PDS Holds Annual Revisit Day
August 15, 2015
As the Class of 2015 reaches the end of their journey at Princeton Day School, the Upper School anticipates a new class to walk through the halls next fall; the Class of 2019. On April 1, the PDS Upper School welcomed newly-admitted students and their parents for a Revisit Day. This year, PDS had a large applicant pool with over 300 applicants for the ninth grade, and over 40 applicants for tenth and eleventh grade. PDS accepted 40-45 new freshmen, a handful of sophomores, and fewer than five juniors. “The applicant pool was very competitive this year,” noted Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Julie Cucchi. She believes Revisit Day is important: “For some kids, Revisit Day is the deciding point on choosing a school.”
The hallways were buzzing with excited energy on Revisit Day, as the prospective students entered the doors to the Upper School. First they were greeted by Admission officers, and the newly-admitted students were taken to the theatre for opening speeches by Head of School Paul Stellato and Head of Upper School Jason Robinson. From there, the students explored everything that PDS has to offer. Before Revisit Day, prospective students were sent a survey via email asking what classes they would like to see. On Revisit Day, each student visited two of his or her requested classes and experienced a typical class at PDS. They were able to see student-teacher interactions, as well as different types of classes.
While the accepted students attended classes,
parents gathered in the library for an informational session. This consisted of information about tuition, schedules, classes, and more. Additionally, parents also had the chance to see classes in action.
Throughout the day, prospective students had the chance to observe PDS students outside of the classroom, such as during free periods. They also had a chance to see how students do their homework, meet with teachers, and enjoy time with friends. Along with watching students, the visitors listened to a PDS student panel, which included current PDS students explaining student life at PDS. Finally, during an extracurricular fair, the prospective students and their families were shown some of the many different clubs PDS has to offer.
Mr. Robinson believes our Revisit Day is different from that of other schools in the area. “I think what distinguishes our Revisit Days are the intangibles: the way in which our students and faculty exude such a deep sense of pride in the school and such warmth and enthusiasm,” he explained.
PDS Revisit Day was a great experience for the prospective students to see what a day at PDS is like. Mr. Robinson and Mrs. Cucchi both felt the Revisit Day went very well. “I am never more proud of our community than I am on Revisit Days. Our students in particular do such a brilliant job showcasing our school in the best possible light,” commented Mr. Robinson.
