Applying to Schools: Getting Started

Knowing Your Options: Some Factors to Consider

After determining your family’s expectations and objectives in applying for independent secondary school admission, compare individual schools against your list of criteria.

After you’re familiar with some types of independent schools and you understand their various attributes, your next and most important task is to determine your family’s expectations and objectives in applying for independent school admission, and to translate these expectations and objectives into a set of criteria. Listing your criteria in order of importance will help you both to better understand your family’s wants and needs in an independent school education and to determine the attractiveness of individual schools based on your particular needs and wants.

Consider the importance and desirability of the following options:

Student Body

• Do you prefer a single-sex or coed school?
• Do you prefer a large (>500), mid-size (250-500) or small (<250) student body?
• Do you prefer a school with a student body drawn from an international, national, regional or local population?
• Do you want to attend a school with all grade levels or only secondary school levels?
• Do you prefer a student body that is culturally diverse?
• Are you more interested in a school where the majority of students attend as day students or as boarding students?

Campus Life

• Do you prefer on-campus living, or living at home?
• Would you prefer a campus with many activities or a more leisurely setting?
• Would you prefer campus relationships between students and teachers to be casual or formal?
• Would you prefer a very disciplined campus environment or one that allows more autonomy?
• What is the daily class and activity schedule and how does it fit with your needs?
• What kinds of campus social activities are offered?
• Does the school have a religious affiliation? How much are religious activities a part of school life?
• What is the school calendar and how does it fit with your family’s needs?

Go to next topic: Factors to Consider (part 2).