring of 2020, but it was put on hold by the pandemic. This is something that we are kicking off to provide early access to students so they can really branch out and visit with schools from all over the country and places that have been particularly popular with our applicants. Another cool thing is that it will be held in the evening so it won't conflict with the academic day and lunch. That will allow the Class of 2023 to enter into our fall mini-fairs with a whole new perspective.

What is one piece of advice that you would like to give to the rising 9th graders?

There's no one better to receive advice from than the current 9th-grade class that just finished the process, but I would hope that the advice would not center on specific schools but rather the experience. Start thinking about what you are doing now that centers entirely around Cardigan. What opportunities are you taking advantage of, what do you plan to do to broaden your special interests? Are you self-advocating? Are you getting extra help? Are you doing your best? That's important as you enter the summer break; take advantage of everything because it is still going to be really challenging to get into schools next year. Don't wait! Don't expect to be invited and don't take time and say, I have next week, next month, next fall.

What is your favorite part about being the director of the Secondary School Office? And how many years have you been serving in your role?

I've been involved in secondary school counseling for seven years. I have two favorite parts of the process. One of them was actually helped by the pandemic because I was able to get in front of classes with the applicants once a week and spend time together. I got to know the applicants better. My next favorite piece is representing all of the applicants externally with Mrs. Day and Mrs. LeRoy, talking on each kid's behalf. It's a really powerful experience for me. I'm able to talk in depth about each student, who they are as community members, their growth, their academic and extracurricular proclivities and trajectories, and everything else. Not everyone has the opportunity to go out and say, "These are my guys; let me tell you about them."