Private School Guru

Stories from two new clients in the last few weeks have really validated why students need professional test preparation.

The first client identified that reading comprehension was a skill her child needed to work on for the test. So she hired a tutor who specializes in reading comprehension. It should be noted that tutors who specialize in reading comprehension typically work with students at a remedial level, not at an advanced level. The reading comprehension on the test is at a very advanced level (even for very strong readers).

This tutor gave the student passages to read (not ones typical of the test material) and then gave him unlimited time to review his mistakes and try to figure out why he got the questions wrong. If he knew why he got the questions wrong he would not have made the mistakes in the first place! I have never heard of such a silly approach to teaching reading comprehension. This tutor was not familiar with the ISEE or the question types in the reading section, and she was not teaching him the techniques to identify and break down each question type. Once students have these tools, then their reading comprehension scores improve. The approach his tutor was taking was doing nothing to help him improve his score on this section of the test.

The second client told me that he had bought ISEE books for both his children and that they had been working on the test material for the past six months. When I tested both students I found their scores to be below average. When I inquired as to what books they had been using I discovered that the parent had bought used copies of outdated material, and that the students had worked on the wrong levels of the tests. They also did not understand the test, or the test questions, and they did not know any techniques for how to approach the questions. All they had done in 6 months is take practice tests and correct them, and then they tried to figure out why they got the questions wrong on their own.

These students had not improved one bit in 6 months, because they had no one to teach them what they did not know! They were not able to teach themselves material that was beyond their level. Their parents repeatedly expressed that they did not realize how challenging the material on the test was. They had not bothered to look at what their children were working on, and they had no idea that they were struggling with the material.

Parents need to spend time researching the test, the schools and the requirements for this process, well in advance of when their child is applying for admission. Students typically need a full year before they take the test to master the material (even if they are taking outside enrichment classes – as many students do). The parents assumed that since their children were taking outside enrichment classes (in a well known and highly regarded talented and gifted program) that they would ace the test. Clearly this was not the case when they took the practice test.

Don’t assume because your child is “at the top of his or her class”, takes honors classes, does outside math and reading enrichment programs, or participates in a “talented and gifted program” they will ace the ISEE. Time and time again over the years I have seen these students struggle with the ISEE material. With time and the proper material and tutoring they can master the content, but it does not come quickly or easily, and they cannot learn it on their own.

Invest in a quality ISEE program with dedicated teachers and curriculum that is specific to the test, and do so at least a year before your child’s test date, and you will see the results.

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

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

 

Over the years we have had many requests from parents to send tutors to students’ homes, or to meet with them in other locations such as the library. We do not do this. All our tutoring is done in our office in Boston, or via Skype. We have Skyped with clients all across the United States, and in Europe, Asia and Central and South America.

One of the biggest reasons we do not send tutors outside our office is that we cannot be responsible for the quality of the work if the tutors are not with us on a regular basis.  We have heard stories from parents of tutors not showing up on time, not showing up at all, or showing up impaired to work with their children.

A center based tutoring environment offers many advantages for students. Tutors have access to lesson plans, supplemental material, a team of other tutors to consult, and supervision and guidance from administrators. It is much more expensive to operate a center based tutoring business, but it is the right thing to do in terms of providing a quality program.

Our tutors have access to proprietary lesson plans, supplemental books, and input from other tutors and the center director. Our close relationship with our staff allows us to give them feedback and provide them with resources to help them give the best possible service to our clients. We hear how the tutors interact with students, and we can offer suggestions and resources based on individual needs. A tutor that is sent out on their own has no supervision, no resources and no feedback. We are able to mentor our staff and help them meet the individual needs of each student.

Every few years we shop other tutoring business to get a sense of what they have to offer, and it is always surprising to us when some of the people we talk to provide incorrect information about test basics, cannot answer simple questions, or provide little details about materials used and the results of their work with students. We have found that some companies will say anything to bring in business, but they do not have much to back up their sales pitch.

Many tutoring businesses rely on their tutors to provide material for test prep and they do not supply a standardized curriculum. We have found this to be a recipe for disaster. There is limited material available for ISEE and SSAT test preparation, and many of the books on the market today are outdated, or have significant gaps in content.

Tutoring is very much a buyer beware business. It is important for parents to do their due diligence in researching what options are available and what is provided by the tutoring business. Below are some questions to ask when evaluating a test prep provider.

1. How well do you know the test?  How many years have you been teaching the test material?
2. What materials do you use to teach the test material?
3. Do you actually teach the material, or just tell students when they get something wrong?
4. Who are your instructors, how are they trained, and how experienced are they with the test? Do you do a background check on your tutors?
   
