Private School Admissions

How Hard Is It for Chinese Students To Get Into Highly Selective Boarding Schools?

Let’s just say it’s typically more selective than (the average admissions rate of) Ivy League universities.

In a conversation with a highly selective boarding school’s director of admissions before the March 10th rollout, they shared that Chinese applications (those with P.R. China passports) were up 43% this past year. They received over 230 applications for only six places— that includes both genders in the 9th and 10th grades.

As in, there were 38 students from China applying for each 1 seat.

In other words, their acceptance rate for Chinese students is below 3% this year!

Congratulations to the students who persevered, and really made significant improvements in their study skills, habits, ways of thinking about the world, self-reflection, and future direction. These schools will be lucky to have you!

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These Are The Most Important Questions To Answer When Thinking about the “Best Time” for Your Child To Study in the US

How would you answer each of these questions? And what do they mean for at what age is best for studying abroad?

Each student and family’s situation is different so we recommend that you consider and evaluate your unique situation with an expert. The answers to the following questions might start to give a sense of one of the questions we hear most often when first meeting families: when is the best time to go study abroad?

Is your child mature enough to be successful abroad?

Everyone grows up and matures at different speeds and ages, some early and steadily, others are slow “late bloomers,” and still others delay and “all of a sudden” mature. Students’ abilities to handle different kinds of situations on their own may impact when parents think it’s appropriate for their children to consider study abroad.

There is no single right or wrong answer.

It will be whenever your child can grasp what will be involved when they’re “ready” and willing to take part in the hard work to prepare to apply for schools as well as to live apart from family. While there are many adults in a student’s life while at a junior boarding or boarding school, students must be capable of age-appropriate self-sufficiency and self-advocacy. Parents may find it difficult to be objective about their own child’s maturity and readiness: some parents want to protect their kids for a very long time from the world, so it’s important to be honest and think about getting other perspectives on your child’s maturity level. How does your child act in classes at school and what feedback do you receive when they aren’t with you? How does their maturity compare to their peer group?

How much time can you spend supporting and overseeing your child, their schoolwork and development each week?

Each family’s home and work situation is different, and one phase of life may require a 9/9/6 work schedule, while other families can have one parent stay home to focus on overseeing children. If parents are extremely busy with their work travel schedules and cannot dedicate a lot of time each week to supporting a student after school or on the weekends, it may make sense to consider boarding school earlier.

Boarding school offers an environment where there are parents everywhere! I remember when I went to boarding school, I went from having one set of parents to two dorm parent families, an advisor and a whole group of teachers who were deeply invested in my well-being, and also looking out to make sure I was on top of everything!

If the time you can now invest in your child’s education is very limited, you may consider study abroad earlier. If you have at least one parent home all the time and can dedicate a lot of time and resources to supporting and overseeing your child’s progress, going abroad later may be more appealing. In addition to actual time and resources, do you have the experience and expertise to give your child valuable advice and support? Additionally, will your child listen to you?

As middle schoolers become high schoolers, some parents find what they say to their child goes in one ear and out the other! Whether or not you select for your child to study abroad earlier or later, it’s important to consider how to make sure that your child maintains open communication with you and has a network of supportive adults guiding them in a positive direction.

Can your child not just survive, but thrive, in a fully English-language learning environment?

Without an immersive English environment, it will be very hard for a student to make substantial progress in English and also achieve academic success in any English-language school. The “Catch 22” is that in order to improve your English, you need an immersive English environment, but your English needs to be of a high-enough level in order to survive in an English language school! How to beat this cycle? If your child attends a school without English as the primary language, it’s best to make sure they have access to native English teachers for conversational English, reading, writing and vocabulary development from a young age. Traditional methods of memorizing vocabulary just for a test will not dramatically help overall English fluency.

Remember that you may think that your child’s English is ‘okay’ or at grade level, or is good or even better than their classmates, which in the context of their school it might be. However, what is considered “good English” is very different if you are in a public Chinese school, an international division, or in a school where you learn in English all day long. Rather than saying my son got a 95 in English class recently or he has 87 TOEFL, it’s much more useful to drill down into what that means. What books has your child ready lately? Are they an engaged, curious and excited learner or do they need to be forced into schoolwork? Have you had their reading, writing, speaking and listening objectively evaluated?

