Published
September 11, 2011
Recommendation forms completed and submitted your child's current principal or head or guidance counsellor are an important part of the applications process. They have to be handled according to each school's very specific instructions. They are the evidence the school needs to substantiate and all oral or written statements about your child. These
documents are not hearsay or anecdotal. They are professional opinions and records which the school needs to review. They complete an important part of your child's application. But remember: teacher or principal and other confidential recommendations are just one part of the applications process. On the other hand, be aware that the principal or counsellor will tell it like it is. Professionally but at the same time clinically.
Where Are the Forms?
On the school's web site under Admissions. Typically you can download the Principal/Head/Counselor Recommendation Forms which are available in PDF format like most of the other admissions materials. You complete the information at the top of the form, then hand the blank form to your child's principal or head of school or, in some cases, the school's guidance counsellor. Be sure to include an envelope addressed directly to the school's admissions office. Stamp the envelope before you give it to the counsellor or principal's office. Remind the counsellor to submit the recommendation forms as soon as possible, in any event no later than December 31 for mid-January deadlines.
Confidentiality
You waive your right to review or even see what the counsellor writes in her evaluation. This information is strictly...
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Published
November 13, 2010
There are tons of forms to fill out when you apply to a private school. Whether you do it online or by hand, you still have to give lots of thought to what you and your child are writing. This is especially important when it comes to The Candidate Statement. Let's look at a couple of schools' forms and see what they require.
Chatham Hall
Chatham Hall calls its Candidate Statement an '
Applicant Response' and specifies up front that the form is "To be completed by the Applicant without assistance." That's true of just about every school to which you will apply. The school wants to get to know each applicant. It wants to understand what makes her 'tick'. Absolutely resist the temptation to guide or correct your child's answers on this form. The admissions staff will know if you 'fix' things anyway.
Chatham Hall wants to know about your child's activities. It asks whether she rides or not and if she plans to ride at the school. Most schools with equestrian programs will want to know if the applicant is a rider. There are several more questions which are fairly straightforward. Then comes the essay. Your child must choose from three questions or prompts. Her answer can be as long or short as she wishes. What are they looking for? They want to see if she can frame a thoughtful response to the question she has chosen. They want to know if she can organize her thoughts...
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? Do personal recommendation letters really help? For the answers to these questions you need to look at the private school admissions process and understand how it works.
Understand the Admissions Process
Admissions to any private school seems like an arcane process. But it really isn't all that mysterious. After all, 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. Why wouldn't they be? The school has a reputation to uphold. So it makes sense to them to offer places to young people who can do the work and fit into the community.
An applicant's profile is a...
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Published
April 07, 2009
It's a nagging question many parents ask themselves. You suddenly decide in late winter or early spring that you want to get your child into a private school for fall. Or perhaps a job transfer makes finding a private school in a hurry an absolute necessity. So, are you indeed too late?
It depends. Let's look at some of the reasons why you may be too late and some reasons why you still may have time to get your child into private school on short notice.
- On the grade
- On the school
- On the academics
- On financial aid requirements
Which grade are you trying to get into? It is normally really difficult to find a place in a good nursery or pre-school by April or May. But call around. If they will entertain your application, perhaps you can be put on a wait list.
Kindergarten, 6th grade and 10th grade are the major entry points for private school. Finding places will depend on the availability of places. The only way to know if a school has a place is to call. If you are lucky, the school might have a last minute cancellation or withdrawal. Or better yet, the particular grade you are seeking to find a place in was not filled. That can happen. Especially in tough economic times. Most schools need full classes in order to balance their budgets. If your budget is based on 15 children in grade 8 and you only have 11, you will be much more receptive to...
Published
March 11, 2009
The final step in the process of choosing a private school is dealing with the acceptance letter. These letters are typically mailed in mid-March for schools which have a January 31 (or thereabouts) deadline for applications. If the school has rolling admissions, you will receive your acceptance letter or an offer of a place at the school once your admissions file is completed and a decision has been made.
