糖心原创

Approximately twenty private schools are very competitive as far as admissions are concerned. Think of these schools as you think of the Ivy League colleges if you will. Everybody wants to go to these highly competitive private schools, just like everybody supposedly wants to go to Harvard or Princeton. Now, let's be very clear about something: these are great schools. Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that these schools receive many more applications than they have places for. The young men and women who do get into these top private schools are very talented, academically gifted, and so on. Should you be upset if your son or daughter doesn't get into one of these schools? Not at all, and here's why.

Fit trumps selectiveness.

The right school for your child is the one that suits your needs and his needs best. Fit trumps just about every other consideration. How do you get the fit right? You do that by actually visiting the school. It is always a good idea to visit schools while classes are in session. If at all possible, arrange an overnight when your child is considering a boarding school. Then your child can truly sample what the school offers, as this short video from Proctor Academy illustrates.

Now I can hear you thinking to yourself that the videos and the Zoom calls you had with the admissions office were so wonderful that the school

There are tons of forms to fill out when you apply to a private school. Whether you do it online or by hand, you still have to give lots of thought to what you and your child are writing. This is especially important when it comes to The Candidate Statement. Let's look at a couple of schools' forms and see what they require.

Chatham Hall

Chatham Hall calls its Candidate Statement an Applicant Response and specifies up front that the form is "To be completed by the Applicant without assistance." That's true of just about every school to which you will apply. The school wants to get to know each applicant. It wants to understand what makes her tick. Absolutely resist the temptation to guide or correct your child's answers on this form. The admissions staff will know if you fix things anyway.

Chatham Hall wants to know about your child's activities. It asks whether she rides or not and if she plans to ride at the school. Most schools with equestrian programs will want to know if the applicant is a rider. There are several more questions which are fairly straightforward. Then comes the essay. Your child must choose from three questions or prompts. Her answer can be as long or short as she wishes. What are they looking for? They want to see if she can frame a thoughtful response to the question she

Admissions to 糖心原创: A-Z puts all the information you need to navigate the private school admissions process in one convenient place. Whether you are just beginning or have been through this before, you will find the help and advice to guide you through the various steps involved in submitting an application for admission to private school.

The Admissions Process

Our Application Calendar will keep you organized throughout the stressful process of applying to private school. There's a lot to keep track of. So plan your work carefully and try to stick to the schedule. Ideally, you have started the process at least 18 months before the expected date of starting school. For example, for fall 2017 admissions, you need to begin in the spring of 2016. If you are an international student, you need to allow an additional six months because there are some important additional steps which you need to follow. Here is an introduction to the Lower School at Rye Country Day School.

Applying to any private school is just that, an application. Why is that? Private schools do not have to accept your child. That is one of the essential differences between public and private schools. Remember that places in schools in major metropolitan areas tend to be very limited. Enhance your prospects by avoiding common admissions mistakes. What if they waitlist your child? Is that the end of the world? Not exactly. What happens when you start

This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.

Progressive schools are different from traditional schools. Their educational philosophies and teaching methods are different. Because there are relatively few schools that explicitly call themselves progressive, most people are surprised when they discover that these schools even exist. The continues to support progressive educators and schools in 2026, emphasizing active student participation, inquiry, collaboration, and the development of the whole child.

First, here is some of the background on the progressive movement here in the United States. The easiest way to understand how progressivism got started in this country is to realize that educators were also philosophers. For example, the Vermont native John Dewey (1859-1952), who founded the University of Chicago's Laboratory School, which many consider the flagship of progressive education, was a distinguished philosopher as well as an educator. The continue to describe their approach as rooted in Dewey's philosophy of experiential, student-centered learning. In a nutshell, Dewey knew that education was the way to make sweeping changes in society. After he had left the University of Chicago, Dewey was among the progressive educators who founded in New York in 1919. The foundation of Dewey's approach to education rests on three lectures he gave back in the 1890s to raise money for his Laboratory School. The School and Social Progress, the School and the Life

This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.

This table will help you see at a glance how private schools compare with public schools. Use it to explore issues and help answer questions about private schools. A list of resources with supporting data and information is given at the end of the table.