How to Write an Awesome Private School Admission Essay
Sitting down to write the all-important private school admission essay — is there anything more stress-inducing than a blank document and a blinking cursor?
Writing anything from scratch requires intensive energy, focus, and inspiration — and that pressure is heightened when the writing topic is turned inward. No wonder students (and parents) get overwhelmed when it’s time to complete the essay portion of a private school application!
Helping your child write their private school admission essay can be pretty nerve-wracking. However, it doesn’t have to be.
The short essay questions included as part of most private school applications are meant to provide admissions professionals with a well-rounded picture of your child as a person and as a student. If written thoughtfully, this component of your child’s application can make them truly stand out.
Below are our top tips for beating back writer’s block and crafting a private school admission essay that gets noticed.
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<span class="text-color-orange" role="decoration">Remember the essay audience.</span>
Although the essay is about your student, it’s FOR the private school admissions team. What will stand out to them? What will interest them? What will help them best understand your child and how they learn? Help your child craft an essay with these professionals in mind.
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<span class="text-color-lightblue" role="decoration">Answer the essay question asked.</span>
This may seem obvious; however, it’s very easy to steer off course when you get into a writing groove. Help your child refer back to the question and any associated instructions while they write. Remind them to try to stick to the word count, and make sure to answer all parts of the question.
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<span class="text-color-green" role="decoration">Portray personality.</span>
Private schools are admitting people, not numbers. Their goal is to create a diverse, copasetic community in which students grow and are challenged. Your child’s answers shouldn’t be cookie-cutter. The best essay question answers will showcase a student’s personality, quirks and all.
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<span class="text-color-orange" role="decoration">Demonstrate passions. </span>
Private schools are seeking students with different interests and passions. If your child has a unique interest or personal pursuit, the essay can be a great place to explain what it means to them and why it drives their creativity.
{{step5="/fs-components"}}
<span class="text-color-lightblue" role="decoration">Provide a unique perspective. </span>
Opinions are important. If your child believes in a cause or has a strong point-of-view on a topic, talk about why. By standing behind their convictions, your child will demonstrate their critical thinking and leadership capabilities.
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<span class="text-color-green" role="decoration">Paint a complete portrait. </span>
Regardless of the essay question, you want your child’s essay to work seamlessly with the rest of their application and showcase them as a full, well-rounded student. If the application itself doesn’t allow you to bring your student’s true self to life, take that opportunity in the essay component.
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<span class="text-color-orange" role="decoration">Maintain proper essay structure. </span>
Remember, the essay isn't solely an exercise to get to know your child; it's also an evaluation of their writing ability. Maintaining the proper essay structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion is essential.
Admission officers read a LOT of essays, so really work on hooking them with the intro. Have your child read feature magazine and news articles, as well as the opening paragraphs of books to see how professional authors engage their readers.
{{step8="/fs-components"}}
<span class="text-color-lightblue" role="decoration">Cut the clutter. </span>
After your child writes their essay's first draft, make sure they spend time editing their ideas into a clear, concise answer. Help them proofread, check their grammar, and cut out any extra words or phrases that don’t support their answers.
{{step9="/fs-components"}}
<span class="text-color-green" role="decoration">Get/offer feedback. </span>
Once your child’s essay is complete, it’s perfectly acceptable for them to ask someone else to read it. As a parent, point out areas where they have opportunities to strengthen an idea or fix a mistake. However, resist the urge to rewrite the essay in your own words. Again, your child’s own perspective is what matters!
While the questions asked on private school applications may change, these essay-writing tips will help ensure that whatever story your child tells resonates with your dream school’s admissions team. For more essay tips, read Encouraging Your Child to Write a Self-Revealing Application Essay .
Encouraging Your Child to Write a Self-Revealing Application Essay
How to make a great impression in private school interviews, recommendation letters: who should you ask — and how, first-choice letters: do they help or hurt admission, the final countdown to application deadlines, 11 parent statement tips for private school applications.
