Admissions Process
1. School Visit
After contacting the admissions office or filling out our inquiry form, you will receive a packet which includes a Preliminary Information Form that should be returned to the school prior to the visit. While initial visits are ideally conducted in person, given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic we are often able to arrange virtual visits for families who live a significant distance from the Choir School.
The school visit provides a time for a boy and his parents to tour the school and learn about the life of a chorister. Visits are scheduled on days when the Choir School is in regular session. The student will then have a vocal evaluation with the Director of Music (or an associate), and then join his peers for one or two class periods while his parents speak with members of the faculty and staff who can answer questions and offer impressions of this unique approach to education.
Families are then encouraged to return home, talk about the visit, and consider whether they are interested in pursuing admission. Likewise, staff consider whether the student is a suitable candidate or, in some instances, whether further vocal preparation is recommended. The Interim Director of Admissions will contact you to notify you of the school’s decision and, if appropriate, to invite the student to continue to the Application stage and attend an Overnight Audition.
2. Application
Boys invited to continue with the admissions process will receive the application paperwork from the Interim Director of Admissions. This paperwork should be submitted in advance of a student’s arrival for the Overnight Audition. This includes:
Application Form to be filled out by the parent(s).
Student Evaluations from the student’s current classroom teacher and from another teacher or activity leader who knows the student in an instructional setting.
School Records Release: Parents complete this form and present it to their son’s current school. A complete file, including grade reports, comments, testing, and evaluations are to be included. The file should be mailed or emailed to the Admissions Office at the choir school.
Once the application packet is complete, the next step is for the student to attend an overnight audition.
3. Overnight Audition
Overnight auditions are scheduled several times per semester and we typically welcome between one and four visiting students for each one. Students arrive on Thursday after lunch and are immersed in the Choir School’s schedule through Saturday morning. During this time, they join rehearsals, participate in sports, sleep in the dormitories, attend classes with their peers, and take academic testing.
On Saturday morning the visiting boys join the choir rehearsal and then sing a final vocal audition for the Director of Music. Students who are studying an instrument may also play an instrumental selection, but this is not required. Before picking up their sons, parents are invited to attend a Q&A session with members of the Choir School staff.
Families will be notified of the admissions decision within a week of the Overnight Audition. A letter of confirmation from the Head of School will also be mailed.
Confidentiality Statement
All families who participate in the admission process do so in confidence. In order to protect their privacy, families will only communicate (aside from their in-person visits) with the Head of School and the Admissions Office until a student has matriculated.
Non-Discrimination Policy
Saint Thomas Choir School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, nationality, or ethnic origin in administration of their educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships, and other school-administered programs.
