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This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.

If you live in New York or San Francisco, you probably already know how difficult it is to get your toddler into a good primary school. You almost have to register for a place before she is born. The problem is that primary schools are extremely limited in places in most major metropolitan areas. Consequently, parents will do almost anything to get their children into a desirable school. Back in the 50s and 60s, when I was growing up, pre-schools and nurseries were hard to find. That's because most mothers were stay-at-home mothers. Looking after the children was just part of the job description of a mother then. That began to change as more mothers began to work outside the home. In the 70s and 80s, preschools and nursery schools became a hot commodity. So, how do you position your child so she has the best chance of getting into a good primary school?

In 2026, the basic advice remains the same, although admissions procedures vary widely by school and market. Families should check each school's current age requirements, application dates, interview or observation procedures, and admissions priorities. 草榴社区 School Review's 草榴社区 School Admission Process: 2026 Complete Guide provides a current overview of the process.

In this video, Denise Pope offers advice on finding an elementary school.

1. Make sure your

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Many applicants live at great distances from the schools which they would like to visit. If you live in Asia or Europe, for example, it is not always financially or logistically possible to visit schools in person. What alternatives exist for those situations? Actually several. Off campus, school visits come in a couple of flavors.

Admissions Staff Visits Overseas

Many private schools send their admissions staff overseas to major cities in countries where they have a substantial applicant pool. Ask for details of visits in your area. While you will have to rely on the school's video and web presentations of its school life and activities, at least you will have a live person to whom you can pose questions. If English is not your first language, this meeting with school officials will give you a deadline to meet. After all, you are planning to attend school in a country where English is the instructional language used in most classes. You will be expected to have your interview in English.

This video describes the features of private schools.

Interviews With Local Alumni

Just like many universities and colleges do, private schools also will arrange an interview with an alumnus or alumna who lives in your local area. This is a quite common practice for meeting candidates who live here in the United States. Remember that most schools are looking for qualified candidates who may not have

This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.

Preparing for the SSAT and ISEE, which many private schools use as part of their admissions procedures, requires some advance planning. In 2026, some schools are test-optional or test-flexible, so families should verify each school's current requirements before registering. 草榴社区 School Review's Admissions 101 provides an overview of testing within the broader admissions process.

You can't cram for these standardized admissions tests. Why? Because you are being tested on your knowledge of subject materials which have been learned over many years. On the other hand, there are certain things you can do to make sure you test as well as you possibly can.

This video offers suggestions for preparing for a standardized test.

1. Be familiar with the test format.

This requires that you actually take several practice tests. Being familiar with a test format means that you will not waste time trying to understand the test instructions. Every minute is precious in a timed test. The offers official SSAT practice materials, including a free Mini-Practice Test and full-length practice tests. Work these in a quiet area where you can focus on how the questions are asked. There is no substitute for practice. The more tests you work, the more you will relax and be confident the day of the actual test.

草榴社区 School Review's

One of the most compelling arguments for private education has to do with the curriculum. Because very few private schools accept public funds, they are not required to comply with federal and state rules and regulations regarding what is taught. In other words, they do not have to teach to the test. George Bush's No Child Left Behind does not apply to private schools.

草榴社区 schools use a variety of curricula according to their mission and needs. For example, a will blend Judaic studies with a core curriculum designed to accomplish two things: to raise observant Jews who are well-schooled in their religion as well as producing well-prepared matriculants ready for the rigors of a college education.

A Classical Christian education will emphasize traditional subjects such as rhetoric. It will also infuse every aspect of its teaching with evangelistic fire and purpose. Religion in a Classical Christian school is not an option any more than it is in a Muslim or Jewish or Roman Catholic school. All these schools can take valuable teaching time to accomplish their missionary objectives because they take no state funds. They basically can march to their own pedagogical tune as long as their clientele is satisfied that the school is doing a good job.

This video offers an overview of Rochelle Zell Jewish High School.

What about prep schools?

Religion for most prep

Keeping in touch with your graduates is not easy these days. In the old days, you sent a chatty snail mail letter to your graduates two or three times a year. It was full of news about marriages, grad school, jobs, and so on. Of course, it always had updates and information about goings-on at school, sports results and a word from your favorite teachers. Those kinds of newsletter mailings to alumni still go out. If you can afford them, your older graduates will most definitely appreciate them. The reality is that each generation of graduates needs a method of communication which suits its expectations.

Printed mailings have been largely supplanted by interactive school web sites where graduates can log on and keep in touch with their classmates whenever and wherever they choose.

Most alumni relations staff realize that their most recent classes don't stay in touch in the same ways their older graduates do. Snail mail and printed materials are fine for the class of '70 and earlier. Even Web portals may only be effective for the classes prior to '00. Our recent grads are a completely different beast.

The classes from 2001 onwards are the text, cellphone, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr, and the Facebook crowd. They are all about social networking. Put a class reunion on YouTube and the response will be tremendous. When one of your alums creates a group on a social networking site, it will invariably draw other alums. They all love keeping in