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I am in the process of filling out applications for a rising 5th and 6th grader to some private schools in Atlanta. Some schools that we are applying to, are very competitive to get in (Westminister and Woodward). Westminister has a significant questionnaire that must be filled out by the student. Can anyone give me any suggestions of advice on how to go about approaching this?
My children have a large number of extra curricular activities and academics to their credit, and there is not enough space to write this in on the applications. Would it look okay to send a "resume" of sorts along with everything else.
I would greatly appreciate any inputs from someone who may have gone through this process before. Thank you
At that grade level, there's also the aspect of "does the CHILD want to attend this school?" Are your children enthusiastic about making the move? or are they ambivalent or downright hostile to the idea? Given a choice between a child who WANTS to go and a child who is obviously being dragged in, the enthusiastic child tends to get the nod, all things being equal.
The questionnaire to be filled out by the student is just that -- by the student. Don't even think for a second that you can write it for them -- Westminster can sniff a parent essay from 20 miles away. I wouldn't just sit the child down and say "fill it out." Use the questions as a basis for discussion with your child -- "How do you feel about this? What would be a good way to express that?" Try very hard not to squash any answers that you are afraid won't make your child look like a combination of Einstein, DaVinci, Gandhi and Miss America, who just wants world peace. And then help them decide the best way to express their thoughts. In other words, encourage them to think before they write.
As far as the extra-curriculars go, try for quality, not quantity. A kid who has dipped into a dozen sports and hasn't stuck with any of them is a bit different than a child who has a passion for baseball, or has loved swimming since he was 3. You don't have to list the number of badges she got in Girl Scouts. As far as "academics" -- well, hon, they are only 10 years old. Just how many academic challenges have they faced, really? All of the other kids who are applying are also probably academically strong, or else their parents wouldn't be trying to get them into Atlanta's top schools. Try very hard not to list all the "student of the week" awards. Let their transcript do their talking.
What makes your child unique? What does he bring to the school table, that would help enrich and enhance the life and culture of the school? Being able to answer this question confidently also means having a clear idea of your childs' strengths and weaknesses.
What happens if one gets into one school and one gets into the other -- or worse, doesn't get accepted at all?
I am in the process of filling out applications for a rising 5th and 6th grader to some private schools in Atlanta. Some schools that we are applying to, are very competitive to get in (Westminister and Woodward). Westminister has a significant questionnaire that must be filled out by the student. Can anyone give me any suggestions of advice on how to go about approaching this?
My children have a large number of extra curricular activities and academics to their credit, and there is not enough space to write this in on the applications. Would it look okay to send a "resume" of sorts along with everything else.
I would greatly appreciate any inputs from someone who may have gone through this process before. Thank you
Are you in a public school here in metro Atlanta, or a private school somewhere else?
GeorgiaLakeSearch- To answer your question. They have been in a private school in Alpharetta since pre K- McGinnis Woods.
dblackga- Thank you for your detailed answer because it was very helpful. I appreciate your insights. I agree that listing all their Girl Scout badges would be much. My approach in this case would be to list Girl Scouts, 4 years, and Bronze award. However as an extension of this, their Bronze Award educated over 1000 children about the major world religions in over 50 hours of service in a healthcare setting. Is it acceptable to send a link to the powerpoint that showcases this?
When I meant academics, I was not just meaning their Principal Honor Roll, high Stanford scores, 12.9 AR, or School Spelling Bee winner, because I genuinely realize that competitive schools have a lot of very solid applicants out there. What I meant was things like - they have received Toshiba Exploravision 2013 Honorable Mention that only goes to the top 5% of about 5000 entries, or that they study Latin (3 years) and are about to take the NLE in a few months with a plan to complete 4 exams before high school, they study Hindi (8 years), they have participated in NSF academic bees (Spelling, Vocabulary, Science, Math, Essay writing) for the last 4 years and typically placed in the top 1-4 ranks.
Please don't think that I am trying to boast about my kids, or rebut your comment. Not at all. I am genuinely trying to find a way to convey this to the admissions office because there isn't enough space on the application. I realize a "resume" may sound pretentious, but many of their academic (and extracurricular) activities have involved years of hard work.
Your comment about not "helping them write the questionnaire" was wonderful. I wouldn't write it for them, but I think it would be tempting to offer suggestions, which would end up "taking over" and eventually sounding like adult writing.
In terms of their wanting to go to these schools....well...we certainly want to look for a school that offers a bigger platform of opportunities for them. They are young so they do not know the difference or do not have knowledge of bigger schools, but they are genuinely excited about seeing them and moving on...
Thank you very much again for your comments. They were very very helpful and I appreciate your time
I think it's risky to attach anything to the application. You run the risk of looking like a helicopter parent. Your child will be asked questions during his/her interview regarding his/her accomplishments and goals. I think that that would be the best time to mention anything you couldn't fit on the application.
