Abacus Mom

Private School Admissions Essays

It's not even June, and believe it or not, I'm already working with parents who are preparing their admissions essays for private school kindergarten.  Here are a few tips for you:

1)  Describe your child in a forthright way that is neither overly modest nor immodest.

2)  Try to be colorful and unique.  Admissions directors are reading hundreds of essays, and trust me, they blend into each other and become dull fast.  You want yours to stand out, in a good way.

3)  Your essay should sound like it is specific to a school, not like you copied and pasted it twelve times.

For help tailored to your unique child and family situation, call 212-712-2228.  Limited enrollment available so reserve your space.

What Do You Think of the UrbanBaby Schools Board?

A lot of people admit to me, usually in an embarrassed tone, "I'm addicted to the UrbanBaby Schools board.  I shouldn't be, especially when it has so much garbage on it."

What I find fascinating about the UrbanBaby Schools board is while there is a lot of garbage, there are also sometimes true gems of information about New York City schools, and some very helpful people.  Parents who have been through the NYC private schools process, or whose children attend Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Riverdale private schools, sometimes take the time to give sensible and valuable advice.  For newbies and unconnected families, the UrbanBaby Schools board can be a useful resource.  Just read critically, and try not to be swept along by the angst. 

Overpressured Admissions, Overpressured Kids: Lenore Skenazy Says Go Free-Range!

I like Lenore Skenazy. I have heard her on NPR and read her blog and articles. She is funny, smart and original, unlike many pundits who just follow the herd. While the typical parenting advice book admonishes us to do this or that to produce a better, more enriched, more primed for success child, Lenore has written the opposite.  Her newly published Free-Range Kids is now available.  Lenore's fundamental advice is that we need to relax. Our kids would be better off if we laid off and gave them more freedom in every realm. Lenore does an excellent job analyzing why contemporary parents worry as much as we do, and she debunks many modern fears as irrational. Free-Range Kids is wise, honest and useful.

I was very flattered to be quoted in Lenore's book.  

"I blame the admissions process for the overpressured situation we're in", says Emily Glickman, who should know.  She's president of Abacus Guide Educational Consulting, and her job is helping New York City parents find a good private school match for their kids.  Every day, she watches how the schools' exponential expectations are driving kids nuts.  "People are always blaming so-called helicopter parents, but if you think about it, private schools are asking so much from our kids.  Even to get into kindergarten, it's good to have a resume.

What could possibly be on a four-year-old's resume--besides applesauce?

"That you've taken art classes, that you're good at sports, that you've done well on the ERB," the entrance exam for private schools, Glickman says.

Time to Apply to Private School?

Neil Parmar of SmartMoney Magazine says that "there may never be a better time to storm the castle walls".  Ready to apply to private school or upgrade?

ERB Prep?

The official word from the schools is, don't prep for the kindergarten ERB.  If your child is found out, it's over for kindergarten admissions.

But despite what the schools claim, ERB prepping is rampant.  It happens at top nursery schools, at educational consultants' offices, at peoples' homes.  Children are not discovered.  On the contrary, prepped kids have a better chance of achieving admission to kindergarten.

There is only one version of the test given by the ERB to get into kindergarten.  If you show a child the real test, and give him the answers to memorize, that's cheating.  This is not how I define prepping, nor is it what I do with my clients.

Instead, prepping is when kids are exposed prior to test day to the types of skills and knowledge required on the ERB.  To me, that's fair.  Nobody should have to take a test cold, especially when they are competing with kids going to nursery schools where these skills and facts are woven into the curriculum.  Every child deserves the same exposure, the same chance to improve his or her skills prior to a high stakes test. 

I am now working with families whose kids are taking the ERB over the summer or in the fall.  If you're interested in learning more, you can email me at eglickman(at)abacusguide.com, or call 212-712-2228 9am -8pm EST.  Limited enrollment available so reserve your child's space.