Nine steps to get ready to apply to high school
It’s August. It’s that time when families that are looking forward to a child applying to high school begin to ask, what should we be doing now? Here are nine steps to get ready.
Talk about values. I know that the very word “values” can feel heavy, but talking about what matters to your family can help orient you as you create a list of schools and ultimately select a school. This can be a good dinner time conversation for your family. Once you begin exploring schools, having a northstar can keep you from getting distracted by every shiny offering.
Determine your nice-to-haves and must-haves. Begin talking about what would be nice-to-haves in a school (i.e., lots of school spirit, a wide range of art classes, a robotics space) and what are the must-haves (i.e., Mandarin or swimming). If your child has a diagnosed learning difference or consistently works with a tutor–even if they’re independent learners, a strong learning support program can make a significant difference and I’d put it in the must-have category.
Get honest about your child’s academic profile and needs. This can be the hardest part. We love our children; sometimes we are blinded by their best qualities and other times see only their growth areas. Your child’s grades and teacher comments are your best guide. Standardized testing can also be helpful. Ask yourself what their strengths and growth areas are, how independent they are as a learner, and in what types of learning environments they thrive. You can find more guiding questions here.
Create a list of schools. Using the above information to guide you, put together a list of schools to explore further. There’s no one magic number, but begin with a range of schools and a higher number of schools than your child will ultimately apply to so you can edit later. This is the time for both and thinking: both be clear about what you need in a school and be open to new possibilities. Smaller schools, schools with religious affiliation, single-gender schools, boarding schools, or lesser known schools are all types of schools that often offer a pleasant surprise.
Begin researching schools. Get a sense of the market and what interests you. Websites are a nice first touch point, but a great website will never replace stepping on campus and seeing a school and its community in action. Talk to students or parents of students who attend the schools. Avoid gossip and the rumor mill.
“Inquire” at or “Explore” schools. This will look different in different markets. In the Bay Area, if you’re interested in independent or private schools, you can begin by setting up a profile on Ravenna and select “Explore” for any schools in which you’re interested. For the Catholic schools, go directly to their websites to “Inquire.” If you’re looking at boarding schools, create an account on SAO or Gateway to Prep. Some schools will require that you “Inquire” on their website on the Admissions page. Once most schools have your email address, they will begin reaching out to you. But don’t worry–you haven’t committed to anything by inquiring, exploring, or even selecting “applying.”
Watch for admission event registration dates. In mid- to late-August Bay Area schools will open up admission event registration. Watch for those dates on their websites, set the alarm on your phone, and then go online at that moment. Some fill up very quickly!
Get organized! There will be a lot of information to keep track of through the admissions process and multiple people to keep organized. Determine what type of shared calendar you will be using and create a spreadsheet or other tool to track events and due dates.
Start writing. As I mentioned in a previous post, essay writing for students (and parents) is the most demanding part of this process. Any writing you can do now will help you this fall.
Applying to private high schools is a demanding multi-month process requiring that teenagers and parents work together, but if you complete a few preliminary steps now, you can get yourself off to a strong start. Check back in the months to come for more guidance.