What Are Your Long-Term Educational Goals?

Educational investments do not see immediate, overnight returns, which is why there are no short-cuts in this process, but there are best practices to make sure you can go even further! Similarly, the dividends from real learning and ‘valuable education’ will pay off for the rest of your life.  One of the questions that you never need to ask is “is it too late to start (planning to study abroad)?” While it may be rushed to apply for one specific year, being worried that you are starting late should never stop you from getting started, there are always more chances!

If you are thinking about applying for US university, it is important to select a high school that will set you up for success. Since it is built into the structure and natural flow of American college preparatory schools they will do a lot to prepare students to be successful in an American university process. If you attend a high school outside of the US or in a non-American curriculum, it will be more important to go beyond what your school offers to make sure you are able to ‘keep up’ with all that your peers are doing at high schools around the world.  

What Age Is Your Child Now and How Much Time Do You Need to Prepare?

In the US, the youngest an international student might go abroad for boarding school is 4th or 5th grade, but there are very few schools that will accept non-US citizens or permanent residents of that age. There are about 300 boarding schools (countless private day schools and those who have homestay programs for international students) and a few thousand universities in the US, so the options become much more plentiful as students grow up. The current age of your child will determine how much time there is to prepare before traditional entry periods. We recommend students plan for at least two years before enrolling to allow time for exam prep, school search, research and the application process.

The most traditional entry years:

Junior boarding school (middle school):
6th and 7th grades (11-12 years old)

Boarding school (high school)
9th and 10th grades (14-15 years old)

Undergraduate (university)
18-19 years old

We sometimes hear families say, “I will only go to the US for boarding school if I can get into a better school than I am in now.” However, what is objectively “better” is a bit hard to say and may not be immediately obvious. Don’t just rely on the rankings! Will your opportunities to improve your English, become a better student, have more time for extra-curriculars to help you develop confidence, maturity and leadership make you a better college applicant? Probably! In another post, we will discuss how US college admissions officers view the differences between applying from different types of schools, and you might be surprised by the answers!

What Kind of Education Style Will Fit Your Child and Help Them Reach Their Potential?

Some families realize early on in their child’s education that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ classroom-style does not actually fit their child. Whether that be because the child loves art, theater, sports, loves to talk, think critically and independently, or just wants a more diverse and open learning environment, it may mean that your child can develop their strengths, hobbies, and confidence more quickly in the US.

Unsure about how to answer any of these or what these answers might mean for your family and child? Get in touch with us!

Pay for Elite NYC Private School Heads Reaches $1 Million

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Highly Paid 

NYC private day school heads

WSJ

Preparing for Private High School Admissions

In recent years, approximately 30,000 Chinese students apply to private high schools in the US. This number continues to increase every year. As college admissions becomes more and more competitive, more Chinese students look to attend high school in the US as a way to improve their English earlier, acclimate to a US academic environment, and overall, get a leg up when it comes time to apply to college. 

Because of the increasing competition, especially with international students, the top boarding schools in the US can have their pick of the best students. What does it mean to be among the best students and have a fighting chance at the best boarding schools? These schools require at least 100 TOEFL and an SSAT with 90% or higher. Yet even with high scores and a strong academic track record, admissions officers are buried in hundreds or thousands of applications from international students. As such, many families decide to make a personal visit to the school. All of this must be well considered in advance. Some Chinese families decide to visit during the October national holiday or near Thanksgiving in the US. With over 300 boarding schools across the country, you must pay close attention to prioritizing a feasible itinerary and knowing what the prerequisites of each school are in advance. You do not want to waste time going to visit the wrong schools where students will not be competitive or where they require something like a Vericant interview before even scheduling an on-campus interview. 

The earlier (and more competitive) private school admissions deadlines begin around January 15th. However, this does not mean you can wait until December! While the deadlines begin at this time and there are still a few months until then, applying to private high schools in the US requires a few months of preparation, especially to do it well. Many other schools enforce a rolling admissions process. This means that the earlier you apply (and they consider your application ONLY when ALL application materials are submitted, including test scores), the better your your chances are of success. So don't wait, and get started today!