Private school test prep and admission consulting go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. We are one of the only businesses in the Boston area that offers both services under one roof. Most admission consultants do not offer test prep because it is too cumbersome and labor intensive. Most tutoring business do not offer admissions consulting because they do not have the expertise, and they do not know the schools.
If you only offer one of the two services then you only have half the profile of the student you are working with. Some students can be great test takers but there is something missing in their transcript, with their outside activities, or in their speaking and writing skills that may eliminate them from consideration. Some students can have great grades, teacher recommendations, extra-curricular activities, beautiful essays and a winning interview, but if their test scores are too low they will not make the cut.
When we do admission consulting it is very intensive and time consuming work. We start by giving both parents and students a questionnaire to learn as much as we can about the applicant and their family. We ask for reports cards, teacher narratives and standardized test scores going back several years. Then we interview both the applicant and the parent to review their questionnaires and learn as much as we can about them.
Next we look at the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses in the application process, and we formulate a list of schools that would be a good fit for the student. We work with the student to put together a resume of their activities and accomplishments.
We spend an extensive amount of time on the web sites for each of the schools the student is applying to with the student taking notes about school philosophy, values, classes and activities, and we related these to the student. This work is very important in demonstrating fit to the school. Students use this research for the work on interview preparation and for their applications.
The work on the mock interview is also extensive. There are a list of about 25 common questions students are asked at private school interviews. We go through each question in detail and work on answers that present the best side of the student. We also work on helping the student articulate their fit for the school. We do a mock interview with parents, walking through the ten most popular questions schools ask at the parent interviews.
Finally, we work on the application questions and essays to make sure students are again putting their best selves forward and demonstrating specifically why they are a fit for the school. We go through a number of revisions to make sure the applications are polished. We do not write answers for students, but we guide them in producing their best possible work. This process is repeated with parents as they work on their applications and essays.
We also talk about the open houses, thank you notes after the interviews, teacher recommendations, supplemental materials and any other aspect of the process the parent and student needs help with. We have a number of tips and best practices we have learned over the years to guide parents and students through this process.
Over the past 14 years we have visited over 50 schools in the Boston area, met with admission staff, talked about dos and don’ts in the application process, and learned what works and what does not. We bring this wealth of expertise to our clients in a very personal way, and admission staff tell us that our students stand out from the crowd. It is very gratifying to guide students and parents through this stressful process.
A student with solid test scores, a polished application, and an interview that showcases their best qualities and clearly articulates the fit for the school has a very good chance of being admitted to their top schools.
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 at: www.privateschoolguru.com/blog