BSM has often been considered a popular and well-known Catholic School, but recently the admissions team has had to create a waiting list for potential incoming students.

The admission enrollment this year has been significantly higher than most. “At this time, both our senior high and junior high enrollment numbers are tracking higher than last year. While we have seen a large increase in interest for senior high, the junior high experience has created quite the buzz, and we’ve been blessed to work with a larger number of prospective junior high families this year as well,” Van Cleve said.

At the beginning of last year, BSM created a waitlist for various grades due to the sharp increase of students interested in attending. “ [I believe] the biggest reason why BSM has a wait pool in place is because it’s a great time to be a Red Knight. BSM continues to create an overall student experience that is appealing to prospective families,” Betsy Van Cleve, Associate Director of Admissions, said.

The BSM admissions team works tirelessly to go through and sort all the applications they receive yearly. “There are many factors that the Admissions Committee considers when reviewing applicants to BSM. These factors may include an academic resumé, existing connection to the school, attending a partner Catholic school, and so on,” Van Cleve said.

For students looking to apply and transfer in late to BSM, Van Cleve and her team look at a variety of different aspects to see if they should be admitted. “[For] 10th, 11th and 12th grade transfers, the Committee looks at the classes that they have taken and grades [they received], as well as [making sure we have] access to space in the classes that they need to complete to meet our graduation requirements,” Van Cleve said.

Van Cleve plays a crucial role in the admissions process. “As Associate Director of Admissions, I work with prospective families from their initial request for information and beyond. While my focus is primarily with families considering the senior high, our admissions team collectively works with all interested families to make sure that the admissions process is informative, efficient, and memorable,” Van Cleve said.

BSM includes students from over 50 schools across the metro area, the country, and world. “A large amount of our incoming 7th and 9th grade students will come from our area partner Catholic K-6 and K-8 schools,” Van Cleve said.

According to Van Cleve, BSM’s campus is built to hold 1200 students in grades 7-12. “While it may feel a little more crowded than usual in the hallways, we’re right where we want to be from a population standpoint. With the addition of new spaces like our Atrium and science classrooms, we’ve been able to spread out a bit more to alleviate some of the space concerns,” Van Cleve said.

Faculty and staff have been working to adjust to the large number of student to meet the expected learning experiences. “Our BSM teachers are wonderful and incredibly adaptable. Even with an increase in student population, the BSM administrative team has worked tirelessly to keep class sizes smaller so that we can still create authentic learning experiences for all students and continue to build strong relationships between students, faculty, and staff,” Van Cleve said.

Van Cleve is very excited for what is to come for the future of BSM and thinks enrollment will remain consistently strong. “The BSM Board of Directors and members of the BSM Leadership Team are very intentional in accessing our enrollment numbers every week, month, and year to ensure that we are delivering on the mission and vision for BSM. They will continue to be diligent in making enrollment decisions that best reflect where we currently are and where we want to be,”  Van Cleve said.