Facts about Schools

A - Applying to private school

Applying to most private schools has become infinitely easier in the last 10-15 years. That's because you can apply online at most schools. When schools don't have online applications, they usually have all the application forms you need online so you can download them easily.

B - Be aware that diversity is an important part of private schools in the 21st century.

Yes, back in the 1950s and 1960s, you might have been able to say that private schools were elitist. At least, that was the general public's perception of private schools. This perception, of course, was reinforced by the media. In the 21st century, private schools have made diversity and tolerance the center of their mission and philosophy as most schools seek to prepare their students for life and work in a global community.

C - Competitive schools

Many parents have grand ideas about which private schools they want their children to attend. As a result, they focus on the top 10 schools, which receive 10 times as many applicants as they have places for. Having one very competitive school on your shortlist is smart when you also have two relatively safe schools on that list. Just as with investing, t makes no sense to put all your eggs in one basket.

This brief video showcases Phillips Andover Academy.

D - Discipline is part of the

You've seen the articles in major publications such as Forbes and Chicago Magazine. "Top 10 Prep Schools" or "Best Private Schools in ____" These lists invariably contain the names of schools that are familiar. But are these schools the right ones for you? Let me explain why I believe that ranking private schools makes no sense for parents like us who are looking for the right school for our children.

A flawed premise

Ranking private schools is intrinsically flawed from the get-go. Why? Because each private school is a unique entity. The essence of being a private school is that it does its own thing. It accepts the students it wants to accept. It teaches the curriculum it wants to teach. It teaches that curriculum the way it wants to teach. Each private school has its own mission statement, philosophy, code of conduct, programs, and traditions. So how is it possible to compare apples to oranges? That is essentially what ranking private schools attempts to do.

For example, look at all the features of Shattuck-St. Mary's. Maybe another school has some of the same features. Maybe it doesn't. It is up to you to determine what you expect from a private school.

Yes, you can compare things like the number of AP courses, varsity sports, extracurricular activities, and so on. But you normally will make those comparisons when

Many famous people have attended private schools. Here is a sampling of schools and the famous folk who graced their hallowed halls.

• Ashley Hall, Charleston, SC: Alexandra Ripley, Barbara Bush, Madeleine L'Engle
• Baylor School, Chattanooga, TN: Arthur Golden
• The Brooks School, North Andover, MA: Steve Forbes
• Canisius High School, Buffalo, NY: Tim Russert
• Cardinal Hayes High School, New York, NY: George Carlin
• Choate-Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, CT: Glenn Close, Ivanka Trump, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jodie Foster, John Dos Passos, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Michael Douglas
• Cushing Academy, Ashburnham, MA: Bette Davis
• The Dwight School, New York, NY: Paris Hilton
• Emma Willard School, Troy, NY: Jane Fonda
• Episcopal High School, Alexandria, VA: John McCain
• Eton College, Berkshire, England: Prince Harry, Prince William
• The Fieldston School, New York, NY: Andrew Litton
• Gulliver Preparatory, Miami, FL: Enrique Iglesias, George Prescott Bush

• Harding Academy, Nashville, TN: Reese Witherspoon
• Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles, CA: Tori Spelling
• The Hill School, Pottstown, PA: Oliver Stone
• The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT: Archibald MacLeish
• Horace Mann School, New York, NY: Eliot Spitzer
• Kent Denver School, Englewood, CO: Madeline Albright
• Kent School, Kent, CT: Ted Danson
• Lakeside School, Seattle, WA: Bill Gates
• The Madeira School, Mclean, VA: Stockard Channing
• McCallie School, Chatanooga, TN: Ted Turner
• Mercersburg Academy, Mercersburg, PA: James Stewart
• Milton Academy, Milton, MA: Edward Kennedy
• Miss Porter's School, Farmington, CT: Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
• Northfield Mt. Hermon School, Northfield, MA: Natalie Cole, Uma Thurman
• Phillips Academy, Andover, MA: George Herbert Walker Bush, George