Choosing the Right High School: It's All About the Fit!
Your child has done the hard work of studying for the ISEE or SSAT, keeping their composure during high school interviews, and maintaining their grades. Day schools have released their decisions and boarding schools are right around the corner. So now what? How do you decide which school is best for your child?
Well, we really believe it’s all about the fit…
1. Is this school a fit in terms of rigor, curriculum and workload?
Schools like Horace Mann and Andover are famous for their rigorous curriculum and intense workloads, while other schools pride themselves on lighter HW and more time for sports or the arts. Boardin schools require different skills from children than day schools. Neither bored nor overwhelmed students flourish.
The Advice: Choose a school, first and foremost, where your child can thrive academically, where they can widen their capacity for learning, and where they can succeed.
2. Does the school’s social life and community feel like a match?
Adolescence is a crucial time for social and emotional development. Having kind, supportive friends around your child is essential. Being part of a community that shares your values and understands your child is equally important.
The Advice: Choose a school where your child will find community and friendship, for those will support them as they navigate the inevitable challenges of high school.
3. Does the school have the right opportunities and facilities to be a fit?
Some schools, like Riverdale and Hackley, have beautiful campuses with competitive sports teams, and others have cozy classrooms and superb performing arts offerings.
The Advice: Certain opportunities may be deal breakers (Must have soccer! Must have lacrosse!), and others really aren’t. For kids staying in the city, there are city orchestras, competitive ballet programs, and travel sports teams. Facilities aren’t everything, though opportunities are.
4. Does what comes next feel like a fit for your child?
High school must prepare our children for what’s next, and choosing a high school with those needs in mind is important. High schools post their college placement lists (see Dalton’s here, for example), which should give you a sense of where kids head next, as well as details about their approach to the placement process.
The Advice: Understand the school, both their history and approach, make sure you’re comfortable with each, and then go back to #1 and #2: pick the place where your child will thrive, academically, and socially.
