They want
you!
How area Catholic high schools compete for enrollment
Allie Smith and Colleen O'Doherty
Each year, the new freshman
classes don't just appear by magic, a lot of hard work is put into promoting
high schools to junior high students 
from all over the city. Faculty, parents and students
all combine their efforts to make their school look the best. Even before the
incoming freshman classes are settled in, high schools are in full gear trying
to find the next group of potential students. A recruitment director's job is
never done.
All schools are unique and
different, and their recruitment styles follow a unique pattern. Some things, however, are the same
everywhere. For example, in November of each year, Catholic high schools put on
their best faces to impress interested sixth, seventh and eighth grade students
at their annual Open Houses.
For Marian, Creighton Prep,
Duchesne, Roncalli, Mercy, Skutt and Gross, Open House is the biggest event of
the recruitment year.
Another popular recruiting event is the lock-in or
"fun night." Marian, Prep, Duchesne, Mercy, Gross and Skutt all
sponsor varied types of fun nights to raise money for school clubs and get
possible students excited about the school. The Select Women's Choir sponsors
Marian's overnight lock-in in October. The night consists of food, dancing and
music; but very rarely, sleep.
Junior choir member Andrea Delisi helped put on the
lock-in. "I liked the theme and setting up the decorations," said
Delisi. "The best part was watching the lip syncs."
Freshman Kelly Roche went to Marian's Lock-In when
she was in eighth grade. "It was fun. You got to meet a lot of people
going here and upperclassmen," said Roche. "You could do whatever you
want, and you were always involved."
Duchesne has a similar event they call "Girl's
Night Out." Eighth grade girls from all grade schools are invited to the
school from 7 to 11 p.m. to enjoy a night similar to Marian's Lock-In.
Gross also has an "Eighth Grade Day," and
Skutt holds a dance for eighth grade students called Hawkfest. Roncalli invites
eighth graders to a basketball game in the winter and serves them free hot dogs
beforehand.
Prep holds a lock-in and an "Eighth Grade Fun
Night." The lock-in consists of an evening of movies and an open gym, and
during the "Fun Night" eighth grade boys enjoy pizza and pop before
they are bussed to the University of Nebraska at Omaha's football stadium to
watch the Junior Jays' varsity football team play.
Unlike most of the Catholic high schools, Mercy has
major events for prospective students starting in fifth grade. They host a lock-in in the spring for fifth
and sixth graders and special night for seventh and eighth graders during the
school's musical. The girls are provided dinner, get to meet the cast and crew
of the production, participate in games conducted by the Theater department and
then see the musical itself. Overall, high schools try to incorporate possible
students whenever, and however, they can.
Not only do the schools load
the mailboxes of Catholic grade school students with postcards and ask for time
after school and during the weekends, but each Catholic high school also makes
an appearance at Catholic grade schools during the school day. Recruitment
directors 
bring students to talk, videos and power point
presentations showcasing their school, brochures and even gifts to distribute.
The challenge is to make the
visit interesting and enticing to 13 year olds. "I try to update [our
presentation] every year," said Delisi. "I ask the incoming freshman
class for feedback and make changes off of those suggestions."
For most eighth graders, the
things they get at the end of the presentation can make or break the entire
presentation. Prep, for example, brings t-shirts with important dates on the
back. Marian has brought pens stamped with Marian's address and phone number in
the past, but has now switched to notebooks. Other schools have brought magnets
or posters, anything to get their point across.
Freshman
Katie Williams enjoyed the high schools' visits. "I liked it when they
brought stuff," said Williams.
Needless to say, during the
fall, eighth graders are bombarded by several high schools, all claiming to be
the best. The only way to really get to know a school is to see it first hand.
This can be done at all high schools by following around a student for a day,
or "shadowing." According to Mercy's recruitment director, Trish
Steele, "it is one of the best ways [to see what a school's like],"
and she highly encourages it. While all schools are happy to host visiting
eighth graders, the policies vary from lax to extremely strict. Roncalli enforces a dress code on its
visitors, forbidding them to wear jeans or t-shirts, but most schools only
require advanced notice from the visitor's parents.
One consistent
similarity between all the schools recruiting techniques is the student
involvement. The difference, however, lies in the intensity of the selection
process and determining who is eligible to participate. At Marian, to be a
member of the recruitment team is no easy task. Interested students must fill
out an application, answer several questions and freshman students are then
interviewed. At Mercy, sophomore, junior and senior students are eligible to be
a part of a select club of Student Ambassadors after an interview. Duchesne has
a similar group of girls who act as Student Ambassadors, while other schools,
like Prep and Skutt, pick the student helpers for recruiting events from
volunteers or active students.
Junior Erin Budd is a member
of Marian's recruitment team. "It was a lot of work," said Budd.
"But it was fun, too."
All of the recruitment
craziness ultimately leads up to the entrance and placement exam in
January. All Catholic high schools
facilitate these tests at their schools, usually on the same day, forcing
students to choose a school. Most
schools will transfer test scores, but some, like Duchesne, Mercy and Skutt,
make it known to interested students that not taking the entrance exam at their
school may hinder their acceptance.
Whatever the method,
recruiting at Catholic high schools has been successful. Prep's recruitment
director, Josh Luedtke, reports that they have had a full incoming freshman
class for the last seven years.
Duchesne's recruitment director, Meg Jones, had similar news, stating
that they have more girls than they have room for. It seems a drop in Catholic
high school enrollment is nowhere in the near future thanks to the vigorous
recruiting done each year.