First Choice Letters and Personal Letters of Recommendation

Published May 10, 2009

The competition for places at some schools is intense. There are thousands of applicants for a hundred places. The school admissions staff is sphinx-like about letting you know whether your kid stands a chance or not.

You can afford the fees and all the extras. You really want your daughter to get in because you know that the school does a great job of getting its graduates into the best colleges and universities.

So, what do you do? Do you push? Do you flaunt your wealth? Do you try to impress with your social pedigree? What about sending the school a first-choice letter? Will that help? Do you have the CEO of a Fortune 100 company write the school on your daughter's behalf?


Understand the Admissions Process

Admissions to any private school is an arcane process. The staff know who they want to admit based on a stack of criteria they have in place at the moment. Market conditions have an effect on those decisions. If they have four applicants for every place available, they will be selective.

An applicant's profile is a critical part of the admissions process. The staff can see the academic progress by interpeting the transcripts. They can get feel for how she is performing in core subjects by reading the teacher recommendations. Those facts and figures give them an outline of who your daughter is. The interview and their admissions testing fleshes out that profile. At this point it's all about fit.

The admissions staff meets to review the applicants who have passed muster on the first cut. Will a B in English be a deal breaker? Not necessarily. If somebody feels that the child has potential, has the right attitude and really wants to succeed, that will more than offset a minor deficiency.

So, what's the real trick to getting into that highly competitive school? The answer is deceptively simple: offer everything they are looking for and more. How will you know what they are looking for? You won't. Unless you are the Admissions Director's spouse, at which point your child will be a shoo-in anyway.

The secret to getting into any highly selective private school is to hire an educational consultant. This is not a pitch for educational consultants. It is just common sense.  Educational consultants know their schools. They make it their business to visit schools. They know the admissions staff. They know what the current climate is at each of the schools in their portfolio.

Not using an educational consultant for such an important matter as getting your daughter into a good private school is rather like writing your own will. Of course you can write your own will. But at some point you will need to run it by your trusted legal team to make sure that you have it right. Same thing with choosing a school. Just like your will, there is a lot riding on getting your daughter into the right school. Her happiness is at stake. You certainly don't want a miserable child, do you?

Read Related Admissions Articles:

We cover every aspect of the admissions process so that you and your child know what to expect.

  • Application Calendar
    Keep track of all aspects of choosing a school as well as the application deadlines.
  • Guidelines for International Students
    In addition to complying with all the admissions requirements, international students must also obtain a student visa.
  • How Do I Apply?
    You can apply online or submit a paper application via snail mail.
  • They Didn't Accept My Child!
    You thought everything was set. The test scores were excellent. She had glowing teacher recommendations. The visit and the interview went well. But the school didn't accept your child. What do you do now?
  • Waitlisted? What Next?
    Being waitlisted is not the end of the world. More here.
  • The Scramble For Places In Primary Schools
    It is almost as tough getting your child into a good Manhattan or Bay area primary school as it is getting them into an Ivy League university.
  • What If I Miss The Deadlines?
    Finding a school which will accept your child after the normal admissions deadline has passed is not easy. But it can be done.

School Visits

After exploring schools on the web, you need to explore the ones which you are considering applying to in person.

  • 5 Common Admissions Interview Mistakes
    When you meet with the admissions staff, create a favorable impression by avoiding these five common mistakes.
  • Your Admissions Profile
    The admissions process can seem confusing, even intimidating. In reality all the admissions staff want to do is to get to know you.
  • The Interview
    Part of the admissions requirements of almost every private school is the interview. While it sounds as though this is a one sided exercise, you should be interviewing the admissions personnel as well.
  • The Visit
    Visiting the schools on your short list is very important. You need to inspect the campus yourself.
  • What If You Cannot Visit The School?
    Distance and finances may preclude your actually visiting schools. But you have some other options.

Test Preparation

Standardized admissions tests require thorough preparation and practice. You will find test prep texts and other materials here.

  • Admissions Test Preparation: 2 Approaches
    Admissions tests are supposed to measure accomplishments. But what if your child has serious problems in math or English? What do you do then?
  • COOP, HSPT and TACHS
    You will encounter COOP, HSPT and TACHS if you are applying to some Roman Catholic high schools.
  • Do My SSAT or ISEE Scores Really Matter?
    SSAT and ISEE scores are one part of the total picture which most private school admissions staff review.
  • SSAT and ISSE
    Most private schools use standardized tests as part of their admissions process. The SSAT and ISEE are the common tests you will encounter at independent schools.
  • How To Read The Test Scores
    SSAT test scores can be mysterious to most parents. What do they mean? How does the admissions staff use them?
  • Preparing for Admissions Tests
    Don't leave admissions test preparation to the last minute. Adequate test preparation will give you the confidence to take the test and do as well as you can.
  • The Writing Sample
    At some point in the admissions' process, you are going to have to write an essay otherwise known as The Writing Sample.

Applications

The applications process consists of several parts.

  • Applications - Teacher Recommendations and Transcripts
    Teacher recommendations and transcripts are an important part of the applications process.
  • The Acceptance Letter
    The desired result of taking the admissions test, visiting schools and submitting all that paperwork is to receive an acceptance letter. Here's how to handle this part of the admissions process.
  • Is It Too Late to Apply?
    Starting the admissions process and getting into a private school in late spring and early summer is a challenge.
  • Applications - The Parent's Statement
    Part of most school's admissions package is something called the Parent's Statement. We take a look at this document and offer advice on how to complete it.

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