5. How do you evaluate students to determine what they need?
6. What is your success rate, and do you follow up with each student to see how he or she scored on the test?
7. What ongoing support do you offer parents through the process of application to exam and private schools?  Do you have children that have attended the exam schools or a private school?
8. How does your program help students get ready for the curriculum at an exam or private school?
9. Will your program help my child do well in school this year?
10. Do you have references you can share with me?

If the tutoring company cannot answer the above questions to your satisfaction, then you should look elsewhere.

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

When I first started developing ISEE curriculum back in 2002, I did an exhaustive search evaluating all the ISEE test prep books on the market. The best book at the time was published by the Princeton Review. What I especially liked about the Princeton Review is that they had a philosophy of learning vocabulary in conjunction with Latin and Greek roots. This approach gave students tools to pick apart more words than they could learn on their own, and it has been a very effective method over the last 14 years in helping students to ace the verbal sections of the test.

While the Princeton Review had a good section on vocabulary, with over 40 pages and an extensive list of words known to be favorites of the test makers, it was not very user friendly.  I developed over 50 vocabulary lessons incorporating Latin and Greek roots which became the basis for our work on building a student’s vocabulary. We also have weekly vocabulary quizzes, cumulative quizzes, and verbal worksheets based on the test format for synonyms and sentence completions. Our students’ verbal test scores last year were in the 80th percentile. Clearly this approach is working well for our students.

Imagine my surprise when I looked at the 2017 version of the Princeton Review book and saw that the verbal section has been reduced to 9 pages, and all definitions for words have been eliminated! Students relying on this list alone will have significant gaps in their preparation for the verbal section of the test.

The essay section of the Princeton Review used to have a great section on writing the essay that contained over 40 pages, and walked students step-by-step through how to respond to various prompts, how to craft an essay in 30 minutes (the time limit on the test) and how to develop idea banks of examples to use on a variety of essay topics. The writing section is now cropped down to 5 pages, with all of this content deleted.

We expanded on the approach in the Princeton Review book and developed a series of writing lesson plans to help students hone their writing skills, and work on the specific format of the ISEE essay. Students relying on the scant material in the Princeton Review 2017 ISEE test prep book will have little assistance in preparing for the essay portion of the test.

The ISEE math section of the Princeton Review book used to be over 60 pages, and it contained many valuable practice drills to help students master many of the challenging concepts presented on the test. The ISEE math section has been reduced to 25 pages, and the practice drills have been moved on-line, with a very small side bar note in the book recommending students go on-line to access the practice drills.

We developed a series of 32 math lessons for each of the three ISEE levels: lower, middle and upper level, to delve deeper into the math content on the test and give students more practice with the new concepts. The math curriculum was designed to teach students how to solve the problems, not just teach them to guess between four answer choices. Our program builds skills that help students in school now, and in the future.

Princeton Review has also migrated all the verbal and reading practice drills on-line, and reduced the content in these sections as well.

The ISEE test changed in 2010, and over 6 years later none of the test prep books on the market has been updated to include all the new material. The ISEE is a very niche market for book publishers, and it does not get the attention that more popular tests such as the SAT and the ACT receive.

Every few years we shop the competition and ask what material they use to prepare students for ISEE test prep. The vast majority of companies rely on these outdated and incomplete books to prepare students. We have yet to find a company that has the extensive and customized math, vocabulary and writing lessons plans used by our tutoring center.

It is a shame that these companies are giving consumers less material every year for the same price. When you buy these books, there will be a lot of work required to supplement the missing material in order to best prepare students for the test. It has taken us many years to develop the material we use, and we are constantly refining our lessons plans to garner the best possible results for our students. It has been a significant investment of time and money for us to develop these materials, but it has paid off in the results we see each year from our students.

Do your homework and make sure the material being used to prepare your child for the test is the most up-to-date material available!

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

 

The Educational Records Bureau (ERB) – the maker of the ISEE, has some changes in store, starting in the fall of 2016.

