Admissions Open Houses Give Prospective Families Insight into the Prep for Prep Journey

In the 2022-2023 admissions season, the Prep for Prep Admissions team hosted four open houses that included student, parent, alumni, and staff panels to provide a closer look at what we mean when we say, “Prep for Life.”
The Prep for Prep Journey begins with an application to our Preparatory Component program and extends into the professional and social pursuits of our alumni community. How can we begin to capture this singular experience? By speaking to the students currently going through the process, the alumni who are on their professional paths, and the staff who support them every step of the way. 

The Admissions team organized four open houses for the 2022-2023 application season inspired by the Prep for Prep motto: Excellence, Integrity, Commitment, and Courage.

Excellence: A Word From the Wise
Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Parents of Prep for Prep and PREP 9 students are pillars of excellence as they have shaped the students who astonish us year after year. Our parent panelists—Yusuf Can, McKennie Charles, Veronica Gil, Flora Lugo, Kenneth Madaras, Barbara Malinowska, Carolyn Melo, and Herby Phanord shared candid insights about their childrens’ experiences as well as their own. As Carolyn noted, “aside from Prep being a community for the children, the parents have a community within themselves.” 

Prep for Prep’s Associate Director of Post-Placement Counseling, Danielle Montañez, joined panelists on stage to discuss how the department supports the academic and personal development of Prep for Prep students throughout their independent school journey. Prep counselors visit with students regularly at their respective schools.They also meet with school administrators to advocate for students and ensure their well-being. Furthermore, counselors help identify extra resources when necessary, such as academic tutoring or mental-health counseling. Most recently, they added a boarding school affinity group, but there are also groups based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexuality. 

The Post-Placement Counseling department also fosters community with social activities such as trips like museums and arcades.The community is not just for the students, but for families as well. The Post-Placement Counseling department has rolled out a series of parent panels this year discussing the independent school experience, mental wellness, and gender identity, and there are even plans for an end-of-school-year mixer.

Integrity: Men of Prep
Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Male-identifying Prep for Prep and PREP 9 current students and alumni discussed how Prep for Prep taught them to lead with integrity. They shared their experiences as boys of color in the Preparatory Component and at their independent schools. We are grateful to Ismail Lawal (P9 III), Eric Osorio (VIII), Iokseng L. (XLIII), Chase A. (XLII), Joe Pabon (XI), and Jerry Bright (IX) for sharing their Prep for Prep Journey with us. “You might have had all the talent and ability to succeed and you might have still persevered through all kinds of obstacles to get there, but this [the Prep for Prep program] removes some of the obstacles,” said Joe. 

Associate Director of Admissions Rachel Genao detailed  the Preparatory Component program, which is designed to prepare students for their independent schools. The curriculum includes general history, literature, math, and language courses from Latin to Mandarin, as well as classes unique to Prep for Prep like the leadership course Invictus and Problems and Issues in Modern American Society (PIMAS). 

Commitment: Wellness at Prep 
Thursday, January 26, 2023

Prep for Prep is committed to supporting its students in the Preparatory Component and beyond. “I’m joined here by some incredible colleagues that are beyond committed to the work that they do in supporting all of our families through this partnership,” said Johanna in her opening remarks. Prep also recognizes that the program itself is a big commitment for families, but is worth it. 

The open house panel included staff who support students in the Preparatory Component and after placement in their independent schools: Head of Summer Advisory for PREP 9 Dola Adebayo (P9 XXII), Dean of Students Diana Ballesteros (XXI), Day School Counselor Noelle Bellamy, Director of Mental Wellness Alejandro Luciano (P9 I), and Director of Post-Placement Counseling Roberta Osorio. Staff discussed the support Prep provides through programming like our advisory system in the Preparatory Component, the partnership between counselors and independent schools, and the affinity groups established for students as they navigate their independent schools. “It takes a community to make these dreams possible for our students,” said Noelle. “ One of the reasons that I found myself coming back to Prep is seeing how well we do community.” 

Courage: The Voices of Leadership
Thursday, February 16, 2023

It takes courage to seek out new challenges like the Preparatory Component program. Current independent school students Chase A. (XLII), Jameeiah D. (XXXIX), Dominic G. (XLI), Krissi M. (XXXIX), and Matthew S. (XLI) shared how the Preparatory Component prepared them for academic and social success. Columbia University undergraduate Michael D. (XXXVII) also joined the panel to discuss what Prep for Prep support looks like after high school graduation. 

Prospective students and their families were able to ask questions about the Preparatory Component curriculum and workload and the advantages of independent schools. The Preparatory Component is a 14-month program that includes two summers. Dominic, a sophomore at St. Anne’s, put this time commitment into perspective. “It doesn’t feel like you got two summers taken away. It feels like you got two summers given to you. The two summers that got ‘taken away’ actually set you up for life.” The students agreed that the Preparatory Component is hard work. However, a valuable lesson Dalton senior Jameeiah learned is that “being smart isn’t worth it if you don’t put in the hard work, if you don’t have the excellence, integrity, commitment, and courage to do something with that gift that has been bestowed upon you.”

We are grateful to all of our panelists for sharing their insights with us! If you are a student or parent currently going through the application process, the Admissions team is happy to speak with you. Visit our Admissions team page on the Prep for Prep website to schedule a meeting with your borough’s admissions officer.
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