Bethesda/Westland/BCC or private...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:17:26 here -- I think it's easier to apply for middle school in two respects: 1) you have a better sense of your child as a learner and can make better choices about schools that would be a good match for him/her, thus, your child is more likely to get into those schools; and 2) admissions decisions at middle and high school are based on the child's academic record over several years, whereas PK/K admissions are based on a single test, a single playdate/visit, a single parent interview and a single recommendation from preschool. To me, applying for PK/K would have been way more stressful.

If we're talking about the switch from public to private, the difficulty is in finding a spot since most private schools are pre-K to 8. So those children enrolled from the very beginning will continue to move forward. Furthermore, culturally and socially it's a difficult adjustment b/c most of the students have already formed social networks.

Now, if we're talking about the switch from private to public, I think you make some excellent points. Finding a good school that matches his/her needs will be easier b/c you're right in that the child (most) understands his/her learning style and has developed interests. Also, transferring from a smaller, private environment to a larger, public one is a difficult adjustment, but there are many more social outlets and a broader range of students. So finding a niche just may be easier in the long run.