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Public School vs. Private School: Argumentative Comparison
Table of contents, public schools: accessibility and diversity, public schools: limited resources and class sizes, private schools: specialized curriculum and resources, private schools: affordability and socioeconomic disparities.
- Baker, B. D., & Welner, K. G. (Eds.). (2017). School Choice: Policies and Outcomes. University of California Press.
- Henig, J. R., Hula, R. C., & Orr, M. T. (Eds.). (2019). Educational Inequality and School Finance: Why Money Matters for America's Students. Harvard Education Press.
- Kahlenberg, R. D. (Ed.). (2013). The Future of School Integration: Socioeconomic Diversity as an Education Reform Strategy. Century Foundation Press.
- Ravitch, D. (2013). Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools. Knopf.
- Van Dunk, D. D., & Taylor, S. S. (Eds.). (2020). Global Perspectives on School Choice and Privatization. Information Age Publishing.
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Private School Admissions Student Essays: What Do I Say?
Posted on: December 7, 2021
One of the most stressful parts of the private school admissions process is the looming idea of writing an essay, or even multiple essays. In many ways, the essays make this process feel much like the dreaded college admissions process, even though you may be in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade now. I work with lots of students facing this very challenge, which become especially acute around the holidays. Right now, your fall semester is mostly behind you, you’re close to finished with standardized testing, and the only thing looming between you and a restful holiday break is a stack of essays.
Here are my tips and tricks learned from years of reading admissions essays on the school side of things and from supporting students on the application guidance side of things.
An essay is not your autobiography. You do not need to share everything you have ever done or every aspect of who you are. The goal is to introduce yourself to the admissions committee. Make a few key points and give yourself space to expand on those points.
Your essay should not feel like a list (even of accomplishments). It is tempting — understandably! — to feel like you need to write about everything you have done to demonstrate that you are worthy of admission and ready to take on the next level of school. You probably want to impress the admissions readers. But remember: those readers are people! They’re people who have chosen to work in schools because they love getting to know students. They want to read this essay, so it should feel like an enjoyable read. If they wanted a list of accomplishments, they would have asked for a resume.
Make sure it feels like an essay. Use your best writing skills! Think about transitions and style. You want your essay to reflect your voice, to feel authentic, and be interesting.
Use examples . Even though you DON’T want your essay to read like a resume, you DO want to be concrete. Abstract ideas are a start, but if you want to be memorable, you need to offer a tangible sense of who you are. Writers often use a rule this rule: Show, Don’t Tell . Rather than telling the reader that you are kind, why don’t you share a story when you felt that your kindness made a difference?
Think deeply. This essay is your chance to introduce yourself. Be reflective and thoughtful. A great way to accomplish this kind of reflection is to take a look at every point you are making and ask yourself, “Why?”
If the school asks what kinds of books you like to read, choose a few titles you like and ask yourself if they have anything in common. Maybe you like adventure books, or maybe you like books with great main characters who you can really get to know. That’s the first step. But the second step is “Why?” Why do you like adventure books? Why are great, strong characters appealing to you?” Write a few sentences about the books and then think about adding something that begins with “because.”
Consider your values. While you are thinking deeply about your ‘why’s, make a list of what is important to you. Every school has a sense of its mission as a school. They’re trying to get a sense of your mission as a student and as a young person. Think about what is important to you and then share those thoughts. Maybe you are super-committed to service, so you want to be in a school with lots of opportunities for volunteering and serving your community. Think about what makes you happiest, whether that’s learning, athletics, leadership, the arts, or something else altogether. Whatever it may be, spend some time on it. Sharing your real sense of who you are and what makes you thrive will help the school the reasons you could be such a great student.
The essays or short-answer questions on the private school application can seem daunting. But if you are thoughtful and true to yourself, you’re sure to find a great spot.
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Personal Statements
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A personal statement is an essay that an applicant has to write when applying for private schools. There are prompts or questions that have to be answered within the specified word count. This is an opportunity for students to let admissions officers know more about them and demonstrate how they could be a good fit for the school. However, many students fail to achieve this goal because they are not able to write a good narrative that makes them stand out from the other applicants.
