When Cameron came home from her first day of school this fall she said, " I need a tutor." I had just assumed that we would enroll Cameron in the the high school that best suited her interest, but preparing for the HSSAT was just the beginning of the rigorous autumn ahead gearing up for the high school application process. Eight grade students are encouraged to go to each high school's open house to understand the schools curriculum and enrollment criteria. By the end of November she had been to enough open house to make her head spin. In short the 13 year old student is supposed to chose a path of interest that could potentially set them on a journey of early success, but just as easily head them in a direction that has nothing to do with interest that they may (and most likely will) develop as they grow more mature.
We live in one of the most sought after neighborhoods in Manhattan. The cost of our rent in a tiny pre-war, two bedroom is testament to that. One would then think that the neighborhood schools would be ideal. I'm not even sure that there is a neighborhood school, and if there is, you wouldn't want your child to go there. Manhattan high schools consist of a large number of charters schools and students test, audition, and interview to get into their choice school.
I have long given up the story of how I diligently pursued the perfect middle school for Cameron from Colorado. Now I give her attendance at the Computer School, three blocks from our house as divine intervention. Kids in New York City go through this admissions process for elementary, middle and high school. By the time they apply to college they are are old pros. Somehow we bypassed the middle school process by moving here in the middle of the summer and one student's family moved unexpectedly making one slot available. Right time, right place? I don't know, but from what I know now it had nothing to do with me.
Cameron loves musical theater and she has also had an interest in being a doctor. So put herself out there and tested for Bronx Science and Lehman College, she auditioned for High School of Performing Arts and Laguardia Arts, and she interviewed and wrote essays for Beacon and Eleanor Roosevelt. She covered all of her bases. Then the long winter wait began.
More than going to a great middle school Cameron has met wonderful friends at the school. There are six girls in Cameron's close knit group of friends and they have embraced her as if she had gone to school with the since Kindergarten. The dream was that they would all go to Laguardia Arts together, some for acting, others for singing, and others for art/design. Cam's biggest fear was that they would all get in and she would not.. Moving Cameron to NYC was a huge risk on our part because she had so many good friends back home in Evergreen, but she has really flourished socially. Of course, unless they all go to school together next year she is back in the mix as a new kid. That being said, the way the system works all freshman, for the most part, are new kids.
Yesterday was finally the day that the kids were given their acceptance letter. Worse case scenario you don't get picked up by any of your first choice schools and you begin round two with schools that still have availability, which basically means the schools that no one else wanted are still looking to fill spaces. To say the best schools are competitive is an understatement. Laguardia Arts had 14,000 student (yes, the number is correct) apply for 500 spots and Beacon had 4,000 student apply for 250. The kids were instructed by the school counselors to go directly home and to open their letters with their parents. Cameron came directly home. We opened the letter.: No Laguardia Arts. The tears started and turned into sobs. But Jeff and I were thrilled, she has been accepted into Beacon, which is a wonderful school offering a well-rounded liberal arts education, so she can get what she needs if she wants to pursue medical school and she can participate in theater arts classes if she wants to make a career on the Great White Way.
None of her friends got into LaGuardia, although they all did get one of their first round choices, but none of them are going to school together. I'm sure I will get an ear full when she gets home from school today about who is going where and stories of despairs. Last night on Facebook she posted that she got into Beacon (her disappointment over Laguardia had faded) and one girl responded "at least one of your high school choices wanted you. :( " I would not have wanted to be in that house last night.
And so the adventure continues. One more year ahead of us in NYC. Cam is still holding onto her two year escape clause just in case she "hates" Beacon.
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