Oakland Catholic High School

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Shadow Days

Most students who apply to Oakland Catholic feel that the 8th Grade Visitation Day, Open House, our website, and discussions with current parents and students adequately inform them with regard to their decision to choose OC as their high school.  A few students find themselves in the throes of a major decision as they weigh the pros and cons of two or more high school settings.  If you are this student, you may find it helpful to sit in on a few classes at Oakland Catholic during a regular school day.

We receive an overwhelming number of requests from eighth grade students who are interested in shadowing classes at OC and we are anxious to accommodate our prospective students as much as possible.  However, it's an exciting time for Oakland Catholic as we prepare for our seventh year with a waiting list and serve approximately 610 students every day.  In order to preserve the academic atmosphere, minimize disruptions, and provide our visitors with an optimal experience, we have established specific dates throughout our school year when we will offer both morning and afternoon Shadow Sessions. 

During a Shadow Session, prospective students who are struggling with which high school to attend will have the opportunity to speak individually with a Student Ambassador and attend two academic classes at either the freshman or sophomore level.  We ask that our visitors respect our dress code by adhering to a "business casual" style of dress, i.e. no jeans, sleeveless tops, or revealing outfits; no sneakers or flipflops; no ripped clothing or inappropriate slogans/words on clothing.  The morning sessions begin at 8:35am and end at 10:15am; the afternoon sessions begin at 12:50pm and finish at dismissal at 2:35pm.  All visitors must enter the school via the Main Office from Craig Street.  Only a parent or legal guardian may schedule a Shadow Session for a prospective student, and may do so by contacting the Director of Admissions via email (cgornick@oaklandcatholic.org) or via voicemail (412-682-6633 x253).  An adult must accompany the 8th grade student into the school upon her arrival and pick up the visiting student in person at the end of the Shadow Session.

Here are the dates currently available for Shadow Sessions:

Thursday, November 3, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Monday, January 9, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Please bear in mind that acceptance letters are typically mailed at the end of January or beginning of February, and that course registration for the Class of 2016 will take place in early March.  Feel free to contact the Director of Admissions with further questions!

Colleen Gornick cgornick@oaklandcatholic.org