If you have been accepted
Schools will give you a date by which you must accept or refuse the offer of admission. Acceptance requires the return of the acceptance forms together with payment of a deposit for next year's tuition.That is usually 10% of the fees. So, for example, if next year's tuition is $25,000, you will need to return the acceptance forms with a payment of $2,500. If you applied for financial aid, you will also receive a letter detailing the terms of your financial aid package.
It is very important to read all the materials which the schools send you and deal with them immediately. You have a limited window of opportunity in which to respond. If, for some reason, you do not reply to the acceptance letter, the school will most likely give away your child's place.
What if the financial aid package is not enough?
It is possible that the financial aid award letter will contain some perplexing news. You may have required $15,000 in aid and the school is only offering $10,000. What are your options? Discuss your situation with...
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Published
April 15, 2013
Here are a dozen or so girls' schools' public thoughts about themselves and their missions.
Make Summer a Special Time!
If you have children in private school, then you are most likely looking at three months, perhaps even longer, which you must fill with activities of one kind or another during the long summer break.
Are You Liable?
Is your DEL key about to get gaveled? It doesn't matter whether you teach in a public or private school setting. You expose yourself to legal risks every single day on the job.
More articles:
Why Private School,
Getting into Private School,
Pre-elementary,
Elementary Issues,
Running a Private School
Getting into Private School:
Applications
The applications process consists of several parts.
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How Admissions Works (11)
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5 Admissions Mistakes
These five common admissions mistakes can and should be avoided.
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5 Challenges To Getting Your Child Into Private School
If you are good at organizing projects, the challenges involved in getting your child into private school will not seem especially daunting.
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Why Should I Admit Your Child?
Why should I admit your child? We examine some of the things needed to get into private school.
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Admissions to Private School: A-Z
Admissions to Private School: A-Z puts all the information you need to navigate the private school admissions process in one convenient place. Whether you are just beginning or have been through this before, you will find help and advice to guide you.
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5 Admissions Tips for International Students
In addition to complying with all the usual admissions requirements, international students must also obtain a student visa. Here are five tips to help you navigate the admissions process.
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Application Calendar
Keep track of all aspects of choosing a school as well as the application deadlines.
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Does Your Child's Application Have Legs?
Will your child's application make it to the "Approved" pile? Here's how to give your child's application legs.
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Play the Hand You Have Been Dealt
Card games such as bridge and solitaire with multiple decks of cards fascinate me. I have learned to play the hand dealt me. So must we all when applying to private school.
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Waitlisted? What Next?
Being waitlisted is not the end of the world. More here.
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Why Should I Send My Child to Your School?
There are many reasons why you would want to send your child to a particular school. Let's examine the main ones.
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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.
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Test Preparation (8)
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The Writing Sample
At some point in the admissions' process, your child is going to have to write an essay sometimes referred to as The Writing Sample. Here's how to cope with that challenge.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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Preparing for TOEFL
Applicants to American private schools for whom English is not their first language must take a test known as TOEFL.
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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. These standardized tests reveal what you have learned in key mastery areas.
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COOP, HSPT and TACHS
You will encounter COOP, HSPT and TACHS if you are applying to some Roman Catholic high schools.
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Admissions Test Preparation: 2 Strategies
Admissions tests are supposed to measure accomplishments. But what if your child has serious problems in math or English? What do you do then?
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School Visits and Interviews (6)
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5 Tips for a Successful Admissions Interview
When you meet with the admissions staff, create a favorable impression by following these tips.
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5 Things Every Private School Applicant Should Do
Most of these suggestions are common sense. The secret to applying to private schools is to get a head start on the process.
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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.
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Visiting Schools: Open House, Shadow, Overnight or Tour?
Visiting schools is a necessary part of evaluating the schools on your short list. Here are several ways schools will arrange those visits.
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The Visit
Visiting the schools on your short list is very important. You need to inspect the campus yourself.
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What If You Cannot Visit The School?
Distance and finances may preclude your actually visiting schools. But you have some other options.
Note: Data has been gathered from the Dept. of Education, schools, and commercial data sources.
