Admission to a private school is a process with many components to it. Both the process and its many components can be confusing to parents dealing with private school admissions for the first time. So, I devised this article as a hub that includes all my articles describing the private school admissions process.
The Overview
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 help and advice to guide you. Admissions 101 offers an overview of the private school admissions process and the steps needed to find the right private school for your child. Admissions Checklist will keep you on track as you work through the private school admissions process. Essentially it takes the points covered in the previous two articles and formats them into an easy-to-follow checklist.
5 Challenges To Getting Your Child Into Private School
If you are good at organizing projects, the challenges involved in getting your child into private school will not seem especially daunting. Bear in mind that this project will stretch over eighteen months or more.
Play the Hand You Have Been Dealt
In this article, I am suggesting that you need to be objective as you decide which schools will be on your shortlist. Card games such as Bridge and Solitaire with multiple decks of cards fascinate me. I have learned to play the hand dealt to me. So must we all when applying to private school. By that, I mean be realistic in all your expectations.
The Nitty Gritty
Now to the technical aspects of the private school admissions process. This part of the process involves filling out several forms as well as chasing down vital documentation and recommendations. Be thorough. Don't leave anything out. Call the relevant admissions office for authoritative answers when you have questions. Always log your conversations for future reference.
Getting your child into a competitive school is a tough assignment. Don't let the many challenges overwhelm you. There is a simple solution. Find out more in First Choice Letters and Personal Letters of Recommendation.
One of the documents in most schools' admissions packages is something called the Parent's Statement. We take a look at this document and offer advice on how to complete it. Among the many forms which you must complete when applying to private school is something called The Candidate Statement. Here's what is involved in preparing this document.
Now that we have covered the documents and statements which you and your child have to provide the school let's proceed to the academic documentation which your child's current teachers and school need to provide.
Applications - Teacher Recommendations and Transcripts explains the important academic documentation that each school to which you are applying requires. What do they need this for? The admissions staff have to determine whether your child can do the academic work at their school. Your child's school will send her official transcripts directly to the admissions office. In other words, if you happen to have a transcript in your personal files, it will not be accepted as an authentic document. Use it to show your educational consultant or to admissions staff informally. Most schools require confidential recommendation forms as part of the application process. The forms coming from your child's current school and teachers need to be handled according to the instructions given in the admissions materials. These recommendation forms help the school to develop a clearer picture of your child's academic abilities and, more importantly, her enthusiasm for academic work. Opinions coming from teachers who have worked with your child are invaluable.
Years ago, schools would mail you a sheaf of paper that you had to complete by hand. Once that was done, you mailed or hand-delivered the application to the school by the stated deadline. Some schools still do things the old-fashioned way, but most give you the option or even require that you submit your application online.
The admissions essay is an important part of your child's admissions profile. Noodle Pros essay expert Kate Fisher offers some valuable tips about writing an admissions essay.
In addition to complying with all the usual admissions requirements, international students must also obtain a student visa. Here are five tips to help you navigate the admissions process.
There are five common admissions mistakes that you should avoid. With a little advanced planning and organization, this is quite doable. The point of avoiding these common admissions mistakes is to improve your child's chances during the entire admissions process.
Your Child's Admissions Profile
Now that we have the technical details of the application dealt with, here are some tips and comments about your child's admissions profile, as seen from the school's perspective. Will your child's application make it to the "Approved" pile? Here's how to give your child's application legs.
Listen to the experts offering tips on getting admitted to private school.
In Why Should I Admit Your Child? we look at admissions from the school's perspective. We examine some of the things needed to get into private school.
Acceptance or Rejection?
So, you have submitted your applications on time. You followed each school's instructions to the letter. Now comes the hard part! Waiting for those acceptance letters seems to take forever. When a school uses rolling admissions, you will receive an answer from it within 30-60 days from the time your application was submitted. If you applied to a school with a fixed admissions deadline, you will receive an answer approximately 60 days after the deadline. Be aware that each school has its own way of doing things
The desired result of taking the admissions test, visiting schools, and submitting all that paperwork is to receive an acceptance letter. Here's how to handle this part of the admissions process.
What if they didn't accept your child? What happens if her application is rejected? Frankly, receiving a rejection letter is a possibility when you apply to a private school, especially if you are applying to a competitive school. That is why applying to at least one school you are confident will admit your child is so important.
While Linda Abraham's comments in this video are aimed at college admissions, they apply to private school admissions as well.
Being accepted or rejected is clear and easy to understand. But what about being waitlisted? What do you do when a school waitlists your child? What they are really saying is that your child meets their admissions criteria but they had more qualified applicants than places.
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