Admissions to boarding school is a process with many components. The process can be confusing to parents dealing with boarding school admissions for the first time. So, this article is a hub that includes articles I have written describing the private school admissions process.
The Overview
Admissions to Private School: A-Z puts all the information you need to navigate the boarding 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. If you can't find answers to your questions or have specific concerns, contact the admissions offices at schools in which you are interested. Admissions staff are always ready to help.
Admissions 101 offers an overview of the admissions process, as well as the steps needed to find the right school for your child. The secret to finding the right school is to identify the school that fits your needs and requirements best.
Our Admissions Checklist will keep you on track as you work through the private school admissions process. Essentially it takes tall the aspects of the admissions process and formats them in an easy-to-follow checklist.
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. 5 Challenges To Getting Your Child Into Private School covers what's involved.
Play the Hand You Have Been Dealt suggests that you need to be objective while deciding which schools will be on your shortlist. Card games such as bridge and solitaire with multiple decks of cards fascinate me. Over the years, I have learned to play the hand dealt me. So must we all when applying to private school. Be realistic in all your expectations. If a competitive boarding school is a reach, then include a safe school your child can get into on your shortlist.
The video from Garrison Forest School in Owings Mills, Maryland, offers a look at a typical welcome.
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. When you have questions, call the relevant admissions office and get authoritative answers. Don't rely on secondhand information. Go to the source. 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 The Candidate Statement. This is a snapshot of your child. Let your child complete this document on her own. Resist the temptation to be a velcro parent. The admissions staff will be able to tell if you assisted her.
Now that we have covered the documents and statements that you and your child have to provide the school, let's proceed to the academic documentation.
Applications - Teacher Recommendations and Transcripts explains the important academic documentation which each school to which you are applying requires. Why do they need this? The admissions staff must determine whether or not your child can do the academic work at their school. Your child's current 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 must be handled according to instructions given in the admissions materials. These recommendation forms help the school 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. Then, 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 the 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.
Here are five common admissions mistakes you must avoid. With a little advance 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.
This video offers a glimpse of Woodberry Forest School in Virginia.
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 accepted.
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 boarding 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 unique 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 boarding school, especially if you are applying to a competitive school. That is why it is so important to apply to at least one safe school you are fairly confident will admit your child.
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 the school is really saying is that your child meets their admissions criteria, but unfortunately, it had more qualified applicants than places. As a result, your child stands a chance of being accepted, provided that other applicants decide to refuse the school's acceptance offer. You will find out the answer within a month or two.
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