Eleanor Munson, PhD

Dallas Educational Consultants

ESD

Wait List, Wait Pool …. Stressful No Matter the Name!

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Munson phd consultantTom Petty had it right …. “the waiting is the hardest part.”  A number of parents I’ve spoken to this week have received news that their child has been put in the wait pool.  Hockaday, St. Marks, Greenhill, Good Shepherd, and Parish are some of the schools that have parents sitting on pins and needles in hopes that a spot will open up.

Many schools have moved away from having a traditional ‘wait list’ and now use a ‘wait pool.’  Both are for students that meet the school’s entrance requirements but are not offered a place.  A waitlist means that for each grade prospective students are ranked, so that when a spot opens up the first on the list gets an offer.  The next opening goes to the second person on the list, and so on.  Schools that maintain lists tend to be smaller, have a smaller number of applicants, and may use the sign-up date as a basis for entry.

A waiting pool consists of all of the ‘approved’ students for each grade, without any ranking.  If a spot opens up, the admissions committee reconvenes to review the students again to determine who is offered the spot.  Though it requires more work on the part of the school, it also gives them the most flexibility, as they may consider gender and other variables that change from year to year, grade to grade.

Honestly, when your child is ‘approved’ for admission but denied a place, it stings.  You know how wonderful your child is, why doesn’t the school see that?  As difficult as it is, try not to take it personally.  There are many reasons why another child was offered a spot.  She may be a sibling, a member of the church, an alumna child…you’ll never really know.  The best thing you can do is let the school know you are still interested and then just wait……and hope.

© Eleanor Munson, PhD. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Eleanor Munson, PhD is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Eleanor Munson, PhD with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Do You Have to be Gifted to go to a Top Dallas Private School?

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private schoolThere’s nothing that elicits more conversation among parents than a mention of applying to private schools.  Few topics evoke such strong and varied emotions.  Stress, anxiety, confusion, worry, fear, and even the occasional nightmare accompany the process these days.  But it wasn’t always this way.  It’s interesting to hear what parents have to say about the application process back in the 1970’s.  Yes, there were admissions tests, but if your child was reasonably bright you just filled out the form and put down a deposit.  I don’t mean to imply that anyone could get into to Hockaday, St. Marks, or Greenhill (ESD was just getting started) but it was certainly more of parent’s choice situation, rather than the other way around.

The Admissions Process Today

Fast forward…and my how things have changed.  Officially, admissions season begins the September before you want your child to begin.  The fall is filled with open houses, tours, and CATS testing (ability testing done one-on-one with a psychologist) for younger students.  Application due dates begin in November and run into January, depending on the grade you are applying for.  Once the application is in, most schools require their own group testing on a Saturday morning for younger students.  Some schools require a parent interview as well.  For older (5th grade+) students, the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) should be taken in January.  Older applicants are encouraged (and in some cases required) to spend a day at the school visiting, as well as interviewing.  And then it all comes to a halt, and you are left with the painful two-month wait.  The top Dallas private schools have adopted a tradition of sending out decision letters the Friday prior to the start of spring break (usually in mid-March).  So parents receive their letter on Saturday and must wait a week before they have contact with anyone at the school.

But do you have to be gifted?

In short, no.  Certainly schools want bright students, but your child needn’t be a genius to attend.  Ruth Burke, Director of Admission and Financial Aid at the Episcopal School of Dallas, says independent schools “typically serve students who have above-average cognitive ability and have demonstrated above-average achievement – which includes, but is not limited to, gifted students.”  Mrs. Burke notes that students who do well in independent schools have “a solid work ethic, intellectual curiosity, motivation to succeed, and support at home.”  Gifted or not, students that lack these qualities may not find academic success at a top Dallas private school.  Schools in Dallas such as ESD, Mrs. Burke says, take into consideration the whole child – intellectual curiosity, the potential for leadership, creativity, co-curricular interests and activities, special talents, and school achievement.  She strongly recommends that parents learn the mission of the schools they are researching and be sure that they match what they are looking for in a school for their child.

How to tackle the Admissions process

Experts suggest an educational consultant to help you through the admissions process.  Consultants, such as myself, can suggest schools that meet the criteria that’s important to you, your child, and your family.  It’s important to give yourself plenty of time to visit schools and decide if they “fit” your child.  Once your application is in and your child has been tested, it’s time to put it to rest until March.  Then, hopefully, you’ll get the answer you’re hoping for in the mail.  Have faith….there are a myriad of schools in Dallas to choose from.  There is certainly a place for your child.

© Eleanor Munson, PhD. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Eleanor Munson, PhD is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Eleanor Munson, PhD with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.