Sparhawk Upper School Student Application

The Winterim Master Class is a four week long semester in January at Sparhawk School. Students delve deeply into a topic and each course offers regional, domestic or international travel option. Each year we offer courses based on student interest. For instance, we designed a course about Marine Biology and the students traveled to Belize as a travel component.

If you designed a Winterim Master Class, what topic would you be studying about and where would your group travel to.

Our goal in this section is to provide you with an open-ended opportunity to share with us the qualities that make you special. Use whatever format or medium you wish to respond to this challenge. You may choose one of the more traditional formats offered below or take an alternative approach. We value both. Submissions to these questions can be made in various ways. You may choose to upload your files or enter your text below. If you are presenting physical documents or portfolios, you may send them or drop them off to:

Sparhawk Admissions Office

Attention: Kaitlyn MacDonald

4 Noel St. Amesbury, MA 01913

Here are the challenges that you may choose from:

• Submit a portfolio representing various facets of you as a learner. Please include a statement as to why you chose each portfolio entry. You may physically present this or upload a digital version below.
• Answer one of the essay questions below, and also submit one graded piece of your writing that pleases you. A scanned or photographed version may be uploaded below.
• Submit a presentation of yourself through visual, literary, musical, or kinesthetic means (Slides, Video, CD etc.) Performances may be scheduled with the admissions office by calling 978.388.5354. Please also submit one graded piece of writing or answer one of the essay questions below. A scanned or photographed version may be uploaded below.

If you have an original idea you would like to propose, please call the admission department at 978.388.5354.

If you are submitting an essay, please choose from one of the following:

1. At Sparhawk School we foster an appreciation and awareness of diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice for all. We celebrate our students’ individuality in all of its forms including their personal experiences, gender identity, culture, religious beliefs, opinions, ancestry, race, ethnicity, interests, ability, geographic backgrounds and family traditions. Given the diverse experiences and perspectives of our community members, the admission committee would like to know what makes you ‘Sparhawk?'
2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.