Admissions

Boarding school admissions can be competitive. Our articles provide helpful resources to give your child a leg up on the admissions process. We’ll help you discover the best ways to apply, provide tips on staying organized, and explain why school visits are so important. Should you read your child’s admissions essay? Are test prep materials helpful? Why do I need recommendations? Find the answers to these questions and more here.

View the most popular articles in Admissions:

I've Been Waitlisted. What Do I Do Now?

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I've Been Waitlisted. What Do I Do Now?
After months of research, school visits, interviews, and tests, you find out that you've been waitlisted. Relax. It's not the end of the world. Here's what to do.

You applied to several boarding schools. But your first choice didn't accept you. Instead, it waitlisted you. What exactly does this mean? And why do schools waitlist applicants? What do you do now?

 

I can tell you from my first-hand experience that you wonder what you did wrong. Did you make a poor impression at the interview? Were your scores not good enough? The questions are never-ending. As a father whose two daughters both went to boarding schools, I remember well all the second-guessing. So, I am writing this essay from the candidate's point of view and yours. Please share it with your child who has been waitlisted by one or more of the boarding schools she applied to.

 

What does waitlisting mean?

 

Most schools typically offer more applicants places than they have for the theory and experience that they will receive enough acceptances to fill all their seats. Calculating the actual yield from the acceptances they have sent out is something experienced admissions officers know how to do

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Boarding Schools Welcome International Students

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Boarding Schools Welcome International Students
American boarding schools have always welcomed international students. Rigorous academic programs, extensive athletic programs, and a wide range of extracurricular activities attract students from all over the world.

International students are welcome at boarding schools in the United States. Los estudiantes internacionales son bienvenidos en las escuelas secundarias residenciales en los Estados Unidos. Les étudiants internationaux sont les bienvenus dans les lycées résidentiels aux États-Unis. Internationale Schüler sind an Residential High Schools in den Vereinigten Staaten willkommen. Welcome! Welcome!

 

International students have always been welcome at American boarding schools. One of the reasons for that is the global view most American boarding schools have of the world outside the United States. While xenophobia and populism tend to get the headlines, the truth is that most American boarding schools reflect a fascination with and curiosity about other countries and cultures. So, when a teenager from Taipei travels halfway around the world to study at an American boarding school, her new classmates notice. But, more importantly, they welcome their new friend with open arms, hearts, and minds.

 

Statistics

 

How many international students

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A Roadmap For The Boarding School Admissions Process

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A Roadmap For The Boarding School Admissions Process
Admissions to boarding school is a process with many components. The process can be confusing to parents dealing with boarding school admissions for the first time. We guide you through the process.

Admissions to boarding school is a process with many components. The process can be confusing to parents dealing with boarding school admissions for the first time. So, this article is a hub that includes articles I have written describing the private school admissions process.

 

The Overview

 

Admissions to Private School: A-Z puts all the information you need to navigate the boarding school admissions process in one convenient place. Whether you are just beginning or have been through this before, you will find help and advice to guide you. If you can't find answers to your questions or have specific concerns, contact the admissions offices at schools in which you are interested. Admissions staff are always ready to help.

Admissions 101

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International Students: Offsite And Virtual Visits

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International Students: Offsite And Virtual Visits
International students who want to attend an American boarding school face several additional steps in the admissions process. More here.
Many students from countries outside the United States want to attend American boarding schools. International students make up about 15% of the student population in American boarding schools, according to The Association of Boarding Schools.  It is important to know that international students applying to an American boarding school deal with several additional steps in the admissions process. Because many applicants live at great distances from the schools that they would like to visit, schools have come up with a variety of ways to let parents and potential students experience the school, its community, and its programs. If you live in Asia or Europe, for example, it is not always financially or logistically possible to visit schools in person. Furthermore, while the coronavirus pandemic is active in most of the world, international travel is problematic at best. So, what alternatives exist for those situations? Actually several. Off-campus, school visits come in a couple of flavors.
 
Admissions Staff Visits Overseas
 
Many boarding schools send their admissions staff overseas to major cities in countries where they have a substantial applicant pool. Ask for details of visits in your area. While you will have to rely on school videos and web presentations of school life and activities, at least you will have a live person to whom you can pose questions. If English is not your first language, this meeting with school officials will give you a deadline to meet. After all, you are planning to attend school in a country
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Admissions Checklist For Boarding School Applicants

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Admissions Checklist For Boarding School Applicants
Applying to boarding school is a long process with many parts to it. This checklist will help you organize the process and manage your time efficiently.

Selecting boarding schools which fit your needs and requirements takes a lot of time and effort. Once you have made your shortlist of schools, then you need to focus on the admissions process. The admissions process consists of testing, recommendations, the interview, financial aid, and making sure your child's admssions file is complete. Use this admissions checklist to keep you and your child on track. There are plenty of forms to fill out and a standardized admissions test to prepare for.

 

Testing

 

I have put admissions testing at the top of my checklist simply because it needs as much advance preparation as your child can give it. While standardized admissions tests are just one of several tools which the admissions professionals at each school will use to assess your child, they remain an important part of the assessment process. Most schools use the SSAT and ISEE. But there are other tests out there as well. 

 

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Admissions

INTERVIEWS AND VISITS
Boarding school visits are an integral part of the admissions process. Despite the rave reviews of friends, family and consultants, you and your child should scope out each school and use your own judgment to determine if he/she will be happy there. This section will help you compile a checklist of things to look for and questions to ask.
Boarding School Visits 101
Boarding School Visits 101
Interview FAQs
Interview FAQs
International Students: Offsite And Virtual Visits
International Students: Offsite And Virtual Visits
ADMISSIONS OVERVIEW
This section provides a glimpse into the boarding school admissions process. From how to apply to the 10 things you must not forget, our tips and resources can be a huge benefit to successfully navigating boarding school applications. Find answers to the most common questions, learn when it’s too late to apply and get familiar with the Boarding School Admission Application
Admissions: What Do Schools Want?
Admissions: What Do Schools Want?
The Boarding School Application Process
The Boarding School Application Process
How to Apply to Boarding School
How to Apply to Boarding School