Adeline Courtney, '27 & Charlotte Figler, '27
Everyone at Ensworth has gone through the private school application process. Most took the ISEE admissions test, and almost all of us had an interview. While some of the necessary steps are familiar, the process itself can be very different for some, and almost everyone has a different opinion on the process itself. Compounding factors like grades, what school a student is coming from, and even the individual who is applying can all affect the process itself.
The typical application process usually goes like this. First, parents and students have to find the right school for the child. This can be dependent on economic status, location, gender, or what types of extracurricular sports and activities the family might want in the future. With the right amount of research and even touring individual schools to find out more about each allows for families to build a better idea of the best fit. If the family decides they want to apply to this school, then the next step is finding what deadlines and schedule they should follow for the application process. Following the initial application submission, the family will arrange, if needed, for standardized testing, which usually is in the forms of the ISEE or the SSAT. Next, families attend open houses and/or tours, which can be useful to see the school in action, and ask more questions. By usually January or February, the student should have an interview, either in a group or individually. Depending on circumstances, geography, or schedules, these may be conducted in person or online. Finally, the applicant finalizes their application, which can usually include essays, letters of recommendation, or an extracurricular profile. (U.S. News)
Applying to a private school can be a long, costly process. Most people say it is similar to the college application process for middle to high school students. Even for elementary level students, it requires a lot of time and commitment. It can tend to be very stressful, and has the potential to put a lot of pressure on young students, although this isn’t always the case. Most applicants say that if you just follow the deadlines and do everything needed on time, it can actually be an easy process. According to Spark Admissions, following the deadline is the most important part of the process. Having a good grasp of the timeline can make everyone's life easier and take off some unnecessary stress. SOURCE
To get a sense of whether what we had learned was accurate or not, we interviewed different Ensworth students that came in at varying grade levels. This way, we could get a better understanding of what the application process was like for each student. Here is what we discovered: every student had a different application process. While they took similar tests or went to the same interviews, each applicant fell under different circumstances that affected the process as a whole. Through our interviews, we were able to see that some students had applied in earlier years, some didn’t take tests, and some were returning to school after leaving for a year. Every application process was unique. One thing that did not differentiate was that all students, not counting the students who came in during kindergarten, had to take the ISEE, which required hours of studying. Furthermore, they still had to go to interviews, tours, and events as well.
Similar to how varied the application processes were, all students had different ideas when it came to answering this question, “Do you think that getting into private school should be easier?” Some agreed that getting into private school should be easier. One person who was interviewed stated that only one other person from her old school came to Ensworth the year she joined. She thought it was sad to see her friends have to go to different schools. Another student stated that the process puts a lot of pressure on applicants and leads to a lot of stress. While these people had valid points, others said that private schools needed to be harder to get into to make sure that only the best of the best students get accepted.
Overall, we learned much about the application process that we didn’t know before. Whether or not it should be easier though was the question. From our research, we both agreed that even though the process is so different for everyone, private school opens up the opportunities for better education, which leads to a more prospective future, which everyone should have the chance to have. To make a school that has this kind of potential, it has to be selective. Selectiveness comes from the applications. While there are some inconsistencies in the process, we both agreed that we still think that the process is right where it needs to be. What do you think?
The private school application process should be...
harder.
easier.
the same.