Stereotypical first day of school horrors often haunt the minds of new and transfer students as they prepare for a new life at a new school: eating lunch alone, getting lost in the halls, making new friends, and meeting new teachers. Though the transition to a new school can be unpredictable and intimidating, BSM students, teachers, counselors, and admissions staff work hard to make the transition to the school a positive experience, whether it be for brand new students or mid-year transfer students.
Although transfer students do not take any entrance exams, they attend an initial meeting with Dr. Skinner to ensure a smooth transition into BSM. “We do ask to see the student’s past standardized test score, [and] high school grades. We also base their acceptance on the meeting that they had with Dr. Skinner,” said Ms. Kate Leahy, Director of Enrollment Management.
Prior to their first day, the new students meet with their counselor, Dr. Jeff Steffenson or Mr. Fran Roby. They then pair the student with a classmate to eat lunch with, and help them select their classes. “The students can usually pick their classes, but counselors might choose some of their classes if they will need necessary credits for graduation, [like] if they have to take health as a junior or senior,” said Ms. Leahy
For these transfer students, meshing their old and new class credits sometimes proves to be a challenge, but when senior Liz Goulet transferred in, she used the new schedule to her advantage. “I had gym and health everyday at my old school, so when I came here second semester, I took gym again, but didn’t have to take health, so I got a free period. I took Western Civilization as a freshman to get ahead for my sophomore year,” said Goulet, who transferred her freshman year from Mound Westonka
Along with new classes, mid-year transfers sometimes find it difficult to meet people. Luckily, junior Kate Whitney, who transferred in the winter of her freshman year from Minneapolis Southwest High School, found friends amongst the new faces. “The first semester I was here, I was really focused on maintaining my grades, but after that I started to branch out more and met most of my friends though random connections. For example, some of my neighbors go here, and I found people who knew my friends that went to Carondelet and Holy Family,” said Whitney.
The transition period maybe difficult at first, but many transfer students find the benefits from their move. “When I came here, my grades improved a lot because, at Wayzata, they used the block schedule so I had four classes a day. I really couldn’t focus for that long and struggled, especially in math, because I went through an entire year of math [lessons] in one semester,” said senior Coco Paulson, who transferred her freshman year from Wayzata High School.
