Being an Expat and Educating Your Children Abroad

You worked harder than you ever thought you possibly could. Your teachers demanded excellence. Your best. There were many times when you doubted your own ablities to make it. In the end they knew what they were doing. They also knew what you were acapable of. They helped lay that solid foundation for success in later life.

Your coaches refined your game. Showed your tips and tricks which made your more competitive. All without losing sight of good sportmanship and the benefits of regular exercise and physical activity.

But most importantly you graduated from your school with the best thing of all: a network of friends and classmates which will be yours for life.

Now it's time to consider how to give something back to that amazing school which nurtured you. Don't worry that your gift will be too small to matter. Give what you can.

Here are five ways in which you can support your school.

Annual Giving

Annual giving is the foundation of most private schools' fundraising efforts. Typically graduates, or alumni/alumnae as they are called, are encouraged to make a gift every year in support of their school. It's the same concept as the gift you make to support your public radio station or other charity. The gifts range from small amounts to $5,000, $10,000 or more depending on the graduate's financial strength and capabilities. Parents and grandparents are often asked to support the school in this way as well. This has a certain

Fit trumps selectiveness.

The right school for your child is the one that suits your needs and his needs best. Fit trumps just about every other consideration. How do you get the fit right? You do that by actually visiting the school. It is always a good idea to visit schools while classes are in session. If at all possible, arrange an overnight when your child is considering a boarding school. Then your child can truly sample what the school offers, as this short video from Proctor Academy illustrates.

Now I can hear you thinking to yourself that the videos and the Zoom calls you had with the admissions office were so wonderful that the school has to

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

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