Admissions

If your current school leaves your child frustrated or intimidated, lost or overwhelmed, then Barnstable Academy may be the answer. While every family and every circumstance is unique, there are common steps in determining whether Barnstable Academy will benefit your child.

Step One: The Inquiry
The admissions process begins with you. You realize that your child isn't succeeding as he or she should or is simply unfulfilled academically or socially, and you need an alternative. This is a difficult realization. It means that you must leave behind the familiar for the promise of what can be. You search the Internet. You read books and magazines. You seek out other parents who have made similar decisions. All which have led you here, to consider Barnstable Academy.

Parents should plan a visit during the morning portion of the school day since this is when the academic subjects are taught. Parents wishing to see the elective program, including performing arts and athletics, are welcome to stay through the afternoon.


Step Two: The Parent Interview
To determine whether Barnstable Academy's surroundings, academics and outlook can help your child succeed, we seek a thorough understanding of his or her needs. Together, parent and educator, we will assess how well your son or daughter is likely to acclimate to Barnstable. Because of our emphasis on small class sizes, we can also determine whether we have available space at your child's grade level.


Step Three: The Parent Tour
Phone calls, brochures and Web sites cannot fully communicate the unique environment and culture that comprise Barnstable. The only way for parents to fully appreciate this is to see the academy firsthand.

Plan to take at least half a day touring our campus, without your child. We recommend that you start your tour midmorning, to see students working with academic subjects such as language and mathematics. Stay through midafternoon, so that you can experience Barnstable students weaving their individual interests into their education through their elective courses.


Step Four: The Child Visit
It is unfortunate that the person with the greatest influence over your child's academic success is often overlooked. It is equally fortunate that this is not the case at Barnstable Academy. We ask your child to join us for a day. We invite him or her to sit in on classes and to talk to our teachers and students. We encourage potential students to ask the questions they think are most important.

• "What is it like to have such small classes?"
• "How do students feel about the combination of academic and elective courses?"
• "How does Barnstable Academy compare to my previous middle or high school?"

Only then can your son or daughter successfully participate in a decision that will profoundly affect his or her future.


Step Five: Mutual Assessment
Barnstable Academy is unlike your current middle or high school. Our difference in approach is even evident in our admissions process. Each person involved in this decision - parent, child, educators and administrators - evaluates whether Barnstable is the right fit for the student. It is important - and essential for high school students - that the student demonstrates a firm desire to attend Barnstable Academy.


Step Six: Parent Meeting
Finally, parents meet with Barnstable staff. We will review the results of the child visit, hear the impressions of our teachers and administrators, and review the individual assessments. If all parties determine that Barnstable Academy is the best match for your child, he or she will be accepted for admission.