The advisor is the primary contact for returning students and their parents in the course selection process. Each year, the process begins in late January, when both the advisor and student begin to think about a student’s options for the remainder of the student’s time at George School and look over the course recommendations for next year from the various departments. The advisor and student identify questions that need to be considered with parents, teachers, department heads, the registrar, and/or the director of studies. Both then work on filling out a four-year plan and a course selection sheet. While it is not necessary for students to stick to the four-year plan they develop as freshmen, it is important for them to think carefully about the plan so that the courses they take as a sophomore leave open the options they’d like to have as juniors and seniors.

After reviewing each student’s four-year plan and course selections, the registrar contacts the advisor with any questions about these choices. A list of the initial course selections for each student is mailed home with second term grades, for review by students and parents.

The master schedule for the coming year is built around the selections students have made during this course sign-up period. Once the master schedule is developed (by late April) students and advisors meet again to be sure that the courses listed are the correct ones and to note changes in courses or sections that they’d like to make if space is available.

Students are allowed to note teacher preferences at this point in the process. We do what we can to accommodate these, but we don’t overfill classes to accommodate teacher requests. Students should make a note on the paperwork if a teacher listed on the course list at this point is one she or he would like to keep. We make MANY section changes before school begins to keep class sizes balanced as we admit new students and make adjustments to the master schedule. Unless a student notes particular teacher preferences, we assume she or he is flexible on this point and we schedule accordingly.

Students receive an updated course list in their school mailbox shortly before the end of the academic year and an updated version of the course list is mailed home with year-end grades.

Students may continue to request changes by contacting the registrar through the summer, though many sections have waiting lists by this time. An updated course list is mailed home (or put in campus boxes, for those students who arrive early for preseason, prefect training, and other end-of-summer programs) at the end of August and a tentative schedule with class meeting times is put in campus boxes during registration weekend. Students receive final schedules from advisors the morning of the first day of school.