Teachers in Admissions: Understanding ISAAGNY Recommendation Forms

​Teachers bring an invaluable perspective to the admissions process. Their recommendations help schools look beyond an application to understand the whole child in a classroom and community.
In this session, ISAAGNY admissions professionals will introduce teachers to best practices for completing our recommendation forms. Topics will include timing, submission procedures, rating students accurately, writing meaningful narrative comments, addressing strengths and areas for growth, and handling questions that may require additional context. The session will help teachers complete recommendations more efficiently while ensuring that receiving schools get all the information they need.

​SPEAKERS: Jenna King is Associate Head of School for External Affairs at Riverdale Country School, where she serves on the school’s senior leadership team and oversees admission and enrollment, communications, community relations, events, development, and alumni engagement. A longtime leader in independent-school admission, Jenna brings deep experience in understanding prospective families, building meaningful school-family relationships, and guiding institutions through an increasingly complex enrollment landscape. Her work reflects a thoughtful, strategic approach to communicating a school’s mission and creating an admissions experience that serves both families and schools.

​Delvida Sène is Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management at The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine, a K–8 independent school in New York City. A member of Cathedral’s senior administration, Delvida leads the school’s admissions and enrollment efforts, guiding prospective families through the school-search process and helping to shape a welcoming, thoughtful, and mission-aligned admissions experience. She brings a deep understanding of independent-school admissions, family engagement, and the opportunities and challenges facing enrollment professionals today.