Jon Kunz

Jon Kunz
Jon Kunz is the Director of Admission & Financial Aid for the Upper School at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School. With 17 years of experience working in private schools, including 13 at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes, Jon's greatest joy is meeting prospective students and their parents. He is also the proud father of two Lower School Saints! Watching his children thrive feeds Jon's passion for the "school that pursues goodness".

Recent Posts

5 Tips For Your Private High School Interview

Posted by Jon Kunz on Oct 25, 2022 3:45:00 PM

5 interview tips to prepare you for your private high school interview.  

It’s 7:00 a.m. and your mother just turned on your light.  You pull the covers over your head and then you hear her voice: “Your interview at that private school you want to attend is in an hour.”  Panic and sweaty palms.  You remind yourself to calm down but your brain is swirling with thoughts.  What will the admission officer ask me?  What should I wear?  What if I forget my questions?  

Interviewing for an application process to a private high school as a 14 year old can be a daunting and downright scary endeavor.  Advice about how to approach a school interview are provided from multiple sources including your teacher, placement director, best friend, older brother, dentist, and your parents.  So what makes an admission interview truly great?  Here are 5 tips from a top independent school in Northern Virginia which will help prepare you for your private high school interview.  

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Topics: become ready, Looking at private schools

Decoding the SSAT and other Spooky Private School Tales!

Posted by Jon Kunz on Oct 27, 2021 11:51:42 AM

What You Need To Know About The SSAT

If you are reading this information, you are likely beginning to consider a private middle or high school education. Whether you have already registered your child to take the SSAT or are considering registering for the SSAT, this information will serve to answer some of your questions regarding the SSAT directly from an admission officer’s point of view. Read on and begin the decoding process!

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Topics: School search, Looking at private schools, choosing a school, Middle School, SSAT, high school

SSAT Truth: Inside Track From An Admission Director

Posted by Jon Kunz on Sep 14, 2020 12:41:23 PM

What you need to know about the SSAT

If you are reading this information, you are likely beginning to consider a private high school education. Whether you have already registered your child to take the SSAT or are considering registering for the SSAT, this information will serve to answer some of your questions regarding the SSAT directly from an admission officer’s point of view. 

I have heard that the SSAT is a “common measure” of academic ability.  What about the SSAT is “common”?

When you hear an admission officer refer to “common measure,” he or she is simply stating that the SSAT provides schools the ability to measure student academic abilities in verbal, math, and reading skills which students need for successful performance in independent schools. These test results are typically used in addition to the subjective components of the admission process such as teacher recommendations, interview, and

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Topics: School search, Looking at private schools, choosing a school, SSAT

The Key Elements to the Success of our College Admission Process

Posted by Jon Kunz on Feb 20, 2020 10:23:00 AM

A Saints education will prepare students for continued education at a wide range of top colleges, universities, and service academies

“Life is a journey, not a destination,” wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson and so, too, is the Upper School at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes. Our faculty, program offerings and curricula provide our students with deep knowledge, incredible skills, confidence, breadth of exposure and balance. All of these will serve our students well and are not simply a stepping stone towards college. That said, we share the expectations of our students and their parents that a Saints education will prepare students for continued education at a wide range of top colleges, universities, and service academies that reflect the diversity of our students.

So, how do we approach and do it?  There are two key elements to the success of our seniors in their college admission process: the commitment and dedication of our experts and our college counseling program, which is actually introduced in the Middle School!

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Topics: Insider, School search, become ready, choosing a school, Upper School, Academics

Become Ready!

Practical Advice for Parents of School-Aged Children

Through this blog we intend to share the ways in which our students become ready. We will highlight our faculty, experts in their fields; we will dive into topics such as the joyfulness of learning, the balance of school and home, college readiness, and service. We hope to offer sound advice and guidance, while also sharing what it really means to be a member of our Saints community.

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