Registrar Ms. Nancy Matlack helps to build the class schedules of the School’s 850+ students.
By Rella Wang ’26
Do you go on the student portal and refresh ChoateSIS to check your schedule every day in the last week of the summer? Have you ever wondered how your course requests magically turn into a colorful timetable at the start of the year?
At Choate, all 850+ students have their own unique schedules — each of which has been carefully designed by Ms. Nancy Matlack and other members of the Registrar’s Office.
The scheduling process starts in the spring term of the previous year, when students decide on their course requests with advisers. Once the initial draft has been sent out, students have ample time to make adjustments during the summer or the add/drop period of the first two weeks of every term.
Without the effort put in by the people behind the scenes, the scheduling process would not go nearly as smoothly. According to Ms. Matlack, schedule planning actually starts in the winter of the prior year.
“We start receiving information for staffing, so who we will have to teach all the classes, which leads to what classes can be offered. In coordination with making the catalogue, we put the classes into the course request,” she said. “In the spring term, after receiving the course requests from students hopefully by June, we have what everyone requested.”
Rather than setting up a timetable first and letting students sign up for what is available, the Registrar’s Office builds schedules based on student requests. To do this, they need to work around various constraints and make sure everything fits together.
The Registrar’s Office goes into overdrive after everyone leaves in May. Using the requests put in by new and returning students, the registars are able to begin work on scheduling from June to August.
“We take two weeks off and come back in September when adds and drops happen,” said Ms. Matlack.
Although Ms. Matlack is the only current member of the Registrar’s Office, there are usually three registrars during their busiest period of the year when students leave campus for summer break. The workload is evenly distributed across the team.
Ms. Matlack’s role focuses on database building and ensuring that everyone fulfills their graduation requirements. She inputs all the information into the databases, handles transcript requests, and works with the College Counseling Office to verify all course schedules.
Another registrar oversees the general calendar of the year and handles the day-to-day interactions with other offices.
The third registrar collaborates with the other two to incorporate students’ requests while still ensuring that their classes are dynamic in terms of teachers and classmates.
“It’s a giant puzzle. I love that aspect of it,” Ms. Matlack said. Despite the technical nature of the work in the Registrar’s Office, which requires a lot of time on devices and communication via emails, Ms. Matlack loves seeing students coming into the office and talking to her about their schedules face-to-face.
“I love getting to know the kids, not just the names I see all the time,” said Ms. Matlack. “The door is always open.”
