Jenti Ragubathi, left, and Alex Saar, reflected in ball, work on sketching with different perspectives in an art class at the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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Independent School Enrollment Timeline
September - October • Begin researching schools. • Schedule any necessary testing required for admissions.
October - November • Visit open house events at prospective schools.
November • Request letters of recommendation from current and past teachers. PNAIS member institutions use a standard teacher evaluation form that can be submitted to multiple schools. Be sure to include postage-paid envelopes addressed to the schools to which your child is applying.
December • Some schools have an early admissions deadline in mid-December, offering incentives like application fee discounts and a first shot at tour dates.
January • Application deadline is January 15, 2009. Check in with admissions office before then to make sure they received the teacher evaluations and any other required materials.
January - February • Many schools schedule “visiting days” for families and school staff to see whether a child would be a good fit at a school.
February • Financial aid applications due by Feb. 5. Complete your taxes early to avoid last-minute panic.
March • Acceptance letters and financial aid offers mailed out March 19, with contracts and deposits due by March 31.
Important change this year: Seattle Public Schools will send out school assignments in late March, meaning that families won’t have to commit to a private school before knowing their public school assignment. In past years, public school assignments were mailed in early April.
There are many types of private schools in our region. Private schools charge a fee, or tuition, and operate outside of the public school system.
Independent Schools: These schools have very different missions and philosophies, and may be governed by a board of trustees. They are supported through tuition and fundraising efforts. Independent schools may seek out accreditation through the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools (www.pnais.org).
Some independent schools embrace a particular philosophy, such as Montessori, Waldorf, or Sudbury education. These schools usually belong to a national association that provides training and accreditation.
Parochial Schools: These are Catholic schools. Managed by local parishes, they schools serve church members, along with the surrounding community. Operating costs are covered by a combination of church funding, tuition and fundraising. Catholic schools are accredited by the National Catholic Education Association (www.ncea.org).
Other Religious Options: There are several Christian schools in the Seattle area that operate independently and aren’t tied to a specific church. Most belong to the Association of Christian Schools International (www.acsi.org). Other options include Jewish, Lutheran, and Islamic private schools.
Private Schools: Despite Dour Economy, Admissions Offices Flooded with Applications
By Denise Gonzalez-Walker
When Amy Thomson’s daughter entered her public kindergarten program several years ago, the last thing on Thomson’s mind was private school. “I thought we would be on the public school fast track,” she says.
But after much soul-searching about her daughter’s learning needs and an objective look at the public options, Thompson’s daughter started at Billings Middle School in Seattle’s Green Lake neighborhood this year.
About one out of every four school-aged children in Seattle attend private school, according to a recent demographic analysis the educational consulting firm DeJONG, Inc. conducted for Seattle Public Schools.
“We have a wonderful abundance of schools in Seattle, including a lot of options in the public system, very good parochial schools and a wealth of independent schools,” says Roger Cibella, a Seattle-based admissions consultant. Cibella, various admissions directors and Meade Thayer, executive director of the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools (PNAIS), believe that families should take a look at private education options when researching schools.
Facing school choices myself in the coming year, I set out to learn more about the private school options in our city. Foremost in my mind was this question: Do private schools want us, the ordinary families who aren’t rich or famous?
‘Mission-Appropriate Kids’
I’ll confess – my hands were a little bit clammy as I stepped into Seattle Academy of Arts and Science’s main office. I was there to talk to the school’s admissions director, Jim Rupp, the man who oversees enrollment at one of the most competitive independent schools in the city. With 13 years of experience at Seattle Academy, Rupp is viewed as an expert by his colleagues at other schools. Several of them, in fact, told me, “You have to talk to Jim.”
I expected Rupp to be one of those people – you know, severe, slightly aloof individuals who raise their eyebrows at you in silent judgment. Instead, I was greeted by a warm, open smile as Rupp bounded into the foyer, apologizing for being on the phone when I arrived.
