How to Apply to Essex Aggie
Essex Agricultural and Technical High School admits students and makes available to them its advantages, privileges, and courses of study without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
The school has a published admissions policy, a copy of which may be viewed as an Adobe PDF. The policy gives the admissions criteria, as well as a detailed description of the entire admissions process. The following Q&As are designed to give you an overview of the process, and the most commonly asked questions.
How do I fill out and submit my application?
You may download our Application PDF here. Pages one and two must be filled out and signed by both the student and parents. Once this is done, the application must be handed to the student’s current guidance counselor. The guidance counselor has the responsibility for collecting the following and returning everything to us: (a) the seventh grade report card/transcript and grades for the first marking period of the eighth grade, (b) attendance and tardiness reports for 7th and 8th grades (unless this information is on the report card); and (c) a school displine report for the 7th and 8th grades.
When and where will the admissions interview take place?
Once students have complete their portion of the application, the interview process can begin. Admissions interview/tour sessions are scheduled from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. on the following days: October 27; November 12 and 17; December 3 and 17; January 7, 13, and 25; February 4 and 10; and March 1. This allows us to showcase the campus and programs we offer. Interviews on days other than those listed above will be scheduled for the late afternoon and early evening. The following Saturdays will be available for interviews on a first-come-first-serve basis. If a student and his/her parents cannot travel to the campus, interviews can be held at the sending school.
What if our school does not use a numerical or letter grading system?
Over the years, a number of Charter and Montessori schools have had students apply for admission to Essex Aggie. We recognize and value every school’s means of assessing student learning. However, in order to meet Massachusetts Department of Education guidelines for vocational/technical school admissions policies, a numerical/letter grade means of tabulating scholastic achievement is necessary. For those schools that do not use this kind of system, the Director of Community Relations will work with a representative of the school to translate the school’s assessment into a numerical or letter grade.
How will parents and the school know if an application is incomplete before the deadline of March 1?
If a student’s application is forwarded to the Admissions Office and is not complete for any of the reasons below, someone from Essex Aggie will contact both the guidance counselor (or responsible party) and the parents/legal guardians of the applicant.
Reasons for an application to be considered incomplete:
- Pages one and two incomplete
- Missing signatures on page 2
- Discipline report for Grades 7 and 8 missing or incomplete
- Attendance/tardiness record for Grades 7 or 8 missing or incomplete
- No admissions interview conducted
- Incomplete transcripts for Grades 7 and 8
When will students be notified of their acceptance?
The first round of acceptance notices are mailed out by the middle of March, with a confirmation of acceptance due by April 1. (Parents may confirm acceptance via email or traditional mail.) Approximately 125 freshmen will be accepted. The second round of acceptances go out in early April, with a response due by mid-April.
What becomes of completed student applications that are not subject to the first and acceptance letters?
The rank listing of students is active for one year. If openings occur at Essex Agricultural and Technical High School, those openings will be filled by students on the waiting list. Students will be contacted in the order they appear on the waiting list.
What if a student on the freshman waiting list does not receive an acceptance during her/his freshman year?
All completed applications are kept on file for one year. Students who do not receive an acceptance during their freshman year are encouraged to reapply as sophomore transfer students.
Does the voluntary information section of the application impact a student’s chances of being accepted to Essex Aggie?
No. Any information from the voluntary information section on the application cannot and will not be used as admission criteria. However, there are instances when the information from that section may be helpful to Essex Aggie and the student in terms of any necessary accommodations a student might need during the application and interview process. We strongly encourage parents/guardians to fill out this section.
What are the new composite scoring/ranking criteria?
The new scoring criteria (maximum of 100 points) are based on the following:
- Scholastic Achievement (previous and current year's average in English, Math, Social Studies, and Science) - 24 points
- Attendance/Tardiness - 15 points
- School Discipline/Conduct - 15 points
- Teacher's Report Card Comments - 6 points
- Admission Interview - 40 points
Students are then ranked by their composite score.