Abacus Mom

Families Now Starting the 2010-2011 Private School Admissions Process

I'm sorry to say that if you're applying to private school in Fall 2010 for Fall 2011 entry, it's already time to start planning.  If you want to work with me, my schedule is filling, so please call soon:  212-712-2228 or email eglickman(at)abacusguide.com.  I help families with planning, choosing appropriate private schools, parent and child interview prep, ERB prep, essay, thank you, reference and first choice letter writing.  My schedule gets busier and busier as the weeks pass, until I no longer accept new clients, so now is the time to call.  I look forward to hearing from you about your child.

Now NYC PUBLIC School Incoming Kindergarteners Waitlisted

Unfortunately, some parents of incoming Manhattan public school kindergarteners are receiving wait list letters.  According to The New York Times,

The lists are longer this year at some schools on the Upper West Side and Upper East Side in Manhattan. Public School 87, on West 78th Street, has space for 130 kindergartners, and 111 children are on the waiting list. Across Central Park at Public School 290, 91 students are on the waiting list, nearly as many as the school admitted. 

Other schools with long waiting lists include Public School 183 and Public School 6 on the Upper East Side, each with more than 50 students, and Public School 199 on the Upper West Side, with 47 students.

Now that it is already late March, how difficult for parents, and young children, not to know where they will be going to elementary school this fall.  Families' fallback--their local public school--is no longer necessarily there.  That makes it impossible to plan for the future.

How can a young family buy an apartment if their children can't necessarily attend an acceptable private or public school?  A lot of people will be heading for the suburbs.

Why I Like Being an Educational Consultant / Private School Advisor

Received this email from a Manhattan client, a lovely woman, today:

Thank you again for everything --  your big-picture guidance, coupled with your precise and specific feedback on multiple essays, interview preparation, and even thank you notes, ensured <child's name>'s admission into our first-choice school. Getting into private school in NYC really requires a strategy plan, and we are grateful for your guidance in crafting one that was successful.

Kindergarten Help for Preschoolers with Special Needs

As many parents of next year's kindergarteners talk proudly about where their children will go to school, families with preschoolers who have or may have special needs often wonder: what about MY child?  How can I help him reach his maximum potential?  Where can I find the best tutors, therapists, and schooling support?

Consultant Toby Glick of ParentConfidante can help you.  This is the time to call her--before her spring rush:  646-300-1881.

Bloomberg Admissions Article Doesn't Tell The Whole Story

Bloomberg News reported on Friday that ERB test takers and applications to private schools were slightly down.

True, many people's finances have been battered, and many no longer want to take on the burden of private school tuition.  However, there's more to the story:

• In NYC, there are still loads of wealthy people who are eager to send their children to the top schools.  While the middle class may not be stretching, many on Wall Street and in the entertainment world are doing just fine.  I know--these families have been calling me for admissions assistance.  I also know, because 2010 was a very competitive admissions year.
• It is now well known that without a top ERB score, it's very hard to get into private school kindergarten.  That's why there's rampant test prep, a trend that was pronounced in 2009 and 2010.  Many applicant parents pull their children out of the process when they realize that Junior's subpar ERB scores won't get her into Dalton and its ilk.  That explains why Dalton saw a minuscule drop in applications.
• At the same time, many people don't want to pay $35,000 or so for a non-status brand school.  Hence, in economic downturns, these lower status schools are vulnerable.  That said, even with the current economy, many formerly so-called "safety schools" are now taking only high ERB kids.
• Public schools in many of the better zones are in chaos.  People who can afford it are going private, people who can't are relocating.