When Should We Start Looking at New York Private Schools?
Families who begin a New York private school search in the spring almost always find the year that follows calmer than those who wait until September.
September can feel a long way off in April, and that is exactly what makes the spring the useful moment to begin. Applications for most New York private schools become available at the end of August, and the months before that are when a family can look properly, without a deadline pressing on every decision.
Why Spring Is the Useful Moment to Start
Starting early is less about getting ahead of other families and more about giving yourself room to change your mind. A search that begins in the spring leaves time to visit, to compare, and to work out what your child actually responds to in a school rather than what looks strongest on paper. The families who enjoy this process most are usually the ones who gave themselves that room.
Four Things Worth Doing Before the Summer
- Sign up for spring tours. Most schools run them through the spring, in person and online, and the popular slots fill early.
- Go to the events that are open to visitors. A concert, a game or an open morning will tell you more about how a school feels day to day than a prospectus can.
- Spend some time around the campus with your child. Check with the school first and follow whatever visitor protocol they set, then walk the neighborhood together and see how it sits with them.
- Use the summer to think rather than to apply. Schools close over the summer and applications open at the end of August, so the quiet weeks in between are the right time to narrow a list.
What Happens Once Applications Open
From late August the cycle moves quickly. Forms, assessments, interviews and deadlines arrive close together through the fall, and there is little room left for open-ended looking. A family that has already seen the schools and knows which ones are genuinely in contention spends that period completing applications, which is a very different autumn from starting a search in the middle of it.
Planning a New York School Search?
Our New York private school admissions page sets out how the cycle runs and where our consultants come in.
Get in touch with a consultant who knows these schools and this calendar, for an hour of clarity →
Even though September may seem far away, now is the perfect time to begin preparing for 2022 admission to New York private schools.
Starting this Spring will give you ample time to unhurriedly and thoroughly do your homework and find the right fit school for your child.
4 tips :
1. Be sure to sign up for Spring tours, however they’re being provided, live or “virtually” live.
2. Attend all the school events you can, however they are being offered: athletics via video, a “zoom” concert & the like, to get a feel for the school culture.
3. Take a field trip to the school with your child, walk around the grounds (Please be sure to check in with the school beforehand for their protocol & respectfully observe it).
4. Remember, schools are closed during the summer & applications are available at the end of August.
Families that start early, find the endeavor less stressful, more enjoyable & are more likely to find the right fit school they’ve been looking for after all!
Bennett International Education Consultancy works directly with hundreds of families each year across the globe. We support families by helping them make informed decisions about the best-fit schools for their children; with our guidance, they secure placement in preschools, private day schools, public/state schools, boarding schools, colleges & universities, including schools with particular programs, such as special needs support.