Along with good grades, impressive test scores, and letters of recommendation, a well-written personal statement can make a big difference in private school admissions. Our educational consultants understand how the admissions process works for top-tier schools and what admissions officers are looking for. This guide will help keep your child from making common mistakes when writing personal statements and admissions essays.
- Be authentic and honest. Let your answers give admissions officers a glimpse into your personality and how you can be an asset to the school.
- Avoid generalizations. Be definite with your answers. Tell them why you are applying to a particular program and why you think you will be a good fit.
- Use specific examples to support your statements. Your personal experiences will be the best stories you can share that will prove how compatible you are.
- Avoid using cliches. Be creative in your narrative. Your goal is to engage the admissions officer to keep on reading until the end of your essay or personal statement.
At Cardinal Education, our holistic approach to admissions lets us unravel your child’s potential and highlight their uniqueness to get the differentiation they need. Over the years, we have developed our own formula and strategies for writing admissions essays and personal statements that have helped numerous families get into the best schools.
For students who are not strong writers, we advise them to enroll in our Program in Writing and Reading . This program aims to make them active and curious readers to develop comprehension and widen their vocabulary and ultimately, unlock their writing ability. We teach them the fundamentals of writing so they can organize their thoughts and ideas and express them in writing.
What should I include in a personal statement?
A personal statement should demonstrate a student’s passions and interests which are unique. Remember that what we are aiming for is differentiation so think about your child’s activities that are not common among other students. If your child is into painting, consider what makes the artwork unique and how it is being used to drive change in the community or inspire others.
How long should a personal statement be?
Each school will have its own requirements but typically, student statements are 1000 to 3000 characters long or approximately 250 to 500 words. Admissions officers go through hundreds of personal statement essays so it is important to keep to the maximum requirement and make sure that the first statement piques their curiosity to continue reading until the last sentence.
How do I write a personal statement?
When writing a personal statement, focus on the question and only write relevant responses. It is very easy to get carried away and veer off course but with the limited word count, your child might not be able to express the most ideas important ideas that admissions officers are interested in.
Do I need personal statement help?
Yes, especially if you and your child are not very strong writers. Among all the other application requirements, the personal statement is one of the biggest factors that affect admission decisions so it must be written well enough that it creates impact and sticks to the minds of the admissions officers. Contact us to learn more about our writing program.
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Admissions Matters: The Essay
Editor's Note: I am most grateful to Kate Fisher, who is an expert in admissions essays with Noodle Pros , for explaining how to handle the inevitable essay portion of your child's private school admissions application. ~Rob
If your child is applying to a private middle school or high school, he or she will likely have to write an admissions essay. It is important to remember that this is not a college admissions essay, which means that the standards used to assess your child’s writing ability are lower. However, this also means that it’s much easier for admissions officers to quickly identify essays that a parent, teacher, or tutor has had too heavy a hand in.
It is extremely difficult to disguise adult involvement in an essay that is supposed to be written by a child applying to middle school or high school. You may feel uncomfortable allowing your child to submit his or her essay without reading it over. If you choose to help him or her by proofreading or editing it, remember to make sure the language, syntax, and sentence structure remain age-appropriate. No private school admissions officer expects a rising sixth grader to write as well as an award-winning novelist, let alone a college-educated adult.
The best way to ensure the success of your child’s admissions essay is to show how to choose the right essay. Most private schools ask applicants to choose one prompt from a list of several. Helping your child brainstorm which topic to write about is a great way for you to be involved without heavily editing or actually writing the essay. When helping your child select a prompt, try to gauge which topic appeals the most. If none of the topics spark excitement which happens more often than not, try to determine what kind of prompt will best help showcase your child's personality.
While the list of prompts is long, most fall under a few broader categories, which I have listed below with some prompts I have seen over the past few years.
Prompts encouraging writing about others.
Who do you admire? If you were to develop a Mount Rushmore of the 21st Century, which four individuals would be represented and why?