• The ISEE can now be taken more than once. In the past the ISEE could only be taken once every 6 months, which effectively meant most students could only take the test once. Students can now take the test once a season, and no more than 3 times in a 12 month period. There are 3 seasons – fall, winter, and spring/summer. Fall runs from August-November, winter runs from December-March, and spring/summer runs from April-July. Most students need to take the test by early January at the latest for private school application deadlines. This means that most students will be able to take the test twice – fall and winter.
• It is now possible to take the test and not show the scores to a school until after you have had time to review the results. You also do not have to share prior test results with schools, you can share only the scores you choose to share. You must share full score reports, you cannot choose to show only certain sections from different test dates.
• Keep in mind that when a student takes the test as a 4th or 5th grader it is the lower level version of the ISEE, when they take the test as a 6th or 7th grader it is the middle level version of the test, and when they take the test as an 8th grader (and above) it is the upper level version of the test. What this means is that if a student takes the test in the spring/summer as a 5th grader, they will take the lower level test, which is not the same test they would take in the fall/winter as a 6th grader (this would be the middle level test).

For our clients who are applying to private school with a January test deadline, we now recommend they take the test once for practice in the fall, and then a final time in the winter. Most students see a bump in their scores after a second test. Students know what to expect on the second test, they are less nervous, and they have had to time to hone in on their areas of weakness from the first test.

Boston exam school applicants must take the test in November, and they cannot take the middle level test for practice. If they take a test in the spring/summer of their 5th grade year, they will be taking the lower level version of the test, which is not the version they will take as 6th graders (this is the middle level version of the test). The middle level test is harder than the lower level test, and contains more advanced math topics.

If a student is applying to both the exam schools and a private school, they can take the test once in November for the exam schools, and once in January (depending on the application deadline of the school(s) they are applying to) for the private schools. The results of the November test must be submitted to Boston Public Schools in order to meet the testing deadline requirement. The results of the November test do not need to be shared with the private school (unless you are satisfied with the scores and do not feel that the scores will increase after a second test).

We have seen this bump in scores after a second test for many years among our SSAT students. SSAT students are allowed to take the test every time it is offered, and most of our SSAT test takers will take the test in October and then again in December or January. Almost all of our students see a bump in their scores after their second test date.

This is good news for private school applicants. They will now be able to take the test for practice and keep their scores private until they see the results. We suspect that the ERB has made these changes in order to be aligned with the SSAT. Since the SSAT began offering a middle level version of their test a few years ago, this has brought some competition to the choice of test. Most schools still require the ISEE for middle school admission. The ISEE is an easier test than the SSAT, so if given the choice, we recommend students take the ISEE.

The ISEE is still a very challenging test for many students, and students should start preparing for the test at least 12 months before their first test date. Practice makes perfect!

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/

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/

This is an interesting time of year for us. Students coming to us in the summer to prepare for private school entrance exams in the fall/winter are getting a late start on test prep. Our program is generally a 12 month process. Students need time to absorb the material and master new skills.

Many parents are shocked when they realize they are late and not early in the process. The good news is if the student is applying to a school that admits in multiple grades (typically 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th – depending on the school) and they are not at the very end of the cycle (in 8th grade for a school that admits in 9th grade), then they have some time.

It always amazes me when parents see the diagnostic test results and they see how much work their child needs to do, and they still consider applying this year, instead of waiting and applying the next year. Rushing to prepare a student who is behind in the process rarely works. The student invariably gets stressed, and they do not perform well on the test. The results are not good, and the parent has shot themselves in the foot for subsequent applications.

It is always better to be prepared and put the best tests scores and application possible in front of the school!

There is no need to rush if you have the luxury of time. Step back and realistically assess the situation. Think about the consequences of a rushed preparation process. Not only will the outcome not likely be what you want, but you will put you and your child through a lot of unnecessary angst. A child who works hard, but is at a disadvantage from the start will feel very disappointed when they have nothing to show for their efforts.

I have had many a student reduced to tears when they tell me that they did not get in anywhere the first time they applied, because they were not properly prepared. These students are demoralized, and they take the rejections from the schools very personally. It is really a hit to their self esteem when they feel like they were not good enough for any of the schools they applied to for admission. It is heartbreaking to hear these stories, because I know that it does not have to be this way.

Parents needs to be realistic about what it takes to gain admission to private schools, and they need to make sure their child is well prepared for this undertaking.  When the process is rushed it benefits no one. Time, money, energy and effort are wasted in pursuing a goal that is not realistic.

Learn from the mistakes of others before you, and slow down, step back, and take your time. It will pay off in the end!

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/

Too many students in America take education for granted. They do not have to work for it or fight for it, it is just handed to them. I am not suggesting that students should have to struggle to get a good education, but it is helpful for us to remind our children periodically that what they have is a gift, and this gift is not given to everyone. It was eye opening for my daughter to read Mala’s book about being shot in the head by the Taliban, simply because she stood up for her right to get an education in Pakistan.

There is a lot of apathy today among students regarding their education. Students expect learning to always be “fun” and for teachers to create games to engage and entertain them in the classroom. Perhaps the digital generation growing up today is spoiled by the instant gratification and feedback they get from social media and video games.

