Picking the right school for your child is a process of asking yourself some fundamental questions. To determine what kind of secondary school is right for your child you need to explore all the options and then begin to make some choices. With all the options you have when it comes to choosing a private school it is important to begin with a wish list and then start narrowing the field. The easiest way to develop your wish list of schools is to go online and visit every school you want to visit virtually. Start with U.S. Schools. Bookmark your choices. Choose as many schools as you like.
Narrow the Field
Answer these four questions and you will be able to make that important first cut and begin to develop a short list of schools you can devote some time and energy to exploring in more detail.
- Should you choose a small or a large school?
- Should it be single-sex or co-educational school?
- Should it be a day or boarding school?
- Is the religious environment a consideration?
Private schools can range in size from less than one hundred to over one thousand students. Assess your child's social skills very carefully or you will have one very unhappy young person if you put her in the wrong setting!
In other words, is she somewhat shy or does she make friends easily?
Will he be comfortable at a large, somewhat impersonal school or is the intimate, family-like atmosphere of a small school preferable?
Most private boarding schools have some kind of dormitory arrangement which encourages the kind of close bonding usually found in a family. So, in reality, a large school can very well create the feeling of family which is so beneficial to a child's happiness.
Single-sex Vs Co-education
Many parents and educators feel that children benefit from the minimal distractions offered by a single-sex school setting. Others feel just as strongly that a co-educational school offers young people a valuable social laboratory in which to practice the skills so necessary in today's politically correct world. Again you have to know your child and his needs.
Also, let's be very clear about the supervision aspect of private schools: it is strict. Rules are generally rigidly enforced, and no one has the slightest compunction about dismissing a student for a major rules infraction. Each year there are seniors who decided to break the rules a few weeks prior to graduation. They were expelled on the spot. Because students have no rights in private school except for those defined by the contract their parents signed, there is no recourse. Expulsion without graduation may seem harsh but it does happen fairly frequently.
In either kind of school the administration tries very hard to ensure a well-balanced social life with weekends, dances and other social events. Most single-sex schools will have some sort of long-standing arrangement with a sister or brother school close by, so that your child will have the opportunity to socialize with members of the opposite sex regularly.
Day Student or Boarder?
Years ago it was quite common to send children off to boarding school at a very young age. First Form in fact was equivalent to our modern seventh grade. That's why you will still find some schools referring to ninth grade as Third Form. Nowadays it is much more common to send children off to boarding school in tenth grade.
Major urban areas like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and so on have always had a wealth of fine local private schools. As the population expanded to the suburbs, additional impressive schools were founded. If you live within commuting distance of one of these institutions, you can have your cake and eat it too as a day student!
On the other hand, if you are faced with the decision Nancy and I were faced with when our daughter Heather was about to enter high school, the self-contained, no driving aspects of a boarding school have great appeal. Everything your child could possibly want (except for you) is right there in one convenient, well-organized package! Sports, academics, enrichment, facilities and supervision are just some of the advantages a boarding school affords.
Two other points to consider are tuition and transportation. Tuition for day students is generally much lower than tuition for boarders. As well, if transportation from some distant place is an issue, you have to consider that carefully both from the logistics and the cost point of view.
Denominational or Non-denominational?
Your personal religious requirements are the key to this choice. The more zealous denominational schools will be very forthright in letting you know that all students are expected to practice the faith embraced by that school. Most denominational schools merely require students to attend chapel, but will make only a minimal effort to proselytize. Non-denominational schools make no claim to adhere to one particular faith, but are, as a rule, Christian in their basic religious persuasion. If you insist on bringing your child up with a solid grounding in your faith, then factor this requirement into the choice equation.
A Review of Basic Requirements
Discuss these questions in depth with your child. Discuss them with your educational consultant. Your child then will buy into the process and understand it so much better than if you make decisions unilaterally. An educational consultant brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the process. You need professional advice for a decision as important as this one.