The world's governments have decided to put a permanently manned colony on Mars. You are part of the advisory committee planning the settlement. You may select four people to live in the colony. What characteristics or skills would you want them to have to be able to influence the new Martian society?
Tell us about a fictional character in literature, comic books, film or television that you admire. What are the traits that this individual exhibits that make them worthy of your admiration?
The first two prompts are easy to translate into a straightforward essay structure, i.e., introduction, body paragraphs for each of the four individuals, and conclusion. But neither offers the applicant the opportunity to reveal very much about him or herself. In fact, most students choose the same people - Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton appear on nine out of ten essays of this ilk that I have read - or people with similar roles - Steve Jobs and Bill Gates also show up on many essays with prompts like these.
While the fictional character prompt may seem fun, students often get distracted by providing context in terms of plot and don’t fully answer the question. Try to steer your child away from topics that encourage writing about other people.
Prompts which encourage writing about you.
What is the relationship between your life in school and your life outside of school?
Tell us about your best experience in school and your best experience out of school. What made each of them the best?
Of all of the things you are learning, what do you think will be the most useful when you are an adult?
What do you do in your extracurricular life that demonstrates a commitment to learning beyond the classroom?
These prompts all ask the applicant to relate his or her life in school to life outside of school. This allows the student to provide a more holistic view of who they are, not just in the classroom, but also in extracurricular pursuits. If your child knows what clubs or activities he or she wants to pursue in middle school or high school, topics in this category are a great choice.
Prompts requiring thoughtful, specific responses.
Who are you? You're writing the story of your life so far. What's the title? Why?
If your family had its own flag, what would be on it? If you had your own personal flag, would it be different from your family's flag? In what way?
Describe something you're hoping for, and discuss the obstacles or difficulties that must be overcome if this goal is to be achieved, either by you or by others.
Prompts like these can be a bit overwhelming for some students, and indeed for many adults given the almost existential quality of some of the questions in this category. It is difficult for a student applying to sixth grade to know what the title of the story of his or her life is so far. If your child chooses to write an essay on a prompt that describes who they are in the grand scheme of the world at large, make sure that the response stays specific rather than general.
Regardless of the topic your child chooses to write about, the essay is only one element of what is a highly-involved application replete with test scores, teacher recommendations, and on-site interviews. Try to present this writing assignment as a fun exercise which allows your child to showcase his or her personality, thereby standing out from the other applicants.
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8 Tips for a Great Admissions Essay When Applying to a Private School
Posted by Jean Abernathy | Education , Montessori , Private School Search | 0 |
Application essays provide ways for private school admissions officers to get to know students beyond their grades, test scores, and basic biographical information. They provide insight into a student’s personality and interests—to help determine if the school is the right fit for your child and vice versa.
Aside from the interview, writing the essay can be one of the most stress-producing steps in the application process. These suggestions from private school organizations can break the task of writing the essay into manageable steps that guide your child to crafting a work that makes him stand out to admissions officers.
Table of Contents
READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY
Don’t write a two-sentence essay if the school asks for one page, but don’t write more than one page. And, don’t turn in a typed essay if the school wants it handwritten.
TELL THE SCHOOL WHAT IT WANTS TO KNOW
Schools often provide an essay prompt, so you need to respond to it. That said, the prompts—such as “recount some activity or event that challenged you in a positive way”—usually allow the applicant lots of leeway to write about a range of topics.
START EARLY
Do not wait until the night before the application is due to begin writing. Brainstorm and work out ideas with teachers, parents, or others early and give yourself time for revisions.
TELL A STORY
While the essay should have correct spelling and grammar and be legible, it doesn’t have to follow the academic essay formula. A good strategy is to tell a story—even filled with dialogue or vivid description—to get your point across.
Don’t write what you think an admissions officer wants to hear—because you really have no idea. Write about what you know and what excites you.
GET CREATIVE
If you are an aspiring writer, for example, ask the school if you can write in verse, instead of the usual narrative.
BE CONCRETE
Stay away from generalizations, such as “singing by myself in front of my school was challenging.” Instead, provide details or an example of how and why you were scared before that solo singing performance and felt triumphant afterwards.
PARENTS, THIS MUST BE YOUR CHILD’S WORK
While, as parents, you can provide feedback and help with editing, let your child do all the writing. If you can’t help but get overly involved, consider asking a neutral third party—a teacher, another relative, or a professional consultant—to help your child edit her essay.
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3 Tips for Writing Your Child's Private School Application Essay
How to harness the power of storytelling.
By Soojung Smith
Published on: october 30, 2017.
It’s that time of year again: the busy admissions season for private and independent K–12 schools. Keeping track of each school's open houses, campus tours, parent and student interview dates and test requirements can feel like a full-time job.
Each year, more families are considering private schools for their children and competition for top private schools in the greater Seattle area has become increasingly fierce. Some elite private schools admit fewer than 10 percent of their applicants from a highly qualified candidate pool. High standardized test (SSAT and ISEE) scores and GPAs alone, unfortunately, don’t guarantee a spot at these coveted schools. They're interested in forming a diverse and well-rounded student body that delves beyond students’ test scores and grades.
Some elite private schools admit fewer than 10 percent of their applicants.
One of the biggest mistakes I've seen families make in preparing their child’s applications for admission is to treat the information they submit as separate data points. Rather than painting a complete picture of their student, parent and student essays often read like a student activity form.
To give your child the best chance of success, it's important to be intentional and thoughtful about your child’s application. Remember that admission committees are interested in learning about your child and what your family can offer, and how you will contribute to their schools and school communities.
Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your child's private school application.
Know what it is you want to say about your child and your family: What are the key messages you want to convey?
- Think about how you and others see your child. You as parents? Grandparents? Their siblings? How would their friends describe them? Teachers? Neighbors?
- What keywords begin to emerge? Kind? Mature? Creative? Curious? Inventive? A maker? A leader?
- Choose three to five themes that best capture core identities of your child.
- Use your child’s essential qualities, be it their achievements, unique experiences, activities or interests to make the connection to these themes.
- Once themes emerge, look broadly and creatively at parent and student essays, activity profile, teacher recommendations, and other application elements for opportunities to weave these ideas together for differentiation.
Start working on essays and other application elements
- Typically, families apply for three to five schools and, depending upon schools under consideration, you may end up with writing not only a common set of essays but also other unique ones they require from applicants and their families.
- These requirements all add up, expecting a significant amount of time and efforts on your and your child’s end. Good writing is a process; it doesn’t happen overnight. Be prepared to go through three rounds of drafts of parent and student essays to get to final “quality” ones you and your student feel proud of. Try to have solid first drafts by the end of October, the second one by the end of November and the final draft by the end of December.
- Make sure you write parent essays while your child writes their student essays. You can lend help to your child, but they need to provide original and thoughtful answers in their portion of the applications as well as during interviews. Schools can tell if a parent writes student essays and even go so far as to collect writing samples.
Use essays and other application elements for effective storytelling
- Use a parent statement, student essays and an extracurricular activity profile to let the reader in: Who is your child? What do they care most? Who is their hero? Why? How do these insights connect with other information you are submitting about your child and your family? Is there a particular story(ies) that helps to describe your child and your family best?
- Distill the story that defines your child and your family in the space provided in online applications before the deadline for completed applications. Each essay question has a specific word count you can’t exceed, so be mindful of how you will use precious real estate to convey main messages for differentiation.
Effective storytelling alone won’t necessarily put your child over the top if they aren't already a competitive candidate. But it goes hand-in-hand with solid standardized test scores and GPAs for robust applications. Let schools know how unique your child and your family are. Let them know how your child and family will contribute to a diverse student body. Good luck!
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About the author.
Soojung Smith is a family education coach, author, CEO and board advisor, and former Microsoft marketing executive. Her children attend two private schools on the Eastside. Soojung supports parents with challenging issues such as private school vs. public school, private school admissions, and students’ executive functioning skills and their public speaking competencies. Email Soojung at [email protected] .
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Sample Student Essay for Private High School Admissions
Student essays are an important part of the private high school admissions process for students in New York City. While information like grades and test scores can help an admissions committee evaluate a student’s raw performance, essays are a key way for students to demonstrate their unique voice and personality. Treat student essays like mini interviews: they’re a chance to let admissions committees really get to know the student.
We recommend starting student essay drafts as soon as possible (in the summer or early fall) to allow plenty of time for a thoughtful drafting process. One of the first steps to begin drafting essays is to identify the prompt(s) to write about. Students may have a variety of prompts to choose from, or they may be given a specific prompt. This depends on the student’s age (middle versus high school) and whether the school they’re applying to is an ISAAGNY member school or not.
Here are several example essay prompts from the past:
- Describe a family tradition and why it is meaningful or important to you.
- What is a topic/skill that you learned about within the past year that was not assigned to you in school?
- What brings you joy? What activities, pursuits, or interests have made you happiest over the past few months or years, and why?
- What activity/interest or accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
- Tell us about a time you were brave.
Regardless of prompt, we encourage students to write about a subject that genuinely interests them and feels rich and dynamic enough to write several paragraphs about. Essays are a way to show off creative writing skills, but make sure that essays present a consistent application narrative and a relatively consistent application of writing voice (across each essay, graded writing samples , etc.).
When approaching the student essay writing process, reading a sample essay is one of the most helpful ways to begin brainstorming. Here’s a sample student essay for private high school admissions that effectively provides a window into the student’s passions and way of thinking.
*Note that this is a fictional sample, not a real student essay.
Sample Private High School Admissions Essay
Prompt: What is your favorite work of art (visual, written, musical, etc.)? Why is it meaningful to you?
“If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint,” is a famous quote by artist Edward Hopper that has always inspired me. I’m naturally drawn to Hopper’s distinctive style of concrete, representational scenes; he was a master at manipulating light to create striking contrast and focus. But I appreciate Hopper’s art for more than just aesthetic choices; I connect deeply to Hopper’s intent to communicate memories and feelings through art. As a budding artist myself, my goal is to inspire real nostalgia and emotion with my paintings, the same way that Hopper’s works do for me.
For example, Hopper’s “House By The Railroad,” completed in 1925, brings back many memories for me. The painting depicts a grand Victorian home with railroad tracks nearly underneath it. Like many of Hopper’s works, the scene is inspired by Hopper’s hometown of Nyack, New York, which happens to be the same town my grandparents live in. Even just a quick glance at the painting reminds me of walking up to my grandparents home in the summertime to greet them standing on the large front porch. Their home was situated not far from railroad tracks in Nyack, similar to the house in the painting. Whenever I see the piece, I’m reminded of the happy memories I’ve created at my grandparents’ home: eating grilled cheese and tomato soup on the front porch with my grandmother, hearing the train to Manhattan go by in the distance, and other everyday pleasures.
In fact, from an early age, my grandparents encouraged my interest in Hopper’s art. My grandfather brought me to Hopper’s childhood home, which has since been turned into a museum, for the first time when I was ten years old. I still remember feeling awed as a young girl just being in the home of such a renowned artist; we visited his childhood bedroom and the spaces that eventually became subjects of his artwork, and I was inspired to find artistic inspiration in my own immediate surroundings.
That’s clearly what Hopper aimed to do. I love that so much of Edward Hopper’s art captures standard American life. While many of Hopper’s paintings are of everyday scenes (homes, bedrooms, and more), his use of light and positioning of human figures adds nostalgic character to even the most mundane of scenes. Hopper’s art can teach us that even day-to-day moments can be striking and noteworthy.
I recently visited an exhibition on Edward Hopper at the Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan. Again, I found myself drawn to “House By The Railroad,” and other paintings that depict houses and restaurants and other run-of-the-mill spaces, made distinctive and beautiful with Hopper’s earnest, light-filled approach. Seeing Hopper’s art again in person brought back many memories and feelings for me, many of them from carefree days with my grandparents in Nyack. Someday, I hope to be able to evoke similar emotion through my own artwork.
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U.s. department of education report:, differences and similarities between public and private schools.
In an attempt to separate the facts from the myths, the essay Public and Private Schools: How Do They Differ? delineates differences and similarities between public and private schools. The findings are based on statistics from a report titled The Condition of Education 1997, published by the National Center for Education Statistics.
The following areas of comparison are explored in the essay:
- Sources of support
- School choice
- School Organization and Management
- School size
- Decision Making for the School and Classroom
- School climate
- Academic programs
- Elementary schools
- High school academic programs
- Support services
SOURCES OF SUPPORT
One defining distinction between public and private schools is their different sources of support. Public schools depend mainly on local, state, and federal funds, and private schools usually gain support mainly from tuition, with some funds coming from other nonpublic sources such as religious organizations, endowments, grants, and charitable donations.
In 1993-94 the average tuition paid by private school students was about $3,100, ranging from a low of about $1,600 in Catholic elementary schools to a high of about $9,500 in nonsectarian secondary schools. Total public school expenditures were about $6,500 per pupil in 1993-94. Comparing private and public school spending, however, is difficult because tuition often covers only part of the total spent in private schools.
SCHOOL CHOICE
School choice, now a hot issue, has traditionally been linked with private schools, but choice is not limited to the private sector. In the private sector, of course, parents have the greatest choices as long as they can afford the tuition or receive financial aid. But in public schools, parents retain some power of choice if, for example, they can afford to select their place of residence to place their children in a particular school district.
In 1993, 11 percent of students in grades 3-12 attended a public school directly chosen by their parents. That year, 9 percent of all students in grades 3-12 attended a private school. Parents of 39 percent of students in grades 3-12 said their child attended an assigned school but that their choice of residence was influenced by where their children would go to school. Thus, fewer than half (41 percent) of the students in these grades went to assigned public schools over which their parents had no direct or indirect choice.
Families with incomes greater than $50,000 have the most choice in schooling for their children. Higher family income leads to greater choice in both public and private schools.
"Many of the ways in which public and private schools differ reflect differences in their student population," says the essay. Students bring to school different characteristics, such as racial/ethnic and linguistic backgrounds or possibly personal problems, that affect their ability to learn.
The following are differences between public and private school students:
- Public schools tend to have more racially and ethnically diverse student populations.
- More children with limited English proficiency attend public schools.
- Teachers report personal problems that obstruct learning more frequently among public school students.
Overall, public and private school teachers tend to come from different racial/ethnic backgrounds, have different qualifications, and be compensated differently.
Here are some contrasts between public and private school teachers:
- Private schools have fewer minority teachers and principals.
- According to certain measures, public school teachers appear to be more qualified than private school teachers. In the 1993-94 school year, for example, 42 percent of public school teachers earned a master's degree in contrast with 30 percent of private school teachers.
- On average, public school teachers receive higher salaries and more benefits than private school teachers.
- Private school teachers express more satisfaction with their working conditions, although teacher attrition is higher in private schools.
SCHOOL ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
School reform often focuses on the organization and management of schools in an effort to maximize school effectiveness. Overall, public and private schools are organized differently in areas such as school and class size. In addition, public and private schools place responsibility for decision making in different areas.
SCHOOL SIZE
Researchers have searched extensively for the ideal school size. In general, smaller schools are thought to be easier to manage and to carry a greater sense of community among students and teachers. Larger schools, within limits, often have a wider array of academic programs and support services.
Public schools tend to have larger enrollments than private schools. In the 1993-94 school year public schools were, on average, at least twice the size of private schools. This finding applied across schools in different types of communities at the elementary and secondary levels.
The average class size is larger in public schools. Smaller classes are generally considered more desirable because they enable teachers to give more individual attention by lightening the teacher's overall workload.
DECISION MAKING FOR THE SCHOOL AND CLASSROOM
Private school principals report more influence over curriculum than their public school counterparts report. Public school principals cited the State Department of Education, school district staff, and even teachers as having more influence over curriculum than they have.
In several school policy areas, private school teachers and principals are more likely than their public school counterparts to believe that they have a great deal of influence. Especially in the areas of setting discipline policy and establishing curriculum, private school teachers in 1993-94 were more likely than public school teachers to report that they had a great deal of influence.
In both public and private schools, the vast majority of teachers thought that they had a good deal of control over some classroom practices, for example, evaluating and grading students, determining the amount of homework, and selecting teaching techniques.
SCHOOL CLIMATE
In the area of school climate, the following findings highlight the contrast between public and private schools:
- Crime and threats are far more common in public schools.
- Public school teachers are far more likely to think that "certain negative student attitudes and behaviors are serious problems in their schools."
- Lack of parental involvement is more likely to be seen as a serious problem by public school teachers.
- "Private school teachers share a greater sense of community within their schools." A strong sense of community among teachers leads to more effective instruction and greater satisfaction with working conditions.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Establishing more stringent academic standards has been a key part of school reform efforts that began in the 1980s. One of the National Education Goals for the year 2000 is that all students be able to show in grades 4, 8, and 12 "competency over challenging subject matter" in a range of subjects.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Public and private schools demonstrated similarities and differences in the following areas:
- Elementary public school teachers spend more time than private school teachers on core subjects.
- Elementary teachers in public and private schools use similar teaching methods.
- Private elementary school teachers handle homework differently than public elementary teachers. Some educators argue that homework is most beneficial to students if teachers collect, correct, and return their assignments. More private elementary school teachers (82 percent) do this than public school teachers (72 percent).
HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
At the secondary level, these differences were found between the private and public sectors:
- "Private high schools appear to have more rigorous academic programs."
- "Graduates of private high schools are much more likely to have taken advanced mathematics and science courses."
SUPPORT SERVICES
Federal and state laws mandate that public schools provide some services that aren't required of private schools.
- Public schools provide a wide array of academic support and health-related services.
- More schools in both sectors are providing extended-day programs, but public schools are behind private schools in this area.
"Although there is much variation in each sector," summarizes the report, "public school students present their schools with greater challenges than do their private school counterparts." Public school students are more likely to come from diverse racial/ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, and public school teachers are more likely than private school teachers to report students and families with problems that somehow obstruct learning.
In general, teachers in public schools more often have certain attributes that are thought to play a key part in effective teaching than do private school teachers. Yet overall private schools are reported by teachers to embody a greater feeling of community, offer more teacher autonomy, and more teacher influence over curriculum.
Finally, an individual student's academic success depends not so much on whether he or she attends a private or public school but rather on a complex interaction of abilities, attitudes, and strengths or problems brought to school; the skills and knowledge of teachers; and the quality of the learning environment.
- Public and Private Schools: How Do They Differ? A copy of the essay that the overview above summarizes is available online, at the Web site of the National Center for Education Statistics.
- Why Public Schools? A Primer on Democracy, Community, and Opportunity The National Education Association of Alaska published an essay challenging the assumptions often made about public and private schools and reaffirming the value of public schools in our society.
- Many Floridians Prefer Public to Private Schools, Says UF Study A University of Florida survey reported many parents said they would not send their children to private schools even if the tuition were paid for.
Article by Sharon Cromwell Education World® Copyright © 2006 Education World
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Answer the essay question asked. This may seem obvious; however, it's very easy to steer off course when you get into a writing groove. Help your child refer back to the question and any associated instructions while they write. Remind them to try to stick to the word count, and make sure to answer all parts of the question.
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Sitting down and trying to take on the immensity of the entire application essay is a sure-fire way to cause stress and writer's block. Instead, think of the initial writing as doodling. First, get your student to focus on getting words down on paper. Afterward, review their writing and search for themes.
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Private schools are often perceived to be more effective, with at least some evidence to buttress that position. In an attempt to separate the facts from the myths, the essay Public and Private Schools: How Do They Differ? delineates differences and similarities between public and private schools. The findings are based on statistics from a ...
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