As parents we need to stress to our children that life is not all about fun and games. Sometimes life is hard, and we have to buck up. Resiliency and hard work will see us through when life gets challenging in school, at work, and in our relationships. If we give our children permission to give up when things are difficult, then we do not teach them the critical skills they will need to succeed in life.

Students who work with us on private school admission put in a lot of hard work over an extended period of time (usually a year or longer) in order to achieve a goal (admission to private school). We get a good sense of the student’s character and work ethic throughout this process. Students who are resilient, who are not afraid of hard work, and who realize that achieving a goal is not easy, and it takes dedication and commitment, are the ones who are successful. Parents who support their child through this process, while holding them accountable, are installing important values that will last a lifetime.

A student who can persevere, bounce back from set backs, work hard to achieve a goal, and who values the education they receive is the kind of student a private school wants.

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/

Albert Einstein said: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

I have clients who will contact me after their student has not been admitted to any private schools and tell me that they plan to keep applying year after year in the hopes of gaining admission.  This is insanity! If you do nothing different, then you will get the same result year after year.

What do these families need to do differently?

1. Be prepared for the test. Strong test scores make for strong candidates. The schools look at the test as a way to measure a student’s skills, and they are looking for students with strong math, reading and writing skills. If your child took the test previously with little to no preparation, then you need to step up your game for the next go around. We recommend an average of 12 months of preparation for these tests.
2. Present strong applications and detailed essays demonstrating why the student is a good fit for the school. Many families underestimate the importance of a strong application. I had one parent tell me that she worked on her parent application and essays between breaks at work. When she showed me what she had submitted to the schools the first time around, I could see why her child was not admitted to any of the schools she applied to. A solid application demonstrates strong interest in a school. Private schools want to see candidates who have a strong interest in attending their school. Your applications and essays must show that you have put a lot of careful thought into why you are choosing to apply to these schools.
3. Do your homework and be ready with well thought out answers to the questions asked at the interviews. This applies to both the parents and the student. The schools interview many families during the admissions season, and after a while it all blurs together. You want to stand out from the crowd, and you want them to remember you and your child. The way to do this is to have a sense of what they may ask you, and be prepared. We work with parents and students to prepare for interviews by conducting mock interviews using commonly asked interview questions. Parents and students tell us that this work pays off big time when they go to the interviews. They are relaxed and able to articulate who they are, what they want, and why they belong at the school. Admissions staff tell me that my families are very impressive in their interviews and they leave a lasting impression.

If you make sure you hit the top three components of the process out of the park (test, application and interview) you are well on your way to getting the result you want, and not falling into the insanity trap!

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/

A friend of mine mentioned the other day that a number of his daughter’s classmates would be leaving her current school at the end of this school year to attend private schools in the fall. He lives in a very affluent suburb of Boston, and the schools in his town are very highly rated. He was questioning whether he and his wife should be looking at private schools for their daughter too.

We talked a bit about his daughter, and what type of student she is. He mentioned that she has an IEP, and she receives services in school currently. He also noted that his daughter is not a big fan of school, and they often have to struggle with her to get her to complete her homework.

Based on what he told me about his daughter, I told him that I did not think that private school would be a good fit for her. If she needs special education services in school currently, then public school is a better fit for her right now. Most private schools are not equipped to provide special education services to students.

Also, private schools are generally looking for good students who are motivated to work hard and excel in school. A student who does not like school, and has difficulty completing homework is not a good candidate for most private schools. This student’s teachers are unlikely to give her high marks on her recommendations, and these recommendations are a critical part of the application process.

When I ask parents why they are looking at private school for their child, I often hear that it is because they have friends with children in private school, or the child’s classmates have left for private school. These alone are not good reasons to apply to private school. Schools want to hear more specific reasons as to why you are applying (smaller class sizes, stronger academics, a more holistic approach to educating the whole child, better arts and sports programs, etc.).

Parents who cannot articulate why a specific school is a good match for their child are not likely to impress the admissions staff. Schools want to know that you understand their mission and focus. A family who has researched the school thoroughly and can articulate clearly why the school is a good fit for both their family and their child, is a family that the school wants to talk to.

Before you decide to jump on the private school bandwagon, think about why private school would be a good fit for your child. Do your homework and research the schools you have heard about from your friends. Visit the schools and tour the campuses, and talk to parents and students. Picture your child at the school, and think about whether or not they will fit into this environment.  You might find in the end that your child is better off staying where they are now.

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/