The New Year is here and admission season is upon us. It’s time to get serious if you’re just starting the school search or considering a change for your child or teen. For most parents, this is a daunting task. Following are a few tips to get the most out of school visits and get you on the path to making the best-fit choice for your child’s education.
- Know your child. Understand their strengths and challenges and how they learn best.
- Learn about the school before you visit. Examine written materials, websites, talk to your friends, read the Education Section of your local newspaper and magazines.
- Understand the student community:
- What is the overall culture of the school? Do there seem to be cliques?
- How diverse is the campus?
- How are students dressed? Uniforms?
- Notice the environment when touring the school:
- Physical Facilities: Location, buildings, green space, size. Are the physical spaces bright and cheerful? Are there places for quiet and reflection?
- Demographics: Class Size, Student/Teacher Ratio, Student Population
- Look for technological advances such as Smart Boards, laptop and iPad use by students.
- Pay Attention to Academics:
- What is the academic curriculum model or philosophy?
- Do they have honors or AP courses? When can my child start taking AP courses?
- What are opportunities for academic enrichment?
- Are there opportunities that go beyond the classroom
- Understand the Admissions Criteria:
- What are your admission criteria?
- Who makes admission decisions?
- How long does the process take?
- When can I expect a decision?
- What are tuition costs?
- Are there scholarships?
- Evaluate Special Services:
- Special Education Teachers/Resource teacher availability, Teacher Assistants, peer tutoring, learning lab, etc.
- Special programming: languages offered, special classrooms, art, music.
- Extracurricular Activities or clubs:
- What kind of opportunities are available to participate in music or sports programs?
- What kinds of clubs and after school enrichment programs are available?
- Do you have alternative sporting activities, e.g. ultimate frisbee, dance, yoga?
- Parental Involvement: Are there opportunities for parent volunteerism in the school? What about Parent Teacher Organizations? Parent Booster Clubs?
- Ask yourself, “Is this school a “fit” for my child?
- Involve your child in the school search process!
For more in-depth help determining the best-fit educational environment for your child or teen, contact us at info@atleduconsults.com or call our office at 770.980.1540.
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