Rupp and I sat in his comfortable, sunlight-drenched office, Seattle’s Child magazines strategically laid out on the table, and talked about the private school admissions scene in Seattle.
Rupp quickly made a point that I would hear again from other admissions directors: What independent private schools are looking for is a good fit between the applicant and the school’s particular mission. In fact, some people I talked with even called these kids “mission-appropriate” or “mission-based.”
Because independent private schools have a wide range of educational philosophies, there is no single student profile. Just because your child isn’t Lakeside material doesn’t mean you should rule out all private schools. Independent schools are able to serve different types of students, including kids with certain learning difficulties. When you add in parochial schools and other private options, like our local Sudbury, Montessori and Waldorf programs, you’ll find a broad cross-section of programs set up to serve all types of learners.
Temptation to Tailor Applications
Despite the plethora of educational options out there, many parents try to fit their kids to a particular school’s admission criteria, often by overstating extra-curricular activities, providing interview coaching and tutoring to beef up scores on the Independent Schools Entrance Exam, or ISEE.
Amy Thomson recalls hearing about families who used these strategies. “I didn’t do this, though,” she says. “I portrayed my daughter as clearly as I could. I wanted her offer of enrollment to be based on who she really is.” Of the five schools to which Thomson’s daughter applied, she received admission offers from two schools and was put in the wait pool at two others.
The admissions directors I met would agree with Thomson’s approach. “Schools try to be up-front about who we are,” Rupp says. “It’s fair to ask parents to be candid in the application process. After all, we are both looking for the same thing – the right fit for the student.”
Marlinda Siegfried, admissions director at Villa Academy in northeast Seattle, is more blunt. When asked whether parents should try to “tailor” their child’s application to the school mission, the incredibly good-natured Siegfried laughs and replies, “Don’t do it!”
The more information that is shared both ways between parents and prospective schools, the better. “In some cases, parents might have expectations that are more about them, and really, the process is all about the kids,” Siegfried says. Families should realize there is probably not just one perfect match for their kid, but several schools that would be right for different reasons.
Even if parents are determined to improve their kid’s odds of getting into a particular school, it can be tough. Private schools are looking both for students who fit their mission and those who will round out the incoming class. This means that a child who could easily be offered a spot one year might not make the cut in a different year, based on something as simple as the number of boys vs. girls in the applicant pool.
Parochial Options
Parochial schools throughout Seattle provide a popular alternative to the public school system. While the mission of these schools is to serve parish families, parochial schools also serve many non-Catholic families.
“Catholic schools are not what they were 30 years ago,” says Judy Shafer, Development Director at St. Matthew School, located in North Seattle. Shafer, herself, grew up attending parochial schools. While the schools maintain their reputation for building a strong educational foundation, nuns have been replaced by lay teachers in most parochial classrooms.
Religion remains a central part of the parochial school philosophy. “Our school emphasizes the Catholic doctrine, teaching moral behavior and citizenship,” Shafer says. Many parents are attracted to parochial schools for the spiritual side of the education offered there. However, Shafer is careful to point out that they do not discriminate in admissions based on a family’s faith, and students are not required to participate in parish activities that happen outside of the classroom.
How does “fit” work with parochial school admissions? Shafer points out that parish families are given priority for enrollment. Unlike their independent school counterparts, though, parochial schools don’t pick prospective students based on a narrow mission. “At our schools, you will see diversity on all levels – culturally, socioeconomically – you will see kids with all different kind of gifts,” says Shafer. Citing the rich diversity of St. Matthew School, she adds that parochial schools provide a good fit for families who want their child to have strong academics and be a good world citizen.
Applications on the Rise
Despite the economic downturn, independent schools are fielding more applications across the region. Two years ago, Rupp says, Seattle Academy hit an all-time record in the number of applications. Last year, that record was shattered. Cibella says some schools have reported that kindergarten applications were up anywhere from 30 percent to 60 percent last year.
