Research is essential when deciding on the right independent or boarding school for your child
By Michele Alperin
Confronted with the rich diversity of independent and boarding schools in the greater Princeton area, parents may experience a moment of panic when they have to decide which one will work for their child. The decision is an intensely personal one, and no two children are alike. Furthermore, big money is involved. But Ted de Villafranca, educational adviser for Edvice Princeton and former dean of admission at the Peddie School, is upbeat about the decision process. “Families have great choices,” he says. “If they ask the right questions, they’ll find the right fit.”
As with most important life decisions, and even the more trivial ones, research is essential. Mr. de Villafranca advises, “Ask questions and be critical — not in the negative sense of the word, but in ways that make you informed parents and students. You are looking to make a remarkable investment, emotionally and financially, so ask the questions that mean the most to you.”
Some questions may be deal breakers and should be asked early on.
If your child has special interests or is passionate about music, the arts or a particular sport, ask what opportunities the school offers. Parents of athletes may want to know exactly how coaches fill their teams.
Size may also rule certain schools in or out.
Parents also need to decide early on whether they are seeking a rigorous academic setting or one that is more supportive. “Ask what kinds of student services are available,” says Kelly Dunn, director of admission and financial aid at Princeton Day School. Princeton Day School, for example, has general learning specialists, whereas other schools have academic learning centers where individual issues can be addressed.
Even in a serious academic environment, parents may want to know how the community attends to kids who might be struggling in a particular subject. Mr. de Villafranca points out that in a boarding school environment, where the faculty lives on campus, teachers are more widely accessible than in a day school.
In deciding between a day school and a local boarding school, parents may also want to consider how the school’s schedule will mesh with their family’s style. At boarding schools, day students are drawn into evening study groups or other activities on campus. “If you are not interested in picking kids up at 9 at night, then Peddie or Lawrenceville are not good for you,” Mr. de Villafranca says.
Of course parents will need to know what the curriculum is like, in terms of both requirements and available classes. Schools offer different options for advanced work but, Mr. de Villafranca says, at many schools, departments will decide who is invited to take Advanced Placement classes. Other schools, like Lawrenceville, do not offer AP classes but their students successfully complete AP exams.
What do teachers do for professional development? This, suggests Ms. Dunn, reveals a lot about a school’s concern with pedagogy and its educational philosophy. “Princeton Day School has a strong commitment to professional development, and most teachers have done something this summer to get ready for the year,” Ms. Dunn says. “They have gone to conferences or have worked collaboratively to investigate new uses of technology or to develop curriculum or new units of study.”
What type of environment would my child feel comfortable in? A child accustomed to very casual dress may not feel comfortable at a school like Hun in Princeton whose dress code requires boys to wear coat and tie, but may be a better fit for George School in Newtown, PA., where people are called by their first names. Parents may ask themselves whether their child would do best in a single-sex or a coeducational environment. Mr. de Villafranca notes that the educational pedagogy at single-sex schools is very different: “They will have a certain insight into that and see that as a strength of their program. They completely understand, for example, how girls learn, in what contexts, and what priorities are needed for that audience.”
What opportunities does the school offer to create community both inside and outside the school day? This can include both downtime to play and interact during the day as well as opportunities to maintain connection to faculty and peers outside of class. Princeton Day School offers opportunities at all grade levels. The upper school, for example, offers athletics, music and arts after school, and, during lunch, more than 40 student-led clubs. “They give students opportunities to get together across grades and work collaboratively on something they are interested in,” Ms. Dunn says.
What colleges do the school’s graduates get into? Mr. de Villafranca suggests caution in looking at these lists. “Especially in this day and age, kids and families are making choices because they got a ton of merit aid at one school, so they are going there, even though it is not the most prestigious school they got into,” he says. “Lists are the result of family dynamics, not just kids’ ability.” When a school is sending large numbers of students “locally,” parents must ask: were those children primarily athletes, legacies or faculty children? Parents should be sure to consider the numbers of acceptances to particular colleges relative to the size of a school’s graduating class. He also recommends that parents ask to see lists from more than one year.
How are parents invited into the community? “Are they an integral part of the community or are they kept at bay, saying, ‘We’ll deal with the student,’” asks Mr. de Villafranca.
In what grades does the school accept new students?
Both Mr. de Villafranca and Ms. Dunn highly recommend campus visits. Ms. Dunn emphasizes the value of “being are able to walk on campus while classes are in session and see the expressions on children’s faces and the way adults and children interact.”
A visit may open a child’s eyes to new possibilities. “Your child may say, ‘I don’t want all girls,’ but you don’t really know until you visit and see the community in its dynamic state,” Mr. de Villafranca says. The central questions, he continues, are “Who do you see walking around?” and “Do you see yourself?”
Mr. de Villafranca sums up with a bit of common-sense advice. “Don’t apply to a school where you can’t imagine writing that check. If you aren’t actually excited about joining the community as a parent and as a student, why would you invest the financial dollars? Write the check because you believe in the pedagogy of the place. You are defining peer group and curriculum when you make these choices — make sure it fits the priorities of the family.”