5 Strategies for the Private School Visit

Understand this about your private school visit: Making the most of the visit –before, during, and after – is about what you do, not what the school does.

For many schools, the pandemic only expanded the opportunities they make available to you and your child. While the types of visit opportunities are numerous, you must have a clear plan for what you are looking for, what questions you want answered, and what opportunities will help you and your child make the best school decision possible.

HERE ARE THE TOP FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR THE PRIVATE SCHOOL VISIT.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK IN ADVANCE.

Before you start scheduling visits, it is important to get on the phone, send an email, or complete an online inquiry. You will want to give the schools you are considering as much information as possible about your child and exactly what you are looking for. This goes beyond simply supplying a name, address, phone, and email address. You should communicate your child’s academic and co-curricular interests as well as personal attributes. Schools will want to know how to serve you best in addition to knowing what form of communication you prefer.

WHAT TYPE OF VISIT WORKS BEST?

The answer here lies within where you are in the search process while fully understanding that there is a good chance you will want to visit a few schools more than once. A large group open house or information session might work best for an initial visit if a school does not off er one-on-one appointments. But later you will want an individual appointment (in-person or virtual) to address specifi c questions. On a return visit, you may even want to attend a class, theater production, or athletic event. Getting a feel for the total school environment is important as you are more than likely looking at private schools for both the best educational and personal fi t for your child.

MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION BY BEING PREPARED.

Come prepared for the visit by understanding that you will be asked questions; primarily, what brought you to campus. By this point, you have pored over the school materials (see #1) and can ask specifi c questions about what you have read and heard. It is important to request to speak with the admission team member who will be assigned to your child’s application in addition to others in the school community.

If your child loves math and sports, ask to speak to a teacher and coach. The more people you meet, the more questions you can ask, which will give you a better feel for the school.

3

TAKE THE ALL-INCLUSIVE TOUR.

Choosing a private school –or any school for that matter –will be a journey. Just because you might be looking for a fi ve-year-old placement now, does not mean you should limit your time on campus to merely seeing the kindergarten program. Many students begin their private school experience early and will continue at that same school through graduation. Therefore, it’s important to look ahead, (sometimes far ahead) at everything from middle school academics to high school college counseling. Observe a class, attend a student-led meeting, watch a sporting event, eat lunch in the cafeteria. Take the time to get the total school experience.

LOOK, LISTEN, LEARN, AND DECIDE TOGETHER

It will be important to share in the visit process with your child, from beginning to end. Most importantly, you will want to get your child’s feedback throughout. Both you and your child should make notes (mental and written) during the visit and take time to refl ect on them together a few days afterward. Creating checklists for what you both are looking for in a school can be helpful while also understanding that each of you will have a keen eye for what the other might overlook. Depending on the age of the child, you will want to be clear from the beginning about who will be making the fi nal decision.

Aaron Kellenberger is the director of enrollment management at Cincinnati Country Day School. He has more than 30

of admission experience with both

and independent schools. With

in communications and educational administration, he is an active leader and presenter of school admission, retention, marketing, and financial aid topics. He also co-founded a regional, five-state “think tank” of admission professionals.

and benefi ts,