Introduction
If your child’s in elementary or middle school, and you’re thinking about sending him or her to a private high school, the process may not be as straightforward as you may think. You’ve heard of the HSPT and you expect to pay a pretty penny for tuition, but there may be more to the process than writing a check and taking a test.
For many private high schools, especially competitive ones, the entry processes often mirror those of elite post-secondary institutions.
To prepare, you should:
1. Plan to apply to, at least, three private high schools.
You may have a specific school in mind. You’ve heard great things about said school. You’re impressed by the depth and breadth of knowledge of your neighbor’s kids (which has been developed at said school). Said school is considered a societal gem. Maybe said school is wildly popular; maybe it isn’t. Either way, your child isn’t guaranteed entry. You and your child may interview well. Your child may test well. You may get along with school staff. Unfortunately, other families may be better fits. Your child may end up waitlisted or rejected.
Likewise, you may change your mind about attending said school. Unforeseen circumstances related to schedule changes, transportation, finances, or feelings may force you to change your mind about your once-preferred school.
Either way, it helps to have other options available.
Let’s get busy getting you over your academic, professional, or personal hurdles.
2. Schedule and attend orientation sessions.
Some time between the fifth and eight grades, you’ll need to schedule orientations at all prospective schools. If it can be helped, avoid waiting until the last minute. The earlier you attend orientations, the earlier you can begin getting a better understanding of the schools’ cultures, expectations, and benefits. You’ll be able, too, to determine if transportation routes and activity schedules associated with specific schools will work with your family’s day-to-day life or if any changes you may need to make to your family’s routines will be worth the trouble.
3. Learn about costs and financial aid.
Of course, one of the first things you’ve probably already done is checked out your preferred school’s website for tuition. That’s a good start, but you’ll need to consider other associated costs, such as textbooks, supplementary reading materials, laboratory fees, supplies for exploratory courses, materials for fundraisers, fieldtrip fees, and amplified transportation costs (if the campus is farther away from your home than you’re used to traveling).
If it’s not posted, ask administrators about ways to offset costs, such as scholarships and grants. Ask, too, about payment plans.
4. Prepare to be interviewed by admissions officers.
Not all private schools require that families be interviewed, but a substantial number of them do, so be prepared to meet with a single admissions officer or a panel that may be composed of school administrators, teachers, parents, and students. Don’t freak out; just be prepared. You and your child may be interviewed separately, and you may be required to attend more than one interview.
You and the student should be prepared to answer questions regarding:
- Who you are
- Your profession
- Your leisure periods
- Your reasons for choosing the school
- What you think you’ll gain
- What you think you’ll contribute
- Your current contributions to your current school community
Make a short list of questions to ask the interviewers.
5. Know that some schools require parents and other family members to be active participants in school activities.
This investment of time and energy binds the family to the school and helps eliminate the “us” versus “them” mentality that seems to permeate schools lacking built bridges between home and school. It’s common practice for the parents or other family members of students attending public schools (and some private schools) to make in-person appearances only for parent-teacher conferences or complaint filings. To prevent dissonance commonly associated with that model, your prospective school may expect to see your face and working hands more often.
In addition to building campus cohesion, requiring familial involvement is also a means of reaping in-kind donations. The work that parents do would, otherwise, be handled by paid staff–provided the school could afford such. By offering time inside classrooms, hallways, and events, you’ll reduce costs associated with your (or some other) child’s attendance, as money isn’t being spent hiring folks to do the work you’re handling at or for the school.
Lastly, for students and parents alike, pitchin’ in imbues the notion that more gets done when communities tackle tasks themselves (provided they’re left alone and don’t have to fight outside forces encroaching upon them or–intentionally or not–impeding their efforts).
6. Be ready to shadow current students.
To get, as accurately as possible, an idea of what a school’s experience is like, some private schools require prospective students to shadow current students. Some schools require one-day shadow sessions, but it’s possible that your student may be required to shadow a current student for a week or two. Your student may shadow the same student for the duration of assignment, or your student may shadow a different student every couple of days or during different parts of the day. For example, your student may shadow one student for the first part of each day; for the next part of the day, your student may shadow someone different.
If you do this right, you should find yourself shadowing students on multiple campuses (because you’re planning to apply to multiple schools, right?). If possible, start shadowing no later than the start of the seventh grade. If you wait until the eighth grade, you’ll run the risk of overwhelming yourself and your student. Additionally, if you wait until the eighth grade, you’ll run the risk of experiencing calendar overlap between your prospective campuses. Because your student can’t be in two places simultaneously, you want to be sure to give yourself time to meet each prospective private school’s shadow requirement.
7. Prepare your child to do as well as possible on entrance exams.
More than likely, your preferred school(s) may require your child to take the HSPT, COOP, SSAT, or ISEE. Some schools accept all tests; some accept one or two. Be sure to begin preparing your child, at least, two years before your planned enrollment date. Do not wait until the last minute to help your student prepare for the test. Although these tests are thought to be similar to SAT or ACT, they are not offered on a rolling basis, which means students have fewer chances to take official tests. Also, because many competitive private high schools claim to have no test score minimums, it’s in your child’s best interest to do whatever’s necessary to score as well as possible. Generally, it’s difficult to do well, and this difficulty compounds for private high school hopefuls who aren’t being adequately academically challenged.
Conclusion
From time to time, competitive private high school admissions officers may take into account mitigating circumstances, or they may weigh some aspects of the admissions process more heavily than others. Regardless, be as prepared as possible. Start scouting as soon as possible. Make and attend admissions-related appointments. Have something informative and genuine to share during the interview, and don’t wait to begin preparing for the testing process.