Choosing Schools: The Safe School

When you consider sending your child to a private school, you will spend much time reviewing school websites. As you do that, remember that you see what the schools want you to see. Think of the private school website as its front door and entrance hall; you will get the idea. Once you get to the next stage of the school search process, look for the five features every good private school should have. Doing your due diligence will take a lot of your time, but confirming that schools on your short list meet your needs and requirements is necessary.

Small Classes

Small classes are at the top of the list of features that every private school should have. If the private high school that you are looking at doesn't have small classes, what is the point of taking your child out of public school? Obviously, the adjective small can be interpreted in different ways. Typically, a class size of 12-15 students will allow students plenty of interaction with their teacher. That interaction is a critical part of learning and is one of the features you must look for when considering sending your child to a private high school.

This Savannah Country Day School video illustrates some of the features you should look for in a private school.

Small classes mean that your child won't just be a number. She cannot fall through the cracks.

The following five common admission mistakes can and should be avoided. With a little advance planning and organization, this is quite doable. The point of avoiding these common admissions mistakes is to improve your child's chances during the entire admissions process.

Plan your private school search process. On this site, we have several articles which you can bookmark and refer to from time as you work through what is, after all, a lengthy, 16-18 month process on average. Our Applications Calendar will help keep you organized from week to week, month to month. With a long-term project like choosing a private school, it is easy to lose sight of some of the important deadlines. When that happens, you will stress yourself unduly as you try to accomplish several months' work in a few weeks.

1. Not Observing the Deadlines

Deadlines are set for a reason. The admissions staff has hundreds of applications to process. If you miss the deadlines, it may not be a big deal to you. But it does send a signal to the admissions staff. Most likely the wrong signal.

Missing deadlines due to unforeseen circumstances happens. If that happens to you, then call immediately when you realize you will not be able to meet the deadlines. People will be much more accommodating when you alert them before, not after, the fact.

Remember that each private school is unique. Many have the same deadlines. Others set their own cutoff dates. Be careful

This step in your school search process comes after you have narrowed down the list of schools which you are looking at. When you begin comparing schools on your short list, review what is being taught and how it is being taught. Instruction goes to the heart of what private schools are really all about. That is the main reason private schools exist. This is why we send our children to private school. We want certain subjects taught. More importantly, we want them taught in a certain way.

What we want our children taught generally exceeds any minimum requirements. The state department of department will require every school under its jurisdiction to meet certain minimum requirements. That is a given. For example, a high school student must receive a certain number of credits in English and mathematics in order to graduate. Private schools typically outpace any minimums specified by the state department of education.

Against this backdrop, take time to review the courses which are offered in the schools on your short list. Do these courses match your objectives and requirements? Do they offer the depth and intensity which you want your child to have? For example, Shakespeare is taught in many public high school English courses. Typically one play will be covered in an academic year. By contrast a private school English class will read two or three Shakespeare plays in a year. Because private school classes are small and the students focused on their

When you begin comparing schools on your shortlist, it is important to at least be aware of certain important aspects of the school and its operation. While you can certainly tell whether a school is well-run just by visiting it and observing the condition of the grounds and facilities, it is worth asking a few detailed questions. The answers to these questions can be found online, as a rule, so explore the school's website thoroughly before asking the admissions staff.

How long has the head of school/principal been in office?

This question speaks to the stability of the school. If the headmaster or headmistress (also called head and occasionally director) has been there for a couple of years, that's a good sign. Private school heads will stay forever if they are doing a good job and the trustees are satisfied with his job performance. Nowadays a private school head is the de facto CEO of the school. But his major responsibility is going to be in the area of fundraising. Public relations is another part of his brief.

If the door to the headmaster's office has become a revolving one with several heads coming and going over a period of a few years, you might want to find out why they didn't stay. Most private schools conduct national searches for a head of school and involve the school community in the process. So it would be unusual for a school to get the fit wrong.

Is there a