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 of your child’s first aration books semester • Call schools to schedule • Complete applications, ques- Reprinted with permission from the individual tours, class visits, National Association of Independent tionnaires, and essays interviews, and “shadow days” Schools, www.nais.org • 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
May to September
November 2020 | ParentsPress.com
35
