Brown hair? Green eyes? Plays violin on the weekends and swims every Wednesday? Perfect test scores? Has two siblings here already? Will be third generation in their family to attend the school? Not-so perfect scores? No affiliation? Applying in JK? Sixth grade? High school?

The Parker admissions committee asks itself dozens of questions when looking through each applicant’s file. Their job is perhaps one of the most important in the building. They hand pick the learning and social environment for current and future students.

Once students enroll and walk down Parker’s hallways, they pass our blue lettered-mission framed on the walls. They hear phrases like “embryonic democracy” and “empathy.” Our values as a school are clearly outlined — but it’s students who have the potential to make them true.

The main question the admissions department should ask when reviewing applicants is “how will this student contribute to the mission of the school?” If it’s not the first priority, then the theoretical culture of the school will not be reflected in the actual.

This doesn’t mean that Parker should only admit students in advanced classes with perfect scores. It does, though, mean that students should be accepted based on their commitment to and care for their education. The ideal student is one who adds to vibrant classroom discussion and pursues interests outside of their core subjects.

The character of a student should be considered of more importance than their family’s connections to the school. Parker’s value of community is an important one, and admitting siblings and legacies does create a community is some form, but not necessarily one that aligns with our mission. When merit is less of a factor than surname, admissions can create a sense of entitlement that sends a message devaluing work ethic, commitment, and genuine curiosity and undermine our mission.

Often, admitting students with family connections results in a very homogenous community. As a school, we should strive to represent the diversity of the city as a whole, to include all in our community.

To increase diversity in a meaningful way, the focus must be on Lower School admissions. Parker is mostly representative of the privileged, one percent of the city. When the JK class is mostly filled with students who fall under this category each year, it’s impossible to create a truly diverse environment later on. A few slots may open up in sixth grade and once more in ninth grade, but that is only a fraction of the grade.

When a child is four, it is quite difficult to predict what type of student they will become ten years later. If that same student were to apply for a spot in ninth grade, or even sixth grade, they would be already growing into the citizen they will become. It is then our job to decide if we want that student to become a part of our community.

We can’t say we know how the admissions process works, and we can’t say that we’d do a better job than those who run it. What we can say that Parker is an incredible school with countless resources. We should admit students who will take full advantage of them.