Applying to Private Middle & High Schools
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Applying to Private Middle & High Schools
Nov 2012
We had not been considering private school AT ALL until
last week when our son brought home a surprisingly dismal
progress report and it occurred to us he may fall through
the cracks at our lower-performing neighborhood middle
school. He's currently in 5th grade and suddenly middle
school is upon us. My son is well-behaved and quiet and I
think the more outspoken struggling kids will get more
attention than he will. But I wonder, why would any
private school accept him? He's a nice kid, but average
in many ways, and now struggling a bit academically. He's
a white kid raised in a traditional two-parent family,
plays one sport and one musical instrument (barely). What
would he have to offer a private school?
And a follow-up question: would you state on the
application that you think your son needs more one-on-one
attention, or is that a red flag to the school that he's
not a superstar?
And another follow-up? Which schools in the East Bay might
be a good fit for him?
Mama worried about her boy
I think there are many independent schools with room for so-called ''average
kids.'' I highly recommend you check out
East Bay School for Boys. They're great
with boys who may have fallen through the cracks in traditional schools. My son
started there in 6th grade and is going to graduate this coming spring. EBSB is
not just about academics, they really approach education as a ''whole.'' My son
is confident, engaging, and loves school.
I also have an ''average'' student. From experience, let me tell you, the WORST
decision we ever made was sending him to a private school! He sounds like your
son--quiet, well behaved, not a stand out kid (but not far to the other extreme,
either).... He was completely discounted in the private school, where teachers
were not in any way trained or skilled in addressing the needs of any child who
is not above the norm or who actually needs direct instruction. We transferred
him to our rather poor performing middle school where he has thrived! Yes, the
classes are large and no, it is not fancy, flashy, or upper crust. BUT,
teachers DO know him, DO make an effort to grab him and draw him in, and DO stay
in touch with me, with him, and with each other. There is a lunch math club,
and teachers open their doors during lunch and invite students in to talk, work,
or touch base. Our son went from feeling invisible in the private school to
shining in his middle school, where he feels a part of the community and
ownership over his own education. I am completely confident that he will be
well prepared for El Cerrito High School, equally or perhaps more so than his
private school peers.
Wish I had stayed public in the first place!
I'll leave to others the direct answer to your question about getting into
private middle school. But I want to point out that if there is any chance your
son has learning issues, you will not want him in a private school, where they
are not bound to provide accommodations or services. Which is not to say a
particular private school might not do its best to work with your son, but it
won't be legally obligated as public schools are. My daughter was a fair
student in her public elementary school, with some attention issues, and I
thought a small private middle school where the teachers would really know her
would be a good choice. However, she continued to struggle and the school
didn't do very much. I wish now that I had pulled her out after 6th grade and
placed her back into the public school system where she would have had
interventions sooner. (I did for high school.) This may not be your son's
issue, but in case it is, I thought you should consider that there are some
advantages to a public school.
Anon
Our high-achieving but behaviorally-challenging child was turned down by FIVE
East Bay private schools. The schools won't tell you, but the general reason
usually is that private schools want kids who will not take up a lot of extra
time with ANY issue. The reasoning: everyone is paying big bucks and doesn't
want their kid to be short-changed for one minute by a kid who is taking up a
chunk of the teacher's time. He is in an East Bay public school, and frankly,
they don't want to deal with him either, but because he can get good grades
(when he's not bored or tuned out... ) he's allowed to coast.
The teachers are working harder to get the really low-achieving kids up to the
middle. The middle learners can be moved up and along easier with minimum
effort.
So if you want to go private, do not stress that your child needs one-on-one.
Stress that he's well-behaved, quiet, average and keen to learn. That's exactly
what they want.
Jaded and Disappointed
I don't think you have to be an academic superstar to get into private school.
My impression is that they are more concerned with behavioral issues than
academics. If your son is reasonably well behaved and doing ok in school, he
will get in somewhere. I suggest looking at the East Bay School for Boys. It's
an amazing opportunity, the boys love it. Small classes and lots of fun
hands-on work gets them jazzed up about school.
(And to answer the question of ''what do we have to offer'' -- well, money, for
one.)
anon
April 2012
Hi there, we are parents of a third grader...is it too soon to start looking at
middle and high school options next year (fourth grade)? When did you begin to
do your research and what's the general application cycle like? When do you
submit your applications?
