From the NY Times, April 1, 2010:
The founders of the Blue School aspired to create something different: a private school not fixated on the Ivy League prospects of preschoolers and devoid of admissions hysteria. An education that, as they put it, “you don’t have to recover from.”
To read the rest of the article, click on the link below:
If you’re lucky enough that your child has been accepted at several schools, you may be having trouble deciding which school to choose. This is especially true if the schools are very different. Or, if there are two schools that seem very much alike, it might be hard equally difficult to make a decision about which one would be best for your child. A few things to keep in mind:
We know families who have engaged the services of an educational consultant to help get them moved from “wait-listed” status to “accepted” at their first or second choice school. This doesn’t always work and there are no guarantees. However, there are educational consultants who know the admissions directors at top schools extremely well and who will probably know which schools will be admitting students from their wait-lists and which schools will not. If you are really unsure how to deal with your child being wait-listed or declined admission, it may be worth a consultation with an educational consultant. These private school experts can also help you understand how to move forward with the admissions process from where you are now. In our opinion, anything that will help you get your child the education you want for him/her is worth considering.
We have a great list of educational consultants on this blog.
Denied Admission. The harsh words shock many parents who open private elementary school letters hoping their child would be offered admission. Instead, they’ve received a letter informing them that their child has been declined admission. Then another letter with the same rejection. And again. This is extremely upsetting (understandably) to these families. If you’re a parent who got rejection letters, the question is what next? Here are some suggestions:
Don’t beat yourself up over this! It’s very common in the competitive LA private elementary school environment.
Understand how subjective the admissions process can be; it’s not random, but it’s not a hard science either. Factors completely out of your control enter into the equation. Too many siblings, too many legacy families, too many families with connections to board members and on and on.
Enroll your child in your local public kindergarten and reapply to private elementary schools again next year. We know numerous families who are admitted the second year they apply (either for 1st grade or kindergarten).
Understand that not being admitted may have to do with your child being too young or another factor not entirely within your control. Another year at preschool or local kindergarten will solve that issue.
Don’t expect admissions directors to “debrief” you as to why your child was not admitted.
Recognize that applying to the same schools for a second time will signal your strong interest in the schools and your commitment to private elementary school.
Focus on your “Plan B”. Develop a strategy for next year’s application process, if that’s what you plan to do. Expand the number of schools you apply to next year. Ask your preschool director for feedback. He or she may have spoken to admissions directors and gained valuable information about your application.
Make sure your preschool director gave your child and your family a favorable recommendation.
We cover the issue of rejection letters and wait-lists in our book because it’s so common in LA.