With a faltering public
education system, plagued by lowered budgets and a host of
other issues, many parents are turning to prep schools to
get their children a high school education that really
counts.A prep school
is usually a private school and many times they are boarding
schools as well. If you are one of those who choose the
route of college prep for their children, rather than
leaving them to the realm of public education, choosing the
right school is the key to your child's future.
With that, we have put
together this guide of the top 10 considerations when
choosing a prep school. It is not necessarily that any
private school won't provide a better academic experience
for your child, most private schools far surpass their
public counterparts; moreover it's that choosing the right
school will help your child through college and beyond.
Students and parents should be ultra-selective when choosing
these schools.
10 Considerations for
Choosing a Prep School
When choosing a prep school
you should visit every school that you have on your list. As
you visit each school you should answer the following
questions.
1. Does the location work
for your family? - Obviously you want to send your child to
a school that is located conveniently for your family. You
would not want to send them to a boarding school across the
country, for example, if you are not prepared to pay for
flights home a few times each year.
2. Does your child agree
with the choice of schools? - You child should be involved
in the choice of schools. Failing to involve your son or
daughter may mean lower grades when they are resentful for
being there in the first place.
3. What are your child's
future plans? - Many students don't know what they plan to
do beyond high school, for those that do however, that
possible future can help you to choose a school that will
fit well with their future educational requirements.
4. Does the educational
program fit your needs? - Many prep schools have a specific
educational focus. What is that focus, and does it fit with
what you want for your child? You don't want to send your
child to an art's-specific school for example, if they
intend to work in science in the future.
5. How does the school rate
compared to similar schools? - A simple Google search for
prep school rankings will turn up hundreds of pages devoted
to comparing the academic achievements of all of the
different prep schools across the country.
6. What values does the
school instill? - Many prep schools are focused on one set
of moral, ethical, or religious values. Do those values fit
you and your family?
7. Does the academy assist
students in learning the moral and ethical requirements of
the school? - If the school has a specific focus, do they
work to teach their values to their students? For example,
does the catholic academy make time to teach Catholicism?
8. What are the rules for
contacting your child? - If the school has rules about
contacting home, be sure that those rules fit with you and
your child. A school that only allows weekly phone calls,
for example, won't work well if you plan to talk to your
child every night.
9. How much does the school
cost? - Although it should not be the only consideration,
obviously cost is a factor. If you can't afford the school,
do they offer scholarships or financial aid?
10. What other activities
does the school offer? - You also want to look at the
extracurricular activities that the school offers. Do their
sports, work, and other programs fit with your child's
passions and interests?
A prep school will help
your child to get the best education possible. By simply
taking the time to consider which school to choose
carefully, you will be helping your child to create the best
future possible as they move into college and then beyond
their school years.
There are
admissions consultants who can help you choose the best
private school or prep school. Admissions Counselors can
make a difference when deciding between two private schools.
