Secondary School Placement

Choosing the right school for ninth grade is an important task for all Hilltop Country Day School eighth-grade students and their families. It requires much energy on everyone’s part, and ultimately it can be a rewarding experience for families. Just like the decision to choose Hilltop Country Day School, the decision regarding secondary school is a decision that will undoubtedly affect your child for the rest of his or her life.

Children moving from primary to secondary schools take a major step toward joining the outside world. It is exciting as well as daunting, and we at Hilltop realize the importance of this educational process. Placing students in secondary schools is a process that requires planning, cooperation, and consultation.

The goal of our placement program is to find a secondary school that best suits a child’s interests and aspirations, and offers the opportunity to continue the growth and development that he or she has experienced at Hilltop. The process of finding a school best suited to each student usually begins in the seventh-grade year and continues until the student is placed.

During this process, families work primarily with the head of school, who coordinates the secondary school counseling at Hilltop. The head of school will also help families through most of the paperwork and testing, and is always available by phone, by email, or in person. The head of school will meet with the families in late August/early September to discuss summer activities, the eighth-grade year, and the admissions process.