Thayer of PNAIS says independent schools are fielding more requests for information about financial aid. He expects the coming year’s admission cycle will be revealing in terms of how the regional economy is affecting families’ educational choices. Cibella echoes a similar sentiment when asked whether the economic downturn is dampening interest in private schools. “When people cut back, the last place they’ll cut back is on their child’s education,” he says.
Rupp said he used to hear about parents fleeing public schools, but hasn’t heard that in the past few years. Asked for a theory about the uptick in applications, Rupp said, “I like to think it’s because people know who we are.”
Average tuition at independent schools ranges from $12,000 to $15,000 a year, depending on grade level, PNAIS says on its Web site. Tuition at some of the city’s most well-known schools – The Northwest School, Lakeside School, and Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences – tops $20,000 a year. Parochial schools range from around $3,000 to $5,000 for K-8 programs, and up to around $10,000 for secondary grades.
Despite these figures, Thayer says families shouldn’t automatically rule out private schools based on cost alone. He notes that even middle-income families might qualify for significant needs-based financial aid.
Asked if parents should look at schools’ financial aid history – the percentage of students who have received aid in the past – as a factor in choosing a school, Thayer says the overriding factor should always be to identify the best educational opportunity for the child.
‘A Roller-Coaster Year’
For Thomson, the mom whose daughter started at Billings this year, the hardest part of transitioning to a private school was getting in. “The application process, the timelines, interviews, testing – it was overwhelming. It made for a roller-coaster year.”
Thomson recommends that families who want to go private should apply to at least four different schools, not just their top choice. Cibella agrees, saying families should keep at least one good public school on their list. “When you’re up against large applicant pools, there are no guarantees,” he says.
Public, parochial and private schools all have different admission timelines that families need to stay on top of during the enrollment process.
With independent schools, in particular, parents need to begin the application process about a year out, allowing time for any required testing and teacher recommendations. Also be aware that financial aid deadlines differ from admissions timelines.
Later, when acceptance and wait pool letters come out, parents need to plan to ask questions about how wait pools are managed. Unlike public schools, whose lists are organized by tiebreakers, private schools may choose students selectively from the wait pool to balance classrooms.
Private schools carry many costs beyond the tuition. The admissions process can be stressful and expensive, with multiple fees for applications and testing. There is also a social cost, when the school becomes the family’s primary community. “When a family joins a private school community, their children will likely have less time for the neighborhood kids,” Cibella says. With Seattle’s private schools enrolling kids from as far away as Issaquah, Marysville and Renton, this can mean long treks for weekend get-togethers, too.
On the other hand, for parents whose children have particular needs not being met by public schools, or who are seeking a small, personalized learning environment, the costs of a private school education are worth it. “Most of Seattle’s middle schools are very large,” says Thomson, “and I knew I didn’t want my daughter in a really big school. I wanted her to be in a small educational environment that fit her learning needs and challenged her, didn’t simply ‘accommodate’ her. That’s what we’ve found at Billings.”
Thinking Outside Your District
When parents think about school choices in our region, they usually only consider either their district’s schools or private schools.
Here’s another option: out-of-district schools.
Every year, many families look to neighboring districts for smaller class sizes, stronger academics or specialized programs. Other parents may want their kids attending school near their workplace.
About 1,000 out-of-district students attend Seattle schools each year. Mercer Island enrolled 33 transfer students in the 2007-08 school year – a first – and currently serves 92 out-of-district students. Shoreline averages about 745 out-of-district students annually, with most coming from Seattle and Edmonds.
What should you know if you go this route? Out-of-district students are accepted on a space-available basis. Most schools require out-of-district families to re-apply annually for their children to remain enrolled, and there’s no guarantee that space will be available at the next grade level, though continuing out-of-district students may have priority over new transfers.
Denise Gonzalez-Walker is a Seattle freelance writer and mother of two who blogs about education for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer at blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/chalkboard. She plans to look at both public and private schools this year for her kids.
