Selecting boarding schools that fit your needs and requirements takes much time and effort. Once you have made your shortlist of schools, then you need to focus on the admissions process. The admissions process consists of testing, recommendations, the interview, financial aid, and ensuring your child's admssions file is complete. Use this admissions checklist to keep you and your child on track. There are plenty of forms to fill out and a standardized admissions test to prepare for.
Testing
I have put admissions testing at the top of my checklist simply because it needs as much advance preparation as your child can give it. While standardized admissions tests are just one of several tools that the admissions professionals at each school will use to assess your child, they remain an essential part of the assessment process. Most schools use the SSAT and ISEE. But there are other tests out there as well.
Once you have narrowed your choice of boarding schools to three to five, review the admissions requirements for each school carefully. Hopefully, all the schools on your list will use the same test. That will simplify matters enormously for both you and your child.
If, on the other hand, you end up with two or possibly three different tests, you will have to schedule, register, and pay for them. Scheduling these admissions tests works best when you start as far in advance as possible. The SSAT opens its registration on August 1