Getting into Montrose can be lots of work. You have to go through the ISEE, the essay, the interview, the campus tour, and maybe the day visit. But all that work is worth it when you get the letter from Montrose that says you have been accepted. A couple of days later, you get a special visit at your house from Montrose students who congratulate you and give you a welcome gift. Then comes the Accepted Students Night.

My family and I arrived at Montrose School for the Accepted Students Night on March 24. We entered the main building where we received our name tags and were led by two Montrose student buddies to the auditorium where the party was being held. Walking down the hall and seeing all the current and new Montrose students made me very nervous – but not for long! As my parents and I entered the auditorium, a Montrose student welcomed me and gave me a rose. My parents and I were then encouraged to walk the “Red Carpet”, where we had our picture taken. After a lot of smiles and hellos, we found our table where we became acquainted with a Montrose faculty member, current Montrose students and parents, and, of course, other admitted students and their families. During these interesting discussions at our table, my parents and I learned more about Montrose’s academics and life, especially the clubs and school traditions.

By the time our table was called to get dinner I was starving! Who knew meeting new people could make someone so hungry? My eyes widened as I saw pasta and meatballs, loaves of bread, and salad being loaded on my plate. And to top that all off, there was a hot chocolate bar with marshmallows. As I sipped my hot chocolate, Grace Marino ‘22, welcomed everyone and began the formal program. Grace introduced Mrs. Melley, who showed us a slide show of all the admitted students for fall 2022. Mrs. Melley then welcomed up three Montrose students – a seventh-grader, a ninth-grader, and a senior – all of whom gave inspiring speeches about how Montrose has helped them grow and learn. When I saw how confident the students were, I just could not wait to go to Montrose.

After the speeches, all the admitted students were taken to the M&M building for ice cream and ice breakers. When I entered the building I ran through a Montrose arm bridge and arrived at the photo booth. There I took pictures with funny props with my buddies Bea and Chloe. Following the photo booth, we all played games – that’s where I lost all my shyness! And if the amazingly fun games were not enough, an ice truck arrived with treats for everyone. While we waited in line for ice cream, I talked with many of the girls who would be in my class next year. Regrettably, after ice cream, we had to go home. As my parents and I drove away, I decided that I couldn’t wait to return to Montrose because it already felt like my second home.

Regina Maricich ‘29, Contributing Writer