STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The more than 1,500 Staten Island eighth-graders hoping to attend Catholic high school, who took the Test for Admission to Catholic Schools (TACHS) exam in November, have been waiting anxiously for a letter to inform them whether they received an offer for admission.
Traditionally, this is the week Staten Island's Catholic high schools -- along with other schools in the New York Archdiocese -- simultaneously mail admission letters to would-be freshmen.
However, this year, the traditional letter has become a thing of the past for many, as schools have expanded their notification methods, using email, phone calls, text messages -- and even video.
Students who took the test in November had their test scores sent to three schools, ranked in order of preference. The announced closure of St. John Villa Academy in Arrochar has made this an especially tense time for some.
Eighth-graders are notified by each school to which they applied, either offering them a seat in the fall, or not. In some cases, they may be told they have been put on a waiting list for admission. They may also find out if they received a scholarship.
St. Joseph Hill Academy, Arrochar, sent an email linking to a YouTube video that reads, "Congratulations and welcome to St. Joseph Hill Academy's Class of 2022!" The video was produced by the school's Summit Production Club.
Parents reported St. Joseph by-the-Sea sent text messages, emails and phone calls.
"We have the ability to notify the students via email and text, so why make everyone wait for the Post Office?" said Rev. Michael Reilly, principal of St. Joseph by the Sea. "In the past, we have had students receive acceptance packets at all different times, with some receiving them as much as a week after they were mailed."
The school's Facebook page alerted students that the notifications were sent out in the afternoon, and would be followed by traditional letters in the mail.
"We sent emails, text messages, and robo-calls along with traditional acceptance packages in the mail," Reilly said. "This way, if we had a bad email address or a bad phone number, everyone would know where they stood all at the same time. I think it is much better for families to know, rather than to try and wonder why they did not receive a packet."
Notre Dame Academy sent an email, and Moore Catholic High School sent an email and phone message to accepted students.
For students who listed Monsignor Farrell High School and St. Peter's Boys High School, parents said they have not yet received any acceptance notice through a form of online communication.
For eighth-graders who placed Villa as a choice on the TACHS exam, the school sent an email on Wednesday with details and options for students to be re-examined by other Staten Island high school principals if they meet criteria for acceptance or waitlist.
Students who receive an admissions offer from more than one of their three schools must respond to each school, though they may only say "yes" to one. As students reply, seats are opened to other students on waiting lists.