Interested in public and private options
I would recommend parents tour middle schools without their child when the
child is in 4th grade. Kids don't need the stress of school tours until
the actual year they apply. I went to open houses (no tours) for a number of
schools when my son was in 4th grade then in 5th I had him visit the ones I
liked and then I got to revisit the schools for a second time and also take
tours during the school day for more info. I wouldn't recommend touring
any earlier than that because children change so much that your ideas of
what will be the best fit will change. You are going to be pretty amazed at
the changes in your child in 4th and 5th grade. Plus it might make you
anxious as the kids will seem so grown up in middle school it will scare the
pants off you! I was worried right up to the first day of 6th grade and my
child just stepped up and was ready. It is amazing to watch. Things I looked
for when I toured; class size, student engagement, how classes were taught,
extracurriculars, homework (they'll all say 1/1/2 hrs. a night but some
are more and some are less), how kids interacted with each other, if the
school does community service, after school and sports offerings, etc. I
wanted someplace that bullying would not be tolerated - some schools are
quite lackadaisical about this and some really pay attention. Schools have
personalities and school cultures, look for the one that fits your child.
Middle school can be such an amazing time!
best wishes in your search
We looked at public and private options as well. We started looking (just
the parents--not the kid)in 4th grade. I'm glad we did start looking that
early. It made 5th grade (when the kid is involved, at least for private)
much more manageable and gave us time to figure out the public/private,
including do we move, dilemna. The application season begins in the fall of
5th grade, and involves several steps for both kids and parents. I was glad
to have narrowed the scope of schools we were looking at, so our kid didn't
need to even more than she already had to.
We started touring middle schools when our kid was in 4th grade.
It helped us figure out what we wanted in a school, what questions to ask,
ease a bit of our anxiety. Some schools we visited again the following year,
some we ruled out first time round.
You cannot submit applications early though - there is a window for every
school year. There are no waiting lists based on early submission - each
application, whether it's public or private is viewed for the following
year. Private looks at a variety of factors - gender balance, number of
openings, etc (you'd have to ask each school what they look for). Public is
different based on city and neighborhood.
Ellen
Dec 2010
Hi there,
My kid is a good student in an academic private school. She is
bright, engaged, hard-working, excellent in certain academic
areas and relatively good in others. She has good grades, but
they are not all As. Is 4.0 GPA necessary to be accepted at CPS
or Head Royce? Is there such a thing as a minimum GPA to be
considered for acceptance? What other factors do these schools
take into consideration? We're debating if we should apply...
Thank you!
Anonymous
Call the College Prep and Head Royce admissions directors and ask about
their admissions criteria. If you/she are really interested in these
schools you should also attend an open house and take a tour. I'm a
College Prep
parent ('09 and '12), while the school is focused on
academics, they are interested in a diverse and well-rounded student
body. It's been a great academic experience for both kids, my older son
was well prepared for a rigorous university experience. Good teachers,
no teaching to the test. My older son did very well on college entrance
exams without any external courses, just the prep he did with a book.
The student body tends to be somewhat self-selecting, kids who aren't
academic aren't interested in the school or leave shortly. The school
also has strong music and drama programs. Can't speak to team sports,
my kids weren't interested. Very few discipline issues, no campus
violence.
College Prep parent
Your child does not need to have a 4.0 GPA to apply to the
Head-Royce
School. HRS looks for a well-rounded child and promotes the same in its
education. Neither of my 2 sons had perfect grades going in or while at
the school. They did, however, get an excellent education and various
nonacademic opportunities. No school is perfect, and neither are the
kids that go there. Don't let the school's reputation stop you from
applying--visit the school and judge for yourself.
HRS mom
Dec 2009
How does a parent figure out which high school would be the
best social match for their kid? Academically, my teen
would do fine anywhere. She is very smart. Her issue is
more social; to find her tribe, so to speak. How can a
parent tell what the social atmosphere is at any given
school? We are looking between College Prep, Bentley and
Athenian. My daughter is into creative writing, science,
Twilight and teenage boys. Plus, she seems to get along
best with slightly older kids.
Any suggestions?????
Bewildered Dad
Wow - all 3 of those schools have different personalitites, I think.
My kids both went to Bentley high school. My daughter transferred
in as a junior, as did another girl that year, and they both fit in
beautifully. The kids were very welcoming and there are tons of
opportunities for them to find their niche. In my case, theatre was
an interest for both my kids and Bentley is an excellent theatre
school. My son came in a freshmen and flourished socially and
academically and the social aspect was not previously his strength!
Thet teachers are fabulous and the administration has changed since
we were there and I think that's for the better.
