While there are over 29,000 private schools in the U.S., you will probably confine your search to about 3,500 schools. The government includes day care and trade schools in the private category. We'll assume that we are looking for private K-12 schools.
Start by dividing the process into five steps. It will make things easier to organize.
- Discuss your requirements.
- Decide what kind of school you want.
- Do you have any special needs?
- Gather information about schools.
- Visit the schools.
Discuss Your Requirements.
Choosing the right school for your child really involves finding the right fit. Why? Schools come in all different shapes and sizes just like human beings. Several will be suit your requirements. But how do you figure out which one will be the best fit for your situation? Start by making some broad decisions first so that you can develop a list of suitable schools.
Here's how to begin the process.
Get everyone involved.
Don't leave your child out. You must involve her in choosing her school right from the beginning. It's the only way that your child will buy into the process. We began discussing boarding schools when we realized that our eldest daughter's extracurricular activities and social life were being severely restricted by our ability to drive her everywhere. (Being busy professional parents, we simply didn't have the time to accommodate the demands of driving the back roads of rural northwestern Connecticut 2-3 hours a day!) It didn't take long to convince her of the advantages of learning and living in the same place. All her friends and activities would be in one convenient place. She would have a life. So, sit down with your child and carefully consider the following three points.
Academics
Private schools are noted for their small class sizes and low student-to-teacher ratios. Faculty turn-over is generally rather low, lending stability and continuity to the educational process. Your child will receive the personal guidance and mentoring he or she so richly deserves. Excellence is encouraged. Good study habits and discipline are the rule, not the exception. A quality high school education lays a solid foundation for learning, indeed, for life.
Sports
The sports facilities at most private schools are simply amazing. Opportunities abound for your budding athlete to engage in some serious competition at the varsity level if he so chooses. A wide variety of intramural sports means that there is something for every interest. Sports is almost always "compulsory" at private schools, since practically every school adheres to the philosophy of mens sana in corpore sano or a healthy mind in a healthy body. This ensures that even the most delicate child will find a congenial athletic endeavor.
Enrichment
Private schools offer every kind of enrichment: from study programs abroad to Chinese language and literature. Libraries and facilities for art, music, and drama are usually well-equipped and staffed with specialist teachers. In a time when public education is cutting back on the so-called frills, private schools continue to offer the stimuli a child needs to discover himself and to achieve his full potential.
Ranking SchoolsYou'd think that private schools would be ranked so you could compare and make sure that you were getting the best fit. Unfortunately it's just not that easy. Each private school is unique. It's almost impossible to compare apples to apples. That's where hiring a consultant comes in. You need an expert guide who is thoroughly knowledgeable about private schools in his area. He will be able to help you come up with a list of schools which fit your requirements.
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