Student Envoys in Action: Middle Schoolers and the Admissions Process

One of the most highly praised aspects of an FCS Open House is the student-led tour. For about 45 minutes, 6th - 8th graders guide groups of parents—and sometimes prospective students—through the school. They share about its structure and daily life, mission and values, and most importantly, their own academic and social experiences. They talk about their favorite projects, their relationships with teachers and peers, and memories of years prior, and give an authentic and youthful perspective on the FCS experience for prospective families. 

Other middle school students volunteer as hosts to student applicants during their classroom shadow visits. They help ensure the visitors feel welcomed, comfortable, and included in the class communities they join. It is not uncommon for students in grades 5 - 8 to reach out and actively request to help host visiting students. Their willingness and conduct is a true reflection of how our students embody the values we hold as a school. And let’s not forget that our lower schoolers serve as hosts too, to students visiting grades 2 - 5. Each December, our Director of Admissions visits homerooms and advisories to talk about this responsibility and to ask students to brainstorm qualities of a good host. Without coaching, FCS students offer thoughtful answers about how important it is to be welcoming, to share positive information about FCS, and to make sure that visitors are never left behind during classwork or break time. 

Involving middle school students in the admissions process is special for everyone involved. It adds a layer to the admissions experience for prospective parents, giving them the opportunity to meet and talk with current students. It ensures that all student applicants get to know an immediate peer who is welcoming and inclusive from the start. Lastly, and perhaps most profoundly, it allows the middle schoolers to be involved in helping share and build the community of which they are a part. 

We look forward to welcoming new middle school students to this group of volunteers each year and hope that this opportunity becomes something they eagerly anticipate as they progress through their FCS journey.