At Athenian, your daughter would have to be ready to do the
wilderness program in order to graduate. I think it's a week or 10
days but it's kind of strange, in my opinion. My daughter also was
accpeted there but didn't really connect with the kids there during
her 1 day interview day (or whatever it was). College prep I don't
know much about. If you want more info on Bentley, feel free to
email me.
Judy
I don't know your circumstances or where you live but have you considered public school? I am
an academic and have been very favorably impressed with the educational quality of both MLK
and Berkeley High. I'm sure you know that many Berkeley High graduates go on to top colleges.
Another plus is that both schools are a microcosm of the world outside--allowing students to
cross barriers of race and class that might not happen elsewhere. I believe that public
schools are a key component of our democracy so I've always sent my kids there. In spite of
warnings from other parents, we have had good experiences. Berkeley High offers many AP
courses, lots of different languages, interesting enrichment programs. There are smaller,
specialized schools within the school which makes it easier to adjust socially.
consider public school?
I want to recommend a phenomenal book that will help you decide in detail what you want
in a school and how to decide whether a particular school is the best place for your
daughter. It's ''The Picky Parent Guide: Choose Your Child's School with Confidence'', by
Bryan Hassel and Emily Hassel. It uses detailed criteria to help you identify what are ''must
haves'' and ''nice to haves'' in a school. I used their practical approach with our teenage
daughter who was miserable in school and found the perfect setting for her where she now
is thriving. You can find it online at www.pickyparent.com. The book we have is for the
elementary years but it doesn't matter - the content applies to any child.
Nancy
My son is a sophomore at Maybeck High and is extremely happy with his
teachers and with the social life at the school. This is one of the
best schools in the Bay Area. It's small and is run by the teachers
as a co-op. It is truly a unique and vibrant place.
We went to visit the various schools on our list to get the feel of
their atmosphere. My son was able to participate in classes, and most
importantly, talk with students and hear first-hand of their experience.
His impression of the interview was also an important factor. It was
his decision where to go, and I feel that letting him decide was the
best guarantee of his present happiness and success.
Rose
There are many things to think about when starting the HS search.
You obviously know your child well and have determined that she will
do well academically at most of the private schools, however the
social aspect is your challenge. Have you asked her what school she
prefers? Have you visited the different campuses? Is she into sports
or clubs? For instance my daughter is now into forensics and debate
and not all the schools have competitive debate teams. We are
fortunate to have so many clubs so kids can find activities that
interest them. We looked at the schools you mentioned but my
daughter decided she wanted something larger that had more diversity
and choices. She chose Bishop O'Dowd. There are over 50 clubs and a
lot of sport (no cut teams in many cases) choices that can be
tried. One thing to think about is that living too far away from
the school makes it difficult to go to afterschool and evening
events on campus.
Happy Bishop O'Dowd family
I believe it's your daughter's decision, not yours. I set the
boundaries, financial, academic, geographic, but allowed my kids to
pick from within those limits. My kids were accepted to all of the
schools you mentioned. They picked the school they thought would be
the best fit for each of them socially and academically. They also
considered how they were going to get to school. i.e. Athenian is a
great school but the transportation felt overwhelming to them despite
the fact that Athenian had a bus service and I work nearby. All of
these schools offer the opportunity to visit and interact with the
students (you can ask for a second visit). My kids chose College Prep
because of academics and arts, they liked the other kids they met on
their class visits and because they could bike to school. This gives
them transportation independence and a daily workout.
annon
We went through a similar decision a couple of years ago. Each of
these schools has a pretty diverse range of student types and your
daughter would probably find a fit at any of them.
To help your daughter explore the various social environments,
hopefully she has had a ''shadow'' day at each school and gotten a
preliminary feel for them through her visits. The admissions
offices can put her in touch with current students who share similar
interests and from whom she can get an insider's perspective.
Lastly, encourage her to revisit each school she is admitted to
during the week-long decision period. Lots of kids do a second
shadow day after they are admitted--it helps them get a better sense
of how they would fit, socially and ethos-wise, in a given school
environment.
To help you as parents get a feel for the schools, take a tour
yourself and talk to current parents. The admissions offices
should be able to set these up. Most current parents will give you
a straight answer about the social environment (kids' and parents').
Good luck!
parent of two at independent high schools
Well, we just decided on a high school for our 8th grade son. Much
easier than I'd thought!
He's quite advanced in math (he did calculus in 7th grade), so my wife
and I worried our way through 5 schools: Lick-Wilmerding, College
Prep, Maybeck, Athenian, and Oakland Tech. Before each visit, we told
each school his love of math & science. Despite the request, only two
of the schools showed him advanced math & science classes.
