School Visits and Interviews

As I have mentioned several times in other articles about choosing and evaluating private schools, you really must set foot on the campus in order to fully experience the school and what it offers. Visiting the private schools on your shortlist is really not optional.

Isn't it enough to visit schools virtually these days? Those professionally produced videos on the schools' websites are great. The students' YouTube videos reveal a bit of what life is like at their school. Right? Not exactly. These presentations are all professionally produced and edited marketing pieces designed to encourage you to learn more about their schools. After you do your in-depth reading of all the schools' materials, it's time for you to decide which schools to visit. You ideally will have 3 to 5 schools on your shortlist.

This video offers you a look at the Century Montessori School.

For example, let's say you had 8 schools that really appear to be a good match for your requirements and your child's needs. Then you should eliminate 2, preferably 3 schools from that larger list. This is especially important when you have selected schools located at a distance from where you live. Visiting 8 schools far away from home will be both time-consuming and expensive. Make that shortlist of 3 to 5 schools to actually visit.

The visits will take one of these forms:

Open Houses

Here is how an open

The private school search process is complicated enough without making it more complicated. Use these five tips to keep you focused and on track. Most of these suggestions are common sense and you are probably following them anyway. But take time to review them well in advance of visiting schools and doing the actual applications. You will save valuable time.

1. Write a good essay.

"Essay?" " Write?" I can just imagine what you are thinking about how your child will do on this part of the application. However, why not do what you always do? Plan ahead. Download the Candidate Statement portion of the school's application. Print out a couple of copies. Then, starting in July or August or any other time which works best for you, have your child work the questions and think about the answers. That way, when it comes time in December and January to complete those important parts of the application, she will be able to write confidently, clearly and concisely.

This brief video will explain how to write an essay in terms she will understand.

"But her spelling is atrocious. She texts all the time and doesn't spell or capitalize according to the rules." These days that is a very real concern that you should have. And it's another reason why she needs to do a couple of dry runs before the real thing. While I don't suggest that

Many applicants live at great distances from the schools which they would like to visit. If you live in Asia or Europe, for example, it is not always financially or logistically possible to visit schools in person. What alternatives exist for those situations? Actually several. Off campus, school visits come in a couple of flavors.

Admissions Staff Visits Overseas

Many private schools send their admissions staff overseas to major cities in countries where they have a substantial applicant pool. Ask for details of visits in your area. While you will have to rely on the school's video and web presentations of its school life and activities, at least you will have a live person to whom you can pose questions. If English is not your first language, this meeting with school officials will give you a deadline to meet. After all, you are planning to attend school in a country where English is the instructional language used in most classes. You will be expected to have your interview in English.

This video describes the features of private schools.

Interviews With Local Alumni

Just like many universities and colleges do, private schools also will arrange an interview with an alumnus or alumna who lives in your local area. This is a quite common practice for meeting candidates who live here in the United States. Remember that most schools are looking for qualified candidates who may not have

You have spent many hours selecting schools online. Some of the schools' websites were so good that you almost felt as though you had explored every corner of their campuses. You watched videos of classes, sports, and extracurricular activities. So, what more could you possibly need to know about the schools? After all, you have identified three or four to which you want to apply. That's the next step in the process, right? Not exactly. The next step is for you to visit those three or four schools on your shortlist. You really have to set foot on each campus. The schools will insist on meeting you and your child in person.

Here is an example of what I am talking about. This excellent video presents Shattuck-St. Mary's School in Faribault, Minnesota, and its fine campus and programs in the best light possible. But you still need to visit the school and truly experience all it has to offer.

Visit schools on your shortlist

Don't skip visiting the schools on your shortlist. Why? Because you need to inspect the campuses yourself. It's like buying a house or renting an apartment. A website and a video will not show you what you really need to see. Professionally done photo galleries and videos are no substitute for experiencing the school. All of those videos and photos are produced and positioned to present the school precisely as

Once you have agreed on a short list of schools to visit, you must call and make arrangements for The Interview. Typically, this will take place while you visit the school. What is involved?

Almost every school wants to meet candidates for admission. The admissions test scores, teacher, principal, extracurricular recommendations, and the applicant's essay and parent's statement all offer a snapshot of an applicant at a particular time and place. Conversely, the interview gives the admissions staff a chance to fill in the missing elements and assess the applicant's character.

Schedule well in advance.

Be sure to schedule your interview and school visit well in advance. Do not do this on a Friday afternoon, expecting to turn up the next day. There are only so many hours a day with limited interview appointments. If possible, get your interview out of the way by the end of November. Most applications, including the interview, need to be completed by the deadline.

What does the interview entail?

How long is the interview? It's usually about 20 minutes. What will the admissions staff ask? The person who interviews you wants to get to know you. He already knows who you are and what you have accomplished. He will be looking to see what kind of person you are, how serious you are about your school work, what your hobbies are, and so on.

This video describes the interview process and how to prepare for it.