On Sept. 17 for the first time this school year, eighth graders started shadowing freshmen and sophomores.

Shadowing starts in September, because of convenience for both the potential student and for the parents.

Mr. Duane Emery, vice president for enrollment management, said, “Shadowing typically starts in September for us to get enough dates on the calendar and because families start considering where they’re going to apply and where they’re going to go to open house. We have to start in September to get enough dates in.”

Shadowing is often a deciding factor for potential students. “The impression that you get academically, socially and all of those things definitely can make or break a decision,” Emery said.

Emery and his staff, as well as the shadow hosts, take multiple steps to help students feel welcome. “We want our hosts to call them by their names, not just to call them shadows. We want them to introduce them to their friends and include them in conversations. Introduce them to their teachers. Go through the lunch line with them. Lunch is incredibly nerve wracking for someone who’s never been here,” Emery said.

Emery said, “The school benefits once students enroll at our school and shadowing is a huge determining factor in that process.”

For eighth-graders who visit the campus, they are paired with a current student with similar academic, extracurricular and athletic interests, and the potential student follows the current student all day, attending his or her classes, spending time during flex and eating in the school cafeteria.

More information about the shadowing program is available on the school’s admissions website.