Parental Perspectives: Probing Questions for Private School Admissions
Private school visits, and especially interviews, are always an intimidating experience for students and parents. We help our clients prepare ahead of time so they can avoid any nervousness and do their very best during their interview.
Here are some questions parents can prepare to ask admissions directors to help them understand if a school will be the best fit for their student.
Mission and Vision
It’s important to understand the school’s goals, values, and community before saying yes. Here are a handful of questions you can select that can help you get a clear understanding of a school’s environment and what makes it different from others you and your student are interested in:
What makes this school different from the others?
What is the teaching philosophy here? How does this affect the classroom experience?
How are “right” and “wrong” defined at your school?
How does this school embrace curiosity and discovery?
At this school, are the teachers coaches to the students or simply givers of information?
How does your school teach every child’s strengths? How does it help each child develop strengths in new areas?
Tell us about the type of student (and family) that thrives at your school. Who struggles?
How does this school honor diversity?
Private Schools and Families
The best school for your student is also the best school for your family. When you’re learning more and more about schools, we encourage parents to understand how they can partner with the school. To do this, try asking:
How will we learn how our child is progressing at this school? What does that look like?
What opportunities exist for parental involvement? How do you communicate with parents?
Learn about the Staff
It’s always a good idea to have a pulse on who the faculty and staff are at any potential school for your student. Asking questions about the school’s faculty can help you understand what the classroom experience might be like. Consider asking:
How do you ensure faculty are well trained?
How long have your teachers been teaching here?
How does this school mentor faculty?
What do you do to ensure your faculty and staff feel appreciated, valued, happy, and energized?
Get a Feel for Academic Life
Besides learning about the faculty and how they can support your student, make sure you have a clear understanding of what type of students attend this school and what they are involved in. This can help you determine if you can visualize your student at this school.
You should ask:
How many students take Honors, AP, or IB courses?
How much homework is there on a typical night?
Are there any academic Saturdays?
What is the school dress code?
You’ll be surprised by how much detail you can learn by asking these simple questions. Don’t feel like you have to ask everything on our list! Pick a few from each category that you feel will help you learn more about the school.
What other questions would you ask?