My son reported that it felt like an assembly line - a group of
visitors stand around uncomfortably; eventually an admissions person
gives a peptalk or there's a video/powerpoint presentation, and then
you're taken on shadow visit with a kid that's interested in the
school but rarely interested in you. After each of 4 shadow visits,
he said some version of ''Uh, sure, I can go there. It's pretty good.''
At one school, however, the host student saw him at the entrance to
the school, shouted out, ''Hey Dude!'' and jogged over to meet him.
They hit it off immediately: talking about iPod apps, then chattering
about math, then they headed to class together. There was no
admissions counselor, no video showing the school philosophy, no
introduction to the curriculum, no interview. Three hours later, my
son comes back saying, ''This place is Da Bomb! Here's where I want to
go to high school!''
When your kid connects with the school like that, there's no problem
deciding! As you put it, he found his tribe.
Happy Dad
Oct 2006
I live in Richmond and have an 8th grade son. Since public
schools is not really an option here, I've started the
process of looking into private high schools. I've sent for
applications, signed up for open houses and visits. Any
other advice?
Anxious mom....
Dear Anxious mom..,
1. Ask your current principal if other students have gone to Private
High School in the last five years and where they applied, were accepted and
where they went. Internal recommendations from current families enrolled can
also informally or formally influence the admission decision. Having current
families speak for you if your student is waitlisted is also helpful.
2. http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/teens/school.html
http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/schools/highschools.html
3. Post which schools you are looking at on this forum to get specific
advice and your email address if you wish to be contacted.
4. Apply to a fair number of schools. Even good students are not
automatically admitted. Have your child study and be well rested for
the test. If you have not taken these tests yet, find out which one(s) you need
this week and register. Parochial schools usually need (COOP/HSPT) and the
independent schools want the ISEE.
5. Make grids and check lists so you make sure that you have scheduled
all your visits and interviews and get all forms and applications in ahead
of deadlines. Informal sources say you have a better chance of admission
and financial aid if you get your materials in completely and ahead of
final deadlines. Make sure your student writes his/her own essay. Your child
needs to provide original and thoughtful answers in their portions of the
applications and during interviews. Schools can tell if a parent writes
applications and even go so far as to collect writing samples. You can
discuss the essays with them but don’t write them yourself. Same goes for
interviews, make sure your student knows what an interview is, maybe do some
role-play but don’t overdo it especially if you are anxious like you say.
6. The Marin private schools are actually closer to Richmond than many
of the East Bay Schools and they all have private bus service. St. Mary’s in
Berkeley, the Pacific Academy in Richmond are closer. We go to The Athenian
School in Danville. It is a long trip every day but the academics, programs,
teachers are fantastic. Since they are a bit far away they may not have the volume of
applications that the San Francisco schools do. In my opinion the bus
service from The Athenian School does the trick very well. I think it is a
better commute than San Francisco, but I have known many students who have
graduated that have gone to San Francisco, and Danville. Berkeley also
has Maybeck, and Arrowsmith. Oakland has CPS, Head Royce and several
others.
7. You can also look into transfer to El Cerrito, Walnut Creek, Orinda,
and Lafayette Public Schools or look into the home schooling High School
parents groups. Oakland and San Francisco also have public Schools of the Arts
that require auditions.
private school parent
Please don't limit your search to just private schools.
We decided to save the money for college when we saw how
many great charter high schools there are. We chose Urban
Renaissance in Oakland because their goal is to get every
child who graduates into a 4 year college. Its small and
personalized. Their project oriented curriculum is
technology and arts based. My daughter is flourishing.
When was the last time you got a call from your child's
teacher telling you how great your child is doing in class?
Others we looked at were OSA, College Prep., and
Lighthouse. All were great. These are more competitive
Jenny
1999
Hi Everyone,
Happy new Millennium! My son has been given an incredible
opportunity. I'm a low-income single mom, and my aunt has offered to
pay my son's way to Putney H.S. in Vermont. I have discussed the
reality of this with my 14 year old son. He is interested and says he
wants to go but does not seem motivated to answer the questions (self
reflective; difficult) on the application. I know that I need to step
back from this and let him take the reins, but at the same time I
don't want to sit back and watch him procrastinate his big chance
away. Does anyone have any advice for a frustrated/confused mom.
thanks very much.
