When you are looking for an Independent School for your child, you want to find a place where he or she will thrive. You are looking for an institution with values that you share and with an approach to education that suits your child. You want excellence in everything the school offers from academics
to art to lunch, but you also want a comfortable, supportive environment with respect for all people. Which school will this be? How do you find out?
Start with the Basics
• The School’s Mission Statement. Do you agree with this philosophy?
• Location. Neighborhood vs. non-neighborhood school. Transportation options.
• Size. Ongoing independent schools in NYC range in size from under 100 students to over 1000.
• Grades Taught. There are elementary schools that include K-4, K-6, K-8, K-9 and comprehensive schools that include K-12.
• Coed or single sex. There are six all boys and seven all girls schools in Manhattan.
• Affiliations, Accreditation, Associations, Governance. Is there a religious or other affiliation? What about professional associations? Is there an accrediting body? (NYSAIS, ISAAGNY, NAIS, AMI, AMS, etc.) Who governs the schools? Is there a Board of Trustees to which the Head is answerable? Is the school privately owned?
• Academic Program. Formal, innovative, progressive, developmental, Montessori, Waldorf, bi-lingual, bi-cultural, International Baccalaureate.
• Special emphasis. For example: sports, music, art, community service, science, performing arts, foreign languages.
• Tuition / Financing Options / Financial aid availability.
• After-school program / Early drop-off option.
Check these Admission Policies at each school:
• Age cut-off for kindergarten. For many schools, your child must be 5 by September 1 of his Kindergarten year, but this is not true for all schools. Call and ask.
• Main entry year. For many on-going schools, Kindergarten is the main entry year. However, some start at Pre-K, Nursery or the Toddler year and may not have as many openings in the Kindergarten year.
• Getting an application and returning it. Schools differ on when they will send an application.
Check with each school in the Spring. Also be sure you know when to return the application to ensure that the school can accommodate you in its tour/ interview schedule.
• Siblings and Legacies. Check with the school about sibling or legacy status. The definition and policy vary from school to school and can change from year to year.
Sources to Use in your Search
• Parents League Advisory Service. The Parents League has a large group of school advisors who are knowledgeable about the independent schools and the admission process. An advisor will meet with you to help you develop a list of schools and answer questions about the application process. The service is available to all members. Call to schedule an appointment.
• Your Early Childhood Director. She knows you, your child, and the ongoing schools.
• The New York Independent Schools Directory. Published by ISAAGNY and available for purchase through the Parents League, this guide includes a profile of each ISAAGNY school, written by the schools itself. (Order online www.parentsleague.org or by telephone 212-737-7385.) Price: $29, including postage.
• Websites. Members can sign in at parentsleague.org and go to the School Directory. There are links to the websites of member schools.
• Admission packages/ brochures. Schools differ on when they will send this material. Brochures are often updated and reprinted over the summer.
What to look for when you visit the school
• Does what you see match what you read in the school’s mission statement?
• How many students are there in the classroom? Who is doing the talking in the classroom, the students or only the teacher? How are the classrooms structured? Is everyone doing the same
thing at the same time, or is the work in the classroom more individualized?
• What kind of interaction do you see between students and teacher? How engaged are the students in the subject under discussion? How happy are the students? How engaging are the teachers? Do students interact with faculty outside the classroom?
• Is there a sense of strict order, relaxed order or a more laid back attitude to the school? Is the school run on a formal or more informal model? Are teachers called by first or last names? Is there a dress code or uniform? How closely does the school reflect the style of values of your home?
• How much of the students’ work is displayed on bulletin boards? What kind of work is displayed? Is it the best, or is everybody’s work displayed?
• Do the rooms offer visual encouragement to learning? Is there a sense of creativity to the classroom projects?
• How friendly are the people you meet in the school – the receptionist, teachers and students you encounter in the halls?
• What is the atmosphere in the halls in between classes?
• Do the different divisions have separate facilities? Do they interact?
• What kind of diversity do you see in the student body and the faculty and staff?
The Parents League is a New York City-based non-profit membership organization of parents and independent day and boarding schools, providing assistance to parents and schools since 1913:
-Advice to families selecting preschools and ongoing K-12 day schools, boarding schools, special needs programs and summer camps.
-Parenting and education lectures and workshops by experts in their fields, and panel presentations by admissions and financial aid directors.
-Searchable online guides, including The Guide to New York and Let's Play: Activities for Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers.
-Publications including The Parents League Review and The Guide to Preschools, and distribution of the New York Independent Schools Directory on behalf of ISAAGNY.