I often meet with parents who spend a fair amount of time talking about other people’s children. They try to “size up the competition” at their child’s school, or in their child’s peer group to determine how their child compares in terms of the application process to private school. This is a futile process. Spending time worrying about the competition is not worth the time and effort. They need to focus on their child.
I have had parents speculate about how various students got into certain schools, and tell me about the advantages they perceive these students have in this process. There are so many factors that go into the private school application process (test scores, grades, teacher recommendations, applications, essays, interviews, extracurricular activities, special talents, etc.) it is impossible to know all the relevant details about any other child. You cannot believe everything you hear.
Some parents perceive this to be an “us versus them” situation, and they will purposely withhold information, or be less than truthful about the information they give other parents. I have heard lots of stories from parents about why their child was not admitted to a particular school (many of these stories do not make sense). I have also heard many stories about what parents think certain schools want in an applicant (many of these perceptions are also off base).
Certain groups of parents at some schools spend a great deal of time discussing these matters, and in the end all that happens is that a lot of misinformation gets spread and everyone gets more and more anxious. It does no good to speculate about what a school wants in a student. You need to be working with a professional who knows the school and can advise you as to the type of student who is a good fit for the school.
Forget about the stories and gossip you hear on the playground. Most of it is rubbish. Focus on preparing your student for the test and the interview. Research the schools in depth and know why the school is a good fit for your child. Be prepared to articulate this in detail in your application and in your essays. Make sure your child understands what the school has to offer, and can explain to the admission staff why they want to attend the school.
When you forget about what everyone else is doing and saying, then you are free to focus on what really matters: your child.
Anne Yount Boston ISEE Prep 617-553-8083 www.bostoniseeprep.com - Test Prep for the ISEE & Latin School Exam Boston Tutoring Center 617-553-8083 www.bostontutoringcenter.com - Tutoring Grades K-12 Boston Private School Search 617-553-0540 www.bostonprivateschoolsearch.com - Your Resource for Private School Admissions Follow my Blog - http://privateschoolguru.com/blog/