I would really encourage OP (and their child) to work on acclimating at the current school first. If you still want to transfer in December, you'll absolutely have time. But it's such an important experience for kids to go through a transition, maybe not have it go well at first, but stay positive and make a good faith effort. A lot can change in a few months. What feels like a poor fit might just be the natural adjustment process. If your child has social or academic concerns, they should talk to the advisor, the guidance counselor, etc. ASAP. Make use of all those resources that your tuition includes

That said, I think there are a few specific cases where deciding for sure to apply out now makes sense:

- the commute has turned out to be hellish or you need to move to a different area
- financial circumstances have made the tuition impossible and you need a way less expensive (or free) option
- you're unhappy with a large-scale, unchangeable component of the school, e.g.: secular v. religious, co-ed v. single sex

But anything less concrete than that is worth trying to work though. There's no guarantee a different school will be magically better!

Of the school your DC started a month ago?

Anonymous wrote:I’m curious as well, but I think it’s too early. Is this a 9-12 or K-12? I think coming into a K-12 can be more challenging for kids entering 9th. Is it learning fit, social fit, or both?

Agreed. I think it is better to unpack this before making a rash (and likely emotional) decision. The transfer process will be fairly straight-forward, but I would make sure you really want to leave the current school before reaching out to the new one.

I’m curious as well, but I think it’s too early. Is this a 9-12 or K-12? I think coming into a K-12 can be more challenging for kids entering 9th. Is it learning fit, social fit, or both?

I’d echo the PP and am very curious how the lack of fit is so clear in one month?

Are there other schools your child was accepted to that you think were a better fit? Maybe call them now and ask how they’d handle it.

^adding: you could also ask whether previous test scores (SSAT or ISEE, for example) from last year could still be used or if they want new testing.

Typically there are going to be only a handful of kids applying for 10th grade spots, so the admissions folks may be willing to be a bit flexible.

Some schools require two years of transcript (7th and 8th if applying for 9th, but 8th and 9th for 10th). So you may well need the middle school’s transcript anyway, but you will for sure need to include first semester/trimester grades from the current school.

Most schools expect recommendations from current teachers (often math and English), but you could reach out to the admissions office to ask if you could use or at least supplement with recs from previous teachers who might know your kid better. They might be willing to take one from each, for example, or take one from 8th in addition to the usual ones from current teachers.

All the admissions pages will include info for transfer students, as well. If something specific is unclear, contact the admissions office to ask what exactly is needed.

I'm sorry to hear the school is not a good fit. Can I ask how you are so sure after such a short amount of time? We are at a new school for ninth as well and I am still trying to get a good read on