Interviewing Private Schools

Ask about diversity and ethnic tolerance-it is important that a school also teach compassion, humanitarianism, integrity and respect for all peoples. Private schools that my children attended made this their cornerstone-these ideals ran alongside academics and were equally as important.

Good questions listed. I worked in admissions for private schools over 10 years. So, here are a few more. What is their rate of kids going to college (% that go on to 4 year schools) - what is their attrition rate from division to division? What is their college advising like? And here is a good one...how many hours of homework do they have per night? (the first school I worked at, the middle and upper school kids had 4 to 5 hours per NIGHT, plus required athletics. To my thinking, that leaves no time for being a kid. But yet, they sent more kids to Ivy League schools than any other school in our area). You could ask what schools the last 4 or 5 graduating classes went on to. What their one year college GPA average is.. that tells how well they learned study habits... Ask what other fees are required beyond tuition. (books, athletics, uniforms...lunch plan). Ask what percentage of teachers have advanced degrees. Ask how much of their budget goes to financial aid. Ask about re-enrollment (is it automatic from year to year once they are admitted, or do they have to pass or retest?)

Generally when you start putting some questions out there, the admissions staff will cover the whole area for you.

I'd ask about staff turnover rates, as well as student retention rates.

Student-teacher ratio as well.

My daughter goes to a private montssorri . We tried a few different private ones. In the end just because they say they have all he bells and whistles does not mean its the best one for your kid. Might I suggest you have your child try out a few after school activities in the area. gymnastics/ dance etc. Karate. Find out where your fellow parents send there kids and how those kids act in class. Class Size - Bigger classes and more classrooms are not always better. But you do want to see what the average class size is. Its still early enough in the year so I'd request that once you narrow it down to one or two you that your child be able to attend a day of school. do you have Yelp on line where you live? Put in your school and see if there are any complaints from discruntled parents.

My daughter attends a private school, and I asked them a million questions. Academics in our public school is actually great, so curriculum wasn't my main focus. So other than curriculum, I asked:

-student/teacher ratio
-how is discipline handled
-what is their biggest social problem (because if they say they have none, they're lying- just want to make sure they have their finger on the pulse of the kids)
-what are the lunches like (if you plan to order)
-what can you expect communication with the teachers to be like (are they encouraged to e-mail parents? phone calls? in person? etc)
-what is expected of parents in terms of involvement in the school and how much parent involvement do they have

You'll think of a bunch more as you tour and after, just jot those down and ask later.

Good luck!

I'm in the process of doing the same thing too! I would ask to see how the school ranks with other scchools in your state academically. Ask if they teach a second (or third) language, ask to see what kind of degrees teachers hold, how long they have been teaching and whether or not you can meet them.. What kind of extra curriculars do they have, student to teacher ratio, what kind of classes are being taught(bc of budget cuts some schools no longer teach music or are phasing out PE). Finally I would also ask for references, maybe a list of parents you can talk to to get a better feel of the kids and parents experience.

To add to some of the answers below, ask about accreditation. Also, check greatschools.org. They have some articles about interviewing private schools.

Ask about the budget and finances. My child loves her school but they could close every year due to lack of finances. How much employee turnover is there? Can you see the student handbook?

I think most people have their own reasons for choosing a private school. My biggest question when choosing my daughters school last year (for K) was the teacher student ratio. Then it was where they ranked academically. I had some other personal reasons for choosing her school as well.

Make a list of what’s most important for you and your child and go from there.