Sometimes my teens have a strong desire to do something that requires
filling out a form (get a job, play on a team, take a class, go to
college) but they don't seem to know where to start. I think they get
overwhelmed with all the possibilities. And often they won't or can't
ask for help. I have tried waiting and have learned the hard way that
deadlines might be missed that we both will regret. I would not assume
delay getting the forms filled out means they don't want to do it. Once
you've determined that he does want to do it, you should give him as
much assistance as he seems to need
What a great opportunity! Perhaps your son is a bit conflicted, though.
It sounds like he would be going away from you for quite a while, and
moving to a whole new state (and in Vermont, it might also be argued to be
a whole new state of mind!), where he doesn't have a base of friends. Is
there someone else you trust that you could enlist to help? Perhaps if he
had an adult "buddy" through this application process it would
help--someone to call him up and ask if he's done the application, someone
to read his rough drafts and comment, to offer encouragement and support.
I'm sure you could do it, but he might perceive your wish to help as a
desire to "get rid of" him--not the message you want to send! A neutral
party might help. Another thought: Any way you could get him in touch with
someone he'd be going to school with? Sort of a pen-pal to start, someone
who could help him adjust in the early days that he's there? Maybe if he
felt like he knew someone there, it might help him get through the
difficult application process.
Good luck to you both!
Dawn
To the mom who's son won't fill out the application (this may be way off
base, because maybe Mom and son have discussed this at length but one
thought I had when I read Mom's concern was as follows):
He may be excited about the opportunity but also hesitant to go 3,000 miles
away from his primary parent. Opening a gentle discussion about the
separation anxiety that Mom probably also feels may allow the son to express
his own concerns. Our culture does not allow a space for teens to need
their Moms, especially boys. He may need help holding the conflicting
excitement about the opportunity and the sadness at the loss of living away
from Mom. He may even be worried that Mom is going to be sad and he has to
protect her from this. He may also have fears about leaving friends, pets,
siblings, extended family. There are a wealth of options here. The bottom
line is that the procrastination may be more about unresolved fears, etc.
than a lack of motivation.
-Shastine
To the frustrated, confused Mom whose son is procrastinating about filling
out the application to Putney: If you want your son to take this opportunity
you must make it clear to him that you believe it is the best thing for him.
He should not feel that it is up to him to make this decision--it is not
appropriate for a young teenager to make a decision of this magnitude on his
own. You must also talk to him about how hard it will be for both of you to
live so far apart. Make sure he knows you will be okay on your own in
California. Make certain he knows that you will stay in touch and that you
believe in his ability to make the transition to Putney. The issues of
separation, of living apart, of each of you being on your own, must be
talked about openly and directly. You might both be feeling ambivalent about
the opportunity for him to move across the country and this might be what
makes it hard for him to get down to the task of completing the application.
I believe that children still need guidance and
sometimes a push to get things done even though they
are teenagers. Don't back off. Help him understand
the consequences of not filling out the application vs
filling out the application. His lack of motivation
could be spurred by fear. He could be thinking "if I
complete this, get accepted, I've gotta go". Pick his
brain some to find out what's really going on with
him. If he indeed wants to pursue this an idea to make
the process not so burdensom (because filling out
applications is a pain!) is doing it in small doses
each day. Good luck.
Here's my two cents to the frustrated/confused mom whose son has been offered the
chance to go to Putney. Maybe your son has mixed feelings about going; he wants to go,
but isn't 100% sure he does. Talk to him about his feelings - why he would want to go, but
also what's keeping him in doubt. Leaving friends behind? Family? Isn't sure kids there
will like him, etc. Maybe this will help him make a more conscious decision. In my
experience, sometimes kids sit back and let "fate" make decisions for them they feel
ambivalent about - they do nothing (e.g., don't fill out that questionnaire), then the time
for action comes and goes, and the decision gets made for them.
Sue
Oct 2000
Need some advice. We have a boy in 7th grade and we've been hearing how
hard it is to get into private high schools since there aren't that many
schools for the amount of candidates.
I just talked to a mom this morning who said that applications have to be
sent in in the fall of a student's 8th grade year. Any words of advice on
how to navigate the application process or make your kid more appealing to
private high schools?
Lynn
On navigating the process: We made sure our son was a part of the decision making
process. He went to one of the preliminary presentations about the school and
then went to a school presentation that just happened to be before the application
process began. His feeling comfortable with the process and liking the school
helped. Seeing the other students put on their "poetry slam" made a big
impression. He also had to write a letter and could choose a letter of
introduction or commitment. Since the references had to be current teachers,
there was not a lot of worrying about picking and choosing. In essence, kids will
be themselves and schools take into consideration grades, references, interviews,
parent comments and any testing they may give. For us, making sure the fit was
right was just as important as any other factor. Our school focuses on the
individual student and their student body is very heterogeneous; accepting of
different learning styles, personalities, race, gender, ethnicities, etc.
