Applying to Private School this Fall? 5 Tips to Hit the Ground Running
Applying to private schools can seem like a complicated maze of steps and decisions. Reduce stress and increase your child’s chances by doing these five things during late August and early September.
The sunscreen bottles are getting low, the cicadas have begun their deafening late-summer chorus, and Staples is already out of 3-ring binders. It’s the end of summer, and you’re interested in having your child apply to attend private school for the 2023-24 school year. You’re not entirely sure what that entails or what deadlines are involved, but you know it means kicking into high gear sometime this fall—and your pulse quickens at the thought. You know the early bird catches the worm, but what “worms” are even involved here? Read on for a handful of steps you can take now to make your whole family’s life easier this fall.
1. Register for Testing
If you follow any college admissions news, you know that the test-optional movement, which greatly expanded because of the pandemic, seems here to stay, at least in the short term. For applicants to independent and parochial day and boarding schools, however, this is not currently the case. Most private schools require or prefer some form of standardized testing, even if they temporarily waived it during the height of COVID. And, similar to semiconductors and building materials, testing dates and sites have been in short supply. Registering ASAP for the tests required by the schools your child will be applying to is an excellent step to take now. Look at your child’s calendar for the fall, taking into account any significant extracurricular or family events, and register for the dates that both meet the school’s requirements and provide ample time to do some prep. In our experience, students do markedly better when, at minimum, they understand what to expect from the often completely novel situation presented by standardized testing. This can be achieved by taking a full-length practice test or two, by taking advantage of self-guided resources, or, depending on your child’s unique needs and temperament, you may also consider one-on-one academic support through private tutoring.
2. Inquire
Isn’t private school lingo strange? “Inquiry” is the term used by many schools to describe a prospective student who has officially expressed interest but has not yet submitted an application. A great thing to do before the school year begins is to fill out the form on each school’s website labeled “Inquire” (or in some cases, “request information”), which essentially means that you will be entered into their database and they can begin sending you emails to market the school and notify you of admissions events. The sooner you do this, the sooner your child is on the school’s radar and you will be more aware of opportunities to get to know the campus and community. Never fear…your inbox should only fill during the fall!
3. Register for Open Houses
Because of the pandemic, we’ve all adapted to doing more things virtually, including school visits. But, most schools have returned to offering multiple in-person opportunities to tour their campuses and meet members of the community as part of their admissions process. While it might not always be feasible, we highly recommend taking your child to at least one in-person visit at each school you are considering, and ideally multiple. Opportunities to attend open houses and other admissions events (i.e. an event geared toward the specific grade level entry point, specialized toward athletes or artists, etc.) are posted to each school’s website and many have limited space. Register now for those events that fit your schedule. There is simply nothing like the deep understanding and instinctual impressions gained by visiting a school (especially while students are on campus) in terms of determining what is a good fit for your child’s unique personality and goals. What’s more, the specific insights gained from these visits can provide useful fodder for the interviews that come later, in which schools’ admission officers expect that a strong candidate will be able to express specific interest in their school.
4. Sign Up for Campus Visits
As part of their admissions process, most day and boarding schools include a component in which the applicant has the opportunity to be hosted by a current student and participate in some or all of a typical school day. Some schools offer the opportunity to register for this “shadowing” day prior to submitting the admission application, in which case you should register as soon as you are able (see below about submitting the application as early as possible, for those schools that require submission prior to registering the applicant for an official visit). Most families prefer to spread out the days that their children will miss a day at their current school, and registering early helps to provide this flexibility, as well as securing spaces before they fill up, as can be the case with some schools.
5. Start Essays
We hear your child audibly groaning…or perhaps that’s you, because you’ll be the one assigning, cajoling, and reminding when it comes to this part of the admissions application. Most schools have several unique essay questions that admissions committee members really do read and consider when making their decisions. In our experience working with students to brainstorm, prioritize, and edit their essays, the finished product is always more polished and effective when the writing starts early. And, it’s absolutely imperative that the essays be the students own work and reflect their authentic voice. For many schools, you can create an account and gain access to the admissions application as early as the beginning of August, and even if they haven’t opened their applications yet, they might provide the essay prompts on their website to allow for your child to at least begin brainstorming. Once the school year starts in earnest, a student’s school assignments will gain priority, so starting early is a gift you can give the entire family (nagging be gone!).
5. Consider Early Application Options
Be aware that some schools offer Early Action as an alternative to their standard admissions process and deadlines, while other schools might have an application deadline that’s earlier than the typical January deadline common for boarding schools. The Pingry School in New Jersey just added an Early Action option this year and some other schools offer similar options. Applying early can provide the opportunity to be notified sooner and have the stress and busyness of the process in the rearview mirror that much earlier. Read the fine print carefully, as some institutions ask that you only enter their early action process if the school is the applicant's clear first choice—and, if admitted, that they withdraw all other applications and not begin new ones. If this is the route your family decides to take, all of the above steps become more time sensitive, making the late summer action all the more important.
While these five steps might seem a bit daunting, especially for the last lazy days of summer, we can promise you won’t regret getting an early start to the lengthy to-do list involved in applying to private day or boarding schools. And, we can share from experience—both from the perspective of former admissions officers and consultants guiding families through the application process—that your child will be happier and more excited to begin the next chapter of the educational journey having been the “early bird.”
About Glasofer Educational Consulting
At Glasofer Educational Consulting, we are focused on demystifying the admissions process and helping families find the right-fit school for each applicant, with as little stress as possible.
We employ insights and strategies from our experience conducting numerous school admission interviews with applicants to Grades 6-12 to help candidates prepare—but not over prepare—for an enjoyable and effective interview.
Dina Glasofer, founder, and Dale Seabury are former admission and marketing professionals who worked together at The Pingry School. As former members of the School’s admission committee, both Dina and Dale understand what personal qualities resonate with admissions officers and they work with clients to present themselves in the most authentic, polished way possible to bring their candidacy to life and maximize admissions success.
