Parents interested in sending their children to private school in the city often have a lot of questions. To get answers to some of the most common ones, we turned to Smart City Kids, an educational consulting firm that helps families in New York City identify public and private school options for their children. For an expert perspective on the process, we spoke with Terri Decker, an educational advisor at Smart City Kids.
When do most schools start accepting applications? Typically, can you download applications from a school’s website?
Most schools will still use the day after Labor Day as a release date for applications, although a few will have them ready over the summer. It’s best to organize yourself by checking with the schools on your list late in the spring, before you’re under the gun to submit. Also, some schools will take note of your information in the spring and notify you when the applications are available. Almost everyone is online now, with some schools using centralized submission sites like Ravenna or InfoSnap, where you only have to enter your basic information once and it can be accessed by the individual schools.
For popular, established schools, is it important to get your application in on the first week of September? Or will any time in the fall suffice?
Unlike the frantic day-after-Labor Day phone calls parents make to access nursery school applications (known as Black Tuesday in our office), most ongoing schools set a reasonable deadline for submission, anywhere from mid-October to early December, and many schools will be able to accommodate families who apply by the stated deadline. However, please be aware that schools can only process the number of applications that don’t exceed the number of available interview slots, and some will run out of slots as early as mid-September, so you should be prepared to complete and submit your essays in a timely fashion.
By September, what comes first: Submitting an application or asking for a school tour?
Some schools offer tours and/or open houses in the spring, but in general, submission of the application with the fee in September is what triggers the touring and interview process. In most cases, you will be submitting your application (and essays) without ever actually having seen the school.
Ideally, is getting a school tour as early in the fall as possible a good idea, since it could, presumably, influence your decision-making process?
Once your application is submitted, with a few exceptions, you are ensured that you will have a tour and interview. Some schools will give you the opportunity to schedule your own dates, some will assign dates, so visits may be spread throughout the admissions season (September through January). In general, we recommend early submission not because it’s a race to be the swiftest, but because the sooner you submit, the sooner you will be scheduled, and the more wiggle room you have to reschedule in case of a time conflict or illness.
By the time you’re done with the process of applying, you’ll have had a good chance at getting to know a school (and vice versa): You’ll have taken a school tour, had a school interview, and also gone to special function or two at the school. But much of this happens typically after you submit your application. So that means that you have to make some educated guesses about the schools you wish to apply to. In your experience, what’s a good checklist of activities you can do during the summer to get to know a school?
There are any number of ways to research schools. Look at the directory issued by the Parents League to get an overview of the scope of schools available. Peruse the schools’ websites, where you will always find a mission statement and an outline of curricular and extracurricular offerings. Also, take a look at the school’s calendar to get an idea of activities. Attend information sessions and school fairs offered by your nursery school or outside organizations like New York Family. Speak to your nursery school director or an experienced admissions consultant. Some school fairs will give you access to current parents and admissions personnel, but in general there is no such thing as a “casual chat” with the head of admissions by making a phone call; confine your contact to scheduled tours and interviews. We always say that one of the best ways to get a feel for the culture of a school is to do a little discreet stalking: Observe the school at drop-off and pick-up time.
It can seem like everyone’s an expert—either because they once went to private school in the city, or they feel their experience with their one child is universally applicable. So what’s the lesson? Talk to people but draw your own conclusions?
You should certainly seek out current parents, alumni, and friends whose opinions you trust. But keep in mind that what is right for your neighbor’s family might not be a good match for your own child. Also, schools can change greatly over time, so an alumnus’ experience may no longer be entirely relevant. It’s always best to research and visit to form your own opinions.
When you’re researching and thinking about schools that might be a good fit for your child, should you also be thinking about school communities that the parents would like as well?
A school community should feel like an extension of home, and if your child starts in Kindergarten that school could be central to your family life for the next 13 years. The school that is right for your child should feel right for your family, with a community that reflects your values.
When you’re thinking about what kind of school setting would be good for your child, what should you think about? Their learning aptitudes and challenges? Their personality? This feels like a lot of this guesswork, given that they’re only 4.
Four-year-olds certainly have strong personalities and emerging academic skills of varying strengths and challenges, but in general they don’t have established “learning styles.” When Smart City Kids is working with parents to come up with a list of schools, we have a long conversation with parents about their own school experiences: What worked for you? What didn’t work? What was important to you in selecting a nursery school for your child’s first classroom experience? A probing conversation and self-examination helps parents pinpoint their priorities.
In terms of the school, what are the key things parents should be thinking about? What would you say, briefly, about some of the important factors like academic approach, school culture, single-sex vs. co-ed, location, and religious components?
Once you’ve come up with a preliminary list based on your priorities, you can focus in on details. Be honest with yourself about what will work for your family, but try to keep an open mind. For example, while location might be crucial for nursery school, to get a wide-ranging list of ongoing school options you’re probably going to have to travel outside of your neighborhood. Be careful about labels like “traditional” or “progressive”: Few schools are all one or the other; many combine a balance that will become clearer when you actually visit. Most schools are looking for a broad-based diversity, but be aware that religious schools will generally include a faith-based component to their curriculum. Keep an open mind about exploring approaches that might be new to you: Single-sex schools, or schools that are structured K-8 (assisting your child in high school placement).
What’s the conventional wisdom on the number of schools to apply to?
We generally recommend 8-10 schools. If a family is serious about a zoned public school as a viable (or even preferred) option, the list can be tailored; if you are applying with twins it’s a good idea to expand (not twice as many schools, just a few more options to cover your bases). While there is no official rule about the number of schools to apply to if you’re looking exclusively at private schools, our experience in the process shows that fewer than six schools might not give you enough range, and more than 12 will definitely make you a crazy person.
To learn more about Smart City Kids, visit smartcitykids.com!
