Examining alternatives for your student’s schooling is a worthy enterprise. Your research may – or may not – result in a change of school. Regardless, investigating the possibilities will offer fresh perspectives on your student’s educational journey, and your child will learn a great deal about him or herself in the process.

 

While each school has its own admissions procedures, there are distinct commonalities. Over arching are two principles: schools want you to get to know them; schools want to get to know your student. Open houses, campus visits and interviews, and written applications are all vehicles for the exchange of information. This work of getting familiar with each other takes time, but the investment is fully worthwhile.

 

Typically, the “dance” of getting acquainted begins with a mailbox full of illustrative communication and a campus visit. Schools want you to like them. They want you to understand them. It is not in their best interest to enroll students who are not well matched to their curriculum or their community. Similarly, you and your student are not going to bother writing an application if you are left unimpressed by a campus visit. It is in this way that the initial steps of getting acquainted are non-committal for both parties: school and family.

 

Dare to take the first step. Call an admissions office or fill out an online inquiry form on the school’s website. Such a form might ask you and your student for information, but none of it bears more weight than aligning your tour experience. If you wish no further contact after visiting, a quick email will suffice. In these first steps of the admissions process, you are in control. Enjoy the exercise and the discovery of your likes and dislikes. While independent schools run impressive programs, encountering a mismatch will further hone your understanding of the best ingredients for your student’s next step.