Investing in the Future: Getting Your Kids into a Great Private School
As parents we’re always working to make sure our children has a promising future. Investing in a solid education is one of the most effective ways to accomplish this.
Private schools offer a more rigorous and higher quality of education than most public schools.
Here are a few tips to help get your kids successfully admitted into a private school.
Apply to Multiple Schools
As with any application process, getting into a private school is a matter of probability. One of the greatest mistakes we can make is only applying to one school.
This is the equal to putting all your eggs into one basket. By applying to only one school, you drastically limit the chances your child has of gaining admittance.
It’s crucial to increase this probability by applying to multiple different private schools. Even if you are set on one school, it’s always better to err on the safe side and improve the chances of your child’s admittance.
Prepare for the Admissions Test
No matter how well your child is doing in school, the admission tests for private schools will most likely pose quite a challenge. Private school intentionally make these tests difficult in order to challenge the potential candidates.
In fact, the material presented is often well beyond grade level. It’s recommended parents prepare their child for these exams by studying material that may appear on the exams.
There is enough information online describing how the tests are generally structured.
Do Research
Finding the best private school for your child will take some thorough research. The “best” school doesn’t necessarily mean the most elite or well-established.
There are many factors to be considered in this decision. For example, distance from home, size of the school, compatibility of your child with present students and even more factors should all be taken into account.
You can visit private schools you and your child are interested in or even set up meetings to discuss the possibility. Additionally, it may be helpful to talk to parents of children who attend these schools.
As part of your research, you should consider multiple types of schools. If your child loves to take initiative in the learning process, then you may want to consider taking him or her to a Montessori.
However, if think your child would enjoy a multicultural experience, then you may want to consider an institution like the International School of MN that puts a focus on world languages and global learning.
Organizing Letters of Recommendation
It should be no surprise letters of recommendation will be a required part of the admissions process. Parents must organize letters to be written by peers or others they know to personally recommend the family in question to the private school’s admission counselor.
It is most effective to have someone involved with the school to write this letter. Private schools are more likely to listen to someone who is associated with the school.
Some people to consider for the recommendation letter include families who attend the school, alumni, members of the board or anyone somewhat related to the school.
Start Applying in Time
With all of the extra leg-work, it would be a shame to be rejected admission because of something as simple as missing a deadline.
Parents should check with advisors or school websites to get updated information regarding deadlines, time constraints and other pertinent information.
Organizing this information into a calendar or some sort of schedule can be very useful.
Getting into a private school is no easy feat. It requires a lot of forethought, paperwork and committment. However, by employing the right strategies and efforts, parents can greatly increase the chance of their child gaining admission.
Not sure if private school is the right way to go? Click here to learn which is best? Charter, private or public schools.
