For some parents intrigued by the Covington Latin program, the choice of introducing their child into the CLS experience through the Prep year or through Form I (Freshman) year is a challenging one. Parents often ask which is best, because academic performance data and graduation rates are very similar between both routes of entry. The truth is that what is best depends on the individual child. Certain parameters do already exist as matters of policy. All students entering Latin School from the seventh grade must enter Form I to protect the integrity of the accelerated nature of the program. Likewise, all students entering directly from fifth grade must enter as Preps. It is for those students entering from sixth grade that this question becomes an issue, and in that regard there are a number of factors to consider.

One factor is the student’s level of academic preparation. The entrance exam stands as a key measure of that preparation. If a sixth grade student scores in the 90 percentile or higher on that test, the School will generally recommend that the student begin in Form I, while a score in the range of high 70’s to the 84th percentile will generally limit a student’s acceptance to entering only into Prep year.  In addition to performance on the entrance test a student’s work ethic and diligence will also affect their academic preparation, and parents should take those traits into consideration also.

A second factor to consider is social maturity. In examining this aspect of the student’s readiness, it is important for parents to remember that all students entering Latin School are young, and all will grow and develop a great deal in the course of their time here. Parents need not expect their child to display the maturity of a graduating Form IV student to be prepared to begin their Covington Latin experience at either the Prep or Form I levels. Parents ultimately are the best judges of their child’s social maturity and readiness and must chose the program most appropriate to their child’s current development.

However, school personnel are always available to discuss a family’s individual situation, and some further opportunities at evaluation, such as CLS summer enrichment programs or direct student interviews with school personnel, are also available to give additional insight on the decision. In the end, however, for those sixth grade students accepted into Form I, the final decision of whether in fact to enter Form I, or to opt for Prep year instead lies with the parents, and the School will accept and support that decision.