I heard the Admissions Director of one well-regarded private school once talk about how she would like to write a book to show parents how to be "that family." Meaning, the family that the school would like to have join their community. As you go through this process, ask yourself whether you are shaping up to be "that family" or whether, in your (rightful) enthusiasm to get into the school, you're going overboard in a way that says "too much" to the school. I'm not saying that you are; just keep in mind how all your actions will be perceived by an admissions committee that does not know you or your family.
Also keep in mind that your teacher recommendations will cover ground for you as well. If your children are truly outstanding, your teacher recs will reflect that. Let them do some of the talking for you.
Also keep in mind that your teacher recommendations will cover ground for you as well. If your children are truly outstanding, your teacher recs will reflect that. Let them do some of the talking for you.
That is an excellent point. Also, don't be shy about getting recommendations from educators and coaches who have worked with the child on different projects, to speak directly to the child's strengths and challenges on each project. For example, your child's Girl Scout leader can talk about the Bronze Award and its impact on the community. Teachers can talk about their exceptional work in Latin and Hindi.
Also, make sure that you have a good sense of the school -- just because everyone talks about the top schools as "the" schools, etc., doesn't mean that they are necessarily right for YOUR child. Imagine your child at that school -- don't look at the kids at that school and say, "that's what I want my kids to be like." While there is a certain amount of influence from the school, a lot of it is a matter of kids who are already motivated and have a family structure that places a strong emphasis on life-long learning. Remember -- private schools can select their school body.
Good luck -- and don't sweat it. It sounds like your kids have made the most of opportunities that have come their way and you've worked hard to make sure they had those opportunities. They are already ahead of the pack. :-)
Yes, fit it to the space on the form (unless there is a notation that an extra page may be attached, and if so, use the format of the application itself, rather than your own resume format). Pick the top three extra curricular activities, and the top three academic achievements, for example. Your child's test scores and references will do a lot of the talking for you.
I believe the parent-supplied information is, in large part, a way to test for psycho parents. When filling out our applications, I always tried to sound a little bit humble about my kid. Parents with healthy, realistic visions of their children are also likely to have realistic expectations for the school. I think the schools are on alert for problem parents, just as much as they are trying to weed out problem students.
And, yes, no need to worry. It already sounds like your children are going to make the most of their opportunities, no matter where they end up!
Thank you all, for spending your time to post and to give your advice and opinions. There are a lot of threads discussing the comparatives of schools, but none discussing how to actually approach the dreaded application. Many talk of the "toll" it takes, so hopefully this will be a useful thread for other people out there.
One issue is that many children do different activities outside of school and often teachers have no idea of this, so cannot include it in their reference. I am sure that their teachers and principal will give excellent references, but they may lack the exact details of what they've done outside of school. Latin, Exploravision, Hindi, NSF, Kathak dance, squash, are all done outside of school. Westminster has also stated on its application that no additional references (only 1 extracurricular one) are to be sent. This leaves a lot of gaps to be filled in, and I don't want to leave it till the interview for the child to do on her own.
To me and from what I'm gleaning from the posts, it seems that an application must walk a fine line between "selling" the student's accomplishments and not underplay them too much in the interests of humility, BUT without coming across as a "packaged polished product to sell" or "a pretentious wordy braggart" or worse still "a helicopter Tiger Mom parent who lives and breathes to get a child into an Ivy League private school"
This is a very difficult and fine line to walk.
As an aside, we visited Lovett today and were very impressed with its curriculum. I posed the question of adding supplemental information in the package to the admissions director. She was completely fine, in fact very encouraging about doing so. I think it may just depend on the school....some may be okay with it and some may be ticked off by it.
I agree with the point that when looking at private schools, it is important to try to get a feel of whether it will be a good fit for your child. Again, the practical problem while looking at schools...its like buying a house...you like something of one, and something of another...it's hard to find that "one perfect one"....and then you have to decide what compromises would you be willing to make.
For instance...we went to visit Lovett's Open House today, even though we have not planned to apply there, just to get an idea of what it's like. We came away tremendously impressed by its curriculum and facilities. I liked the fact that it has a uniform, seems relatively nondenominational, and allows kids in middle school (6th grade) to try out electives (band, chorus, art) and all the languages, before settling on one choice in the 7th grade. Having said that, one big negative was that it does not seem very diverse in terms of its student body. They seem to be wanting to change that in a big way and a lot more diversity has come in, but to my mind, it still takes a school quite a while to change entrenched culture and drift towards finally becoming a model UN.
So, my long winded point is that while it is important to look for a good fit for your child, the reality is that the "perfect fit" may not be out there and this may include many variables, different for each family (like the schools location, commute, bus, student body diversity, curriculum, uniform, and more).
But let me not drift too far from the original thread. Which was to ask questions and advice about what to write in the application, and how to present your child. Please keep the comments and insights coming. I am tremendously grateful to all those who have taken the time to post, and have found your advice very very useful
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