Congratulations! Your eighth-grader has received offers from secondary schools and now the ball is back in your family's court to make a final decision. Accepted student events can hold a tremendous allure for young teens, but discerning where your child should matriculate must be based on more than a tempting re-visit experience. Here are four questions to ask your child to consider when making a final school choice:
- Do the teachers and teaching style at the school connect with the way you learn best? Do you enjoy the Harkness-style, for example, or prefer a teacher-led classroom?
- Will you feel toward the head of the class, versus the middle or bottom? Will the challenge of the curriculum feel appropriate?
- How do you want to grow in the next four years? Think of yourself not just as a ninth-grader, but all the way through the next four years. Which environment and set of people will best help you achieve that vision you have for yourself?
- In which environment will you be able to most grow as a leader? Will you have the extracurricular opportunities you love and will you be able to grow and develop as a leader within your interest?
Once you decide, be sure to communicate your decision to all of the schools that spent a great deal of time getting to know your child and your family. Releasing an offer potentially allows a school to tap their waitlist, providing an opportunity to another deserving student.
Also remember, once your child has made their decision, encourage them to enjoy their final days of eighth grade and make the most of their secondary school experience wherever they decide to enroll.