Feel free to send a note if you have questions. I think applying to schools is
harder on the parents than it is on the kids.
Julie
My daughter went to Berkeley public schools through the 8th grade. We
then applied to many private high schools in the area (fall of the
8th grade year). I would be happy to discuss the big application
process and any insight I might have gained. I feel it is too lengthy
to write it all here. Feel free to contact me directly. My daughter
now attends Saint Mary's High School in Berkeley.
Lynn
Since your child is currently in the 7th grade, it wouldn't hurt for both him
and you to attend the open houses offered through the Fall by just about
every private high school in the Bay Area. You can call each school's
Admissions Office now and request to be put on their mailing list, and let
them know that you wish to attend their Open House presentation. Some
schools offer a variety of dates, some just one, typically on Saturday or
Sunday afternoons throughout November. This way you will have had a sense of
the "personality" of a number of schools and will be a bit more familiar with
the steps involved in the application process. And you may be better able to
figure out which schools feel like the best match for your child's
personality and interests.
Other than keeping up good grades in the 7th grade (definitely an important
component of the equation here), the only major way in which a student could
prepare for the admission process is by learning and practicing test-taking
skills. Admissions directors can be vague on how important are the tests in
relation to other parts of the admissions process, but this is an area in
which you can at least make sure that your child is as well prepared as
possible, much as I hate to write it. Cody's and other local bookstores
carry books on how to prepare for the SSAT and the ISEE and other high school
entrance exams.
Two other parts of the admissions process are the student interview and the
personal essay. Parochial schools may also interview the parents. I would
caution any parent to become too directly involved with coaching their
children in either step, especially with the essay. While it makes sense to
check for spelling errors and to help with proofreading, what the schools are
looking for is the voice and style of young teenagers. Surely as admission
staff read hundreds of those essays per year, they develop their own radar
and can spot a heavy parental hand a mile away.
Finally, I would also take a good look at the public schools and speak to as
many 9th graders (and their parents) as possible, both in private and public
schools. Keeping one's options open is wise in this situation. Finally,
what really helped our family as we dealt with the whole process last year
was to establish limits and to stick to a relatively short list of schools.
For one thing, interviews and visits to school have a way of interfering with
the routine of 8th grade schoolwork. For another, rejection is awfully
painful to 13-year-olds (and their parents!) and a high number of
applications also raises the risk significantly.
Laura
Start looking now for the school you and your son are interested. It
helps you and your child feel what the schools has to offer. By the time
he's in 8th grade, the two of you will be ready. This will give ample
time to make the final decision. Each school requests an hand written
questionaire/essay/paragraph about yourself (i.e. describe a person who
has been a hero in your life, touched your life or the life of someone
close to you and why you admire this person, why you apply, describe
strong points about yourself, and so forth). Every school has different
questions but are similar. Start working with thoughts he might want to
say in his essay. When it time to fill out the form, he would feel more
comfortable. Call the schools and ask to place your on their admission
mailing list for '01 or when applications available. Having your own
worksheet with all the schools helps tremendously. Have columns so all
the infor can be on one sheet (if possible).
List private schools, address, phone and contact; Date/Day/Time;
Student Parent Visitation Program; Preliminary Application Filing
Date; Open House; Priority Filing Date for applications; Entrance
Exmination; Notification Date; and Registration Deadline; and COMMENTS
Ex: School Name: xxxxxxxxxxx Sept 1 Wed. Appl. Available
Addr.: Sept 22&29 Wed or Thu Student Visit
Phone: Contact: Oct 13&28
Tuition Fee: Oct 15 Fri Filing Date
School Name: xxxxxxxxxxx Aug 30 Thur Appl. Available
Check off each item once you completed the task.
Xerox several copies of your admission form. Do not write on the
orginal until you are ready to do the "Final" copy.
Anonymous
Most do their own admissions testing. So doing really well on the test
is important. There are usually
tours and admission interest days where you can tour and talk with
admissions personnel and staff.
They may provide an opportunity to interview your prospective student.
Some schools give priority to siblings of students already enrolled.
Some still have affirmative action programs and will admit for balance.
Most are not need blind, but do have some limited amounts of finacial
aid.
Roger
this page was last updated: Nov 18, 2012
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