Basic Timeline FOR APPLYING TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL While each school follows its own schedule, here is a typical admissions timeline. Many schools are transitioning to virtual admission events and individual tours.
August
October
January
• Continue scheduling tours, • Pay attention to deadinterviews, class visits, and lines: Most applications are standardized or school-based due in January or Febru• Define your ideal school tests ary, along with test scores, • Find schools that match your • Visit schools, virtually if necreferences, transcripts, and child’s needs financial aid forms essary, during open houses, • Research and ask questions attend information sessions, of schools on your preliminary and take tours list • Finalize the list of schools to • Don’t miss deadlines: Most schools’ applications are due which you will apply in February at the latest • Take required standardized • Browse schools’ websites • Visit schools and/or have admission tests to learn more about their your child participate in a programs and philosophies student shadow day • Request admissions and • Continue scheduling tours, financial aid material by phone interviews, class visits, and or online standardized or school-based • Watch for school decisions • Review admissions materials starting in mid-March tests to determine which schools to • Continue to watch for open • Watch for financial aid visit decisions houses you may want to • Create a calendar of pertiattend • If your student is accepted nent admission and financial • Request teacher recommenby multiple schools, decide aid deadlines for the schools which school your child will dations from your child’s curto which you are considering attend rent school applying • Start working on applications, • Ask elementary schools about financial aid forms, student their test schedules and make • Sign and return enrollment questionnaires, and essays appointments contracts and send deposits • Register for any standardized tests required for admission • Continue to watch for any • Review the test websites to open house or school events learn about procedures and • Attend events and activities of interest test dates, see sample quesfor new parents and • Request transcripts at the end tions, and purchase test-prepstudents a of your child’s first aration books semester Reprinted with permission from the • Call schools to schedule • Complete applications, ques- National Association of Independent Schools, individual tours, class visits, tionnaires, and essays www.nais.org interviews, and “shadow days” • Note application deadlines. if available Some schools have December deadlines. (of the year before you want your child to attend)
February
September
November
March
April
December
36
Boston Parents Paper | December 2020
May to September
