Getting into Private School

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 the help and advice to guide you through the various steps involved in submitting an application for admission to private school.

The Admissions Process

Our Application Calendar will keep you organized throughout the stressful process of applying to private school. There's a lot to keep track of. So plan your work carefully and try to stick to the schedule. Ideally, you have started the process at least 18 months before the expected date of starting school. For example, for fall 2017 admissions, you need to begin in the spring of 2016. If you are an international student, you need to allow an additional six months because there are some important additional steps which you need to follow. Here is an introduction to the Lower School at Rye Country Day School.

Applying to any private school is just that, an application. Why is that? Private schools do not have to accept your child. That is one of the essential differences between public and private schools. Remember that that places in schools in major metropolitan areas tend to be very limited. Enhance your prospects by avoiding common admissions mistakes. What if they waitlist your child? Is that the end of the world? Not exactly. What happens

If you are thinking of applying to an American private school and English is not your first language, you will be required to take a test known as The Test of English as a Foreign Language. Known more commonly as TOEFL which is pronounced TOE-full, this is an important part of the private school admissions process.

TOEFL used to be a paper-based test which is known as TOEFL PBT. This older method of taking the TOEFL test is being phased out. The newer form of TOEFL is TOEFL iBT. This is the test that is administered online in test centers worldwide.

This video gives you an overview of what TOEFL is.

TOEFL is administered in most countries. You take the computer-based test at an examination center under supervised testing conditions. Watch this short video to see how the test is administered.

So let us examine what is involved and how to prepare for the test.

What is TOEFL?

TOEFL is a standardized test administered by the world-famous Educational Testing Service. ETS is based in Princeton, New Jersey, and has been around since 1947. It is an old, very established, highly regarded testing service. ETS is a not-for-profit organization. ETS administers all kinds of tests which are given at over 9,000 locations in 180 countries. The tests with which we are probably most familiar are the SAT and AP tests which high school students

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

If you live in New York City and are thinking about sending your child to pre-school, you know how competitive the situation is. At least with the desirable schools. There are simply dozens more applicants than there are available places. As a result there is a huge temptation for well-to-do parents who tend to be hyper-competitive anyway to take what they feel are necessary measures to prepare their three and four year olds for admissions testing. A cottage industry of consultants and tutors has sprung up in most cities to provide the support which these eager parents demand and are willing to pay for.

Admissions testing is simply one part of the admissions process.

Most New York independent schools use the ERB as one part of their admissions testing. The Early Childhood Admissions Assessment (ECAA) is important insofar as a low score will most likely preclude your child from further consideration. So, the question is whether or not to prep or not to prep your child for the test. Most schools take a dim view of that practice. Yet some parents feel that they have no other choice. As a result, Jenny Anderson reports in Private School Screening Test Loses Some Clout that several Manhattan schools are dropping or thinking about dropping the test altogether. The Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York gives parents this advice about ERB testing: "The ERB

The competition for places at some private schools is intense. When a school receives hundreds of applications for a hundred available seats, that indicates a very competitive admissions situation. If your child is applying to a competitive school, what do you do to ensure success? The school admissions staff isn't going to be much help. Indeed more often than note, it will be sphinx-like about letting you know whether your kid stands a chance or not. Money is not an issue. You can afford the fees and all the extras. This school would be ideal for your daughter because you know that the school does an excellent job of getting its graduates into the best colleges and universities. You and your daughter were both impressed with the facilities, programs and the general feel of the campus when you visited. The admissions staff were professional but warm and friendly, as was everyone else you encountered during your visit.

This video from The Country Day School offers one of its graduate's experiences at the school.

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 help? For the answers to these questions,