Choosing Schools

Why Did You Select That School?

The decision to enroll a child in a private school is deeply personal, influenced by factors like educational philosophy, faculty expertise, and individual student needs. Some parents seek rigorous academics, while others prioritize arts programs or small class sizes. But beyond rankings and reputations, what truly matters when making this choice? By exploring the motivations behind different families’ school selections, you can gain a clearer picture of what’s most important for your own child’s success.

One of the first things a parent says when she speaks to me about private schools is something along the lines of "I want my son to go to such and such a school." When I diplomatically ask why she is interested in that specific school, the answer is usually, "because I heard it is a really good school."

• That is a starting point in determining which school your child should attend.
• However, there is much more to the process than merely expressing an interest in a school because you heard it was a good one.

So, why don't you and I work our way through that initial consultation? Hopefully, it will help you refine your private school search process. Ideally, it will help you find a school that meets your requirements as well as what your child needs to flourish and be happy.

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What kind of school are you looking for?

Understanding what

You and I expect to be able to comparison shop for everything we buy. When we search for an item on Amazon, the website presents us with other options. We can read reviews by other purchasers. Together with our understanding of value and price point, these factors help us make the decisions that drive our purchase. So, why can't we do the same with private schools? Why isn't there some way of ranking schools? Wouldn't rankings make our task of selecting the right private school for our child a lot easier?

For starters, choosing a private school is not like buying a set of towels or sheets online. We have confidence in buying towels and sheets online from a trusted vendor using a secure credit card because we know what we are buying. Choosing a private school is much more complicated. Why? Because in the first place it is a major decision. We won't be able to return it and get our money back if we don't like it, which is what we do when we buy merchandise, which turns out to be unsatisfactory. And the amount of money involved in the transaction is significant. Furthermore, we are talking about a decision which will have a serious impact on our child and us for several years.

This brief video lays out the process for you.

Major decisions have many more factors and variables involved than

We busy parents use to-do lists to keep ourselves organized. Honestly, I sometimes wonder how we could keep going without to-do lists. If you are thinking about private school for your child, some of these items might just be on your to-do list too.

Identify 8-10 schools we like.

This is one of the fun parts of choosing a private school. Why? Because most private schools offer video tours both on their websites and on their YouTube channels. While both websites and videos are obviously edited carefully to make the best possible impression on you, they are terrific for giving you an overview of programs and the school community.

Watch as many videos as you can. Review the academic and sports programs in detail.

By casting the net widely in the early stages of choosing a school, you can easily eliminate schools from consideration because they lack something you feel is essential for your child's education.

This video offers a look at the Forsyth School in St. Louis, Missouri.

Visit 3-5 schools this summer and early fall.

Summer and early fall are really the best times to visit schools. Summer has its advantages and disadvantages. The major advantage is that school is not in session. That means you can expect to spend some time with the admissions staff who will have more time to allocate to you than, say, in November or December. Application deadlines

Have you ever begun a project only to realize after a while that you didn't know what you were doing? It's like the guy who opens the box with 100 parts. Some assembly is required. Does he read the directions? Probably only when he gets stuck.

When you set out to choose a private school for your child, you need a clear road map for the process. You also need to understand that this is a major project that will consume a substantial amount of your valuable time.

How much time will it take?

* Researching schools online: 20-30 hours spread out over 4-6 weeks. This task can be done in the comfort of your own home on your own time.

* Visiting out-of-town schools: 36-60 hours spread out over 3 or 4 visits. The amount of time consumed by travel is the wild card here. The actual campus visit will usually include an interview with the admissions staff. Allow about an hour for testing.

* Visiting local schools: 10-15 hours spread out over 2 or 3 visits. Interviews and any testing the schools require will add an hour or two.

Signs that you may be doing it wrong

As you can see, choosing a private school is a major project. Get it wrong, and your child will be very unhappy and hate her school. It's also possible that your child won't even get into a school. So, before you get that sinking feeling that you are doing

4 Things to Know Before You Choose a Private School

Actually, there are many more things to know about private schools than the four items I have chosen. But let's get you started with these. They are the ones I consider most important.

For most of us, the idea of sending your child to private school begins with that nagging feeling that she's very bright and needs the very best kind of schooling possible. She needs an enriched academic curriculum. She needs time to explore subjects that interest her. She needs an athletics program with lots of options. She wants to be on the stage. These wishes and desires on her part are not always easily fulfilled in a public school setting. As a result, you start exploring your private school options. That leads you to individual private school websites and resources like this site. And it also raises many questions. So, the four points I will expand on below affirm what you probably already knew anyway.

You cannot rank private schools.

As you explore schools online, you quickly realize there is no way to rank schools. It is perfectly normal to want to send your child to the best school possible. But how can you identify that school if there is no ranking system? First, let's deal with the reality of private schools and ranking. They cannot be ranked. Why? Because they are unique. We have approximately 400 boarding schools in the U.S. Each one