They Didn't Accept My Child!
Published March 26, 2008
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?
A private school does not have to accept your child. Nor does it have to give you any reason why it has refused your child admission. How can this be? Surely there must be some federal or state laws which govern the situation? There is no legal recourse because private schools don't take public funding. They pride themselves on their independence. They admit who they choose for whatever reasons they decide are best.
Most of the time parents find themselves in this frustrating situation because they thought they could chose a private school for their child by themselves. Of course technically you can do it. You can also write your own will or buy a house without consulting an attorney. But would you? Should you? Do you trust your limited knowledge of private schools? That is why you need to hire a professional educational consultant. A consultant offers you a wealth of experience for a very modest fee. While she can't guarantee that your child will get into a particular private school, a consultant knows private schools. He understands the process, knows who to call and the questions to ask.
So unless your father endowed the school or was its first headmaster, don't take a chance. Seek and pay for the expert advice you need. Here is a recap of some of the things you will have to do to choose a school:
- Start the search process in April/May for fall admission 14 months out.
- Develop a short list of schools to research and visit.
- Research and visit schools to see if they are a good match.
- Fix any academic deficiencies as quickly as you can.
- Schedule admissions testing.
- Request transcripts.
- Get teacher and principal recommendations.
- Prepare and submit applications.
- Arrange financing.
Resources
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