Montverde Academy
Update from Ann Mills the Dean of
Admissions and Financial Aid
The “WHYS” of the Admission Office
Do you ever see a process and ask yourself, “Why
do I need to do that?” I hope to answer that
question in this newsletter about the Admission
Office.
WHY - do we need to re-enroll so early?
Being a not-for-profit organization, Montverde
Academy, like many other independent schools,
is a tuition driven organization and does not
receive any state or federal funding. Independent
schools generate an operating budget early in
the year to adequately plan for the number of
teachers, support staff, operating supplies, and
capital needs for the year ahead. Completing
re-enrollment allows for the institution to make
educated decisions and projection before
committing to significant contractual overhead
of instructional faculty and administration. If an
independent school falls behind others during the
re-enrollment season, they miss the opportunity
to attract the best applicants for the remaining
enrollment space. Prospective students and
parents understand the competitive nature of
applying to the top independent schools; they
want to have their application completed on time
which means they will receive their admission
decision earlier!
WHY - is a standardized test required?
Montverde Academy has high expectations for
every student. Our curriculum is thoughtfully
created and aligned to maintain a continuum
throughout the school. Standardized tests are one
tool to demonstrate a student’s academic ability.
A standardized test is created, administered,
and scored the same way for every student. This
provides an objective snapshot of the student’s
performance. The Admission Committee can
utilize the information from the standardized
test combined with all of the other required
admission materials to develop an academic
profile for each applicant. The Committee will
then decide if the applicant is prepared for the
academic environment at Montverde Academy.
WHY - is Financial Aid important to an
independent school?
Financial Aid provides students and families,
who otherwise could not attend an independent
school due to financial reasons, the ability
to obtain an independent school education.
Socioeconomic diversity within a school
provides educational value to all.
Montverde
Academy
offers
need-based
financial aid for families who qualify. It is
offered to students in grades 6-12 and must be
applied for and evaluated annually. It is often a
misconception that financial aid and scholarships
are synonymous, however Montverde Academy
does not offer scholarships. The application for
financial aid is completed annually for families
to demonstrate their level of need. The school
sets aside limited funds every year for financial
aid allocations. When families qualify for aid, the
Financial Aid Committee distributes the funds
as evenly as possible in order to serve as many
families as possible.
Montverde Academy attracts the brightest and
most talented students from the United States
and around the world. The Admission process
is designed to ensure we sustain a culture of
excellence with students, academics and co-
curricular activities.