theschoolboards
05-27-2011, 09:22 AM
From Beyond the Brochure (http://beyondthebrochurela.com/why-are-private-elementary-schools-in-la-so-hard-to-get-into/) by Christina Simon:
I stumbled across this post recently:
"LA private school process sucks, and there are fewer schools than NY (at least within reasonable driving area of wherever you live) so there are fewer choices. They are full of siblings and celebrities and then a few diversity admits. If you are white and unconnected, good luck with the most popular schools. On the next tier, you can find spaces..."
This mom writes what many parents in LA think: that it's impossible to get into LA's top private elementary schools unless you are a celebrity, a minority family or your kid is a sibling.
What this mom underestimates is the sheer number of white families in LA private schools who have family money, but not necessarily "connections". Some may be legacies, others are not.
While there is no doubt LA private schools are uber-competitive, it's not impossible to secure a spot for your kid. Every year, all types of families get into the best private elementary schools in LA. We wrote Beyond The Brochure to help parents navigate the admissions process and understand what really happens behind the scenes, how decisions are made and what you need to do to get your child into a great school. Your positive attitude and a sense of optimism are an absolutely necessary component to getting in. A belief that your child will get into the best school possible will help sustain you through the process. And, it will certainly come across as you interview at the schools.
The biggest problem is there are not enough spaces for families who want their kids to attend the top private elementary schools. So, schools must choose among applicants based on subjective and objective factors. Subjective factors can be as subtle as a family's perceived commitment to private school, family wealth, a strong letter of recommendation or a good "fit" between child and school. Objective factors mean things like an equal number of boys and girls in a class.
read more>> (http://beyondthebrochurela.com/why-are-private-elementary-schools-in-la-so-hard-to-get-into/)
I stumbled across this post recently:
"LA private school process sucks, and there are fewer schools than NY (at least within reasonable driving area of wherever you live) so there are fewer choices. They are full of siblings and celebrities and then a few diversity admits. If you are white and unconnected, good luck with the most popular schools. On the next tier, you can find spaces..."
This mom writes what many parents in LA think: that it's impossible to get into LA's top private elementary schools unless you are a celebrity, a minority family or your kid is a sibling.
What this mom underestimates is the sheer number of white families in LA private schools who have family money, but not necessarily "connections". Some may be legacies, others are not.
While there is no doubt LA private schools are uber-competitive, it's not impossible to secure a spot for your kid. Every year, all types of families get into the best private elementary schools in LA. We wrote Beyond The Brochure to help parents navigate the admissions process and understand what really happens behind the scenes, how decisions are made and what you need to do to get your child into a great school. Your positive attitude and a sense of optimism are an absolutely necessary component to getting in. A belief that your child will get into the best school possible will help sustain you through the process. And, it will certainly come across as you interview at the schools.
The biggest problem is there are not enough spaces for families who want their kids to attend the top private elementary schools. So, schools must choose among applicants based on subjective and objective factors. Subjective factors can be as subtle as a family's perceived commitment to private school, family wealth, a strong letter of recommendation or a good "fit" between child and school. Objective factors mean things like an equal number of boys and girls in a class.
read more>> (http://beyondthebrochurela.com/why-are-private-elementary-schools-in-la-so-hard-to-get-into/)