Evaluating Schools

Selecting a private school is more than picking a place for academic instruction—it’s choosing a community, a philosophy, and a partnership in raising your child. While class size, test scores, and extracurriculars matter, alignment with your family’s values is often overlooked yet essential.

Families who find their best-fit schools look beyond prestige and focus on shared priorities. Here’s how to approach your search with clarity and confidence, ensuring your child’s educational environment supports academic success—and personal and ethical development.

Define Your Family’s Core Educational Values

Start by clarifying what matters most to your family. Every school promotes ideals, but the best-fit ones will reflect the beliefs you already live and model.

Ask yourselves:

• Do we want a faith-based or secular environment?
• How important are character education or community service?
• Do we value academic rigor, creativity, independence, or structure?
• What are our views on discipline, leadership, and competition?
• Is diversity—of thought, background, or culture—a top priority?

By answering these as a family, you’ll be better equipped to identify schools that share your core values. For example, families seeking a religious foundation may explore Christian private schools, while others may prefer independent schools with a progressive outlook.

Look Beyond the Brochure: Investigate Mission and Culture

Every private school publishes a mission statement—but what matters is how that reflection is lived daily.

Consider:

• Does the school’s mission and philosophy resonate with your values?
• How does it handle behavioral expectations, discipline, peer relationships, and responsibility?
• Are there chapel programs, advisory systems, or service-learning initiatives that reflect its moral

Boarding School vs. Homeschooling: Which Is Better for Independent Learners?

Independent learners are self-motivated, curious, and capable of working autonomously. They thrive when given the freedom to explore, think critically, and take ownership of their education. For such students, two paths often emerge: homeschooling and boarding school.

Each option offers unique benefits—and the best choice depends on your child’s learning style, your family’s goals, and the available resources. This guide compares the strengths and challenges of both models to help you make an informed decision.

What Defines an Independent Learner?

Independent learners typically:

• Take initiative in setting goals
• Manage their time and workload effectively
• Engage deeply with subjects that interest them
• Seek feedback and adapt based on results
• Prefer self-paced or flexible learning environments

These learners may flourish in nontraditional settings—but they also benefit from structure, mentorship, and opportunities for collaboration and challenge.

The Case for Homeschooling

Flexibility and Personalization

Homeschooling allows complete control over curriculum, pacing, and daily schedule. Independent learners can pursue deep exploration of their interests and tailor their education to match their strengths. Many families connect with homeschool support groups, co-ops, and extracurricular networks.

Less Distraction, More Autonomy

Many homeschool environments reduce social pressures and distractions, enabling students to focus deeply. Parents gradually shift roles from direct instruction to mentorship as autonomy grows.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

Homeschooling opens doors to internships, travel-based learning, community service, and project-driven education designed around student passions.

Potential Challenges

• Requires extensive parental planning and oversight
• Social interaction and group learning opportunities require extra

Now and then, the question that occurs to me, as it should to you, is precisely why I think a particular school is one of the best.

• I have to conclude that the best schools have all of the following characteristics. What's more, they have them in abundance.
• Now, before you start thinking that I am only talking about older established schools, that ain't necessarily so.
• I am aware of a couple of newer schools that fit neatly into the category of best schools simply because they have all of the characteristics explained below.

So let's look at what I think are the traits of the best schools:

• Great Leadership
• Solid financial backing by their graduates
• Stellar faculty
• Extensive academics
• Extensive extracurricular activities
• Superb facilities
• Graduates accomplishing great things

Great leadership

The best schools have strong, dynamic, dedicated leaders.

• They are led by women and men who envision their goals and have the experience to execute their plans to achieve that vision.
• The head of the best school is a superb fundraiser, capable administrator, and leader by example.
• She expects the best from everybody in her school community.

I know of several schools which could have been great. But they never made it because their fractious board of trustees kept getting in the way of progress.

• Change is never easy. But it seems that boards often have a rather difficult time with change.
• That always surprises me because most board members come from business backgrounds.
• You would think they would understand

As you evaluate private high schools, review the kind of standardized college admissions tests on which they base their curricula and teaching. College admissions tests play a significant role in the admissions process, providing colleges and universities with standardized measures of academic preparedness. This article aims to delve into the similarities and differences between the three prominent college admissions tests: SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test), ACT (American College Testing), and CLT (Classic Learning Test).

Test Structure and Format

The SAT is a widely recognized college admissions test the College Board administers. It consists of sections in Reading, Writing and Language, Math, and an optional Essay. The SAT is scored on a scale of 400-1600, with an additional essay score (if taken). The test allows approximately 3 hours without the Essay and 3 hours and 50 minutes with the Essay.

The ACT, developed by ACT, Inc., consists of sections in English, Math, Reading, Science, and an optional Essay. The ACT is scored on a scale of 1-36, with an additional essay score (if taken). The test allows approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes without the Essay and 3 hours and 35 minutes with the Essay.

The CLT, offered by the Classic Learning Test organization, features sections in Verbal Reasoning, Grammar/Writing, Quantitative Reasoning, and an optional Essay. The CLT is scored on a scale of 0-120, with an additional essay score (if taken). The test allows approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes without the Essay

Will your child be going to high school in a few years? Are you looking at the academic options available in your local public and private schools? If so, then I recommend that you take this IB quiz. It will help you decide the best college prep approach for your child.

In education, one size does not fit all because children learn differently. Some children do well in a school offering a curriculum centered around Advanced Placement courses and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) preparation. Others thrive in the non-traditional educational experience that progressive schools provide. Finally, some children find that the substantial academic experience that the International Baccalaureate program offers is the right option for them. Your answers to the following questions will help you make the right decisions about your child's academic future and preparation for college.

Why should I consider a school that offers the International Baccalaureate® Diploma Programme?

For several reasons, you should consider sending your child to a school that offers the International Baccalaureate® Programme, or IB as it is affectionately called. First of all, you have decided that you want your child to learn how to do serious academic work in high school so that she is well-prepared for the rigors of tertiary-level academic work. Secondly, you are uncomfortable with her only learning how to do well on tests. Thirdly, you want her to develop superior writing and research skills.

Where is the IB Diploma Programme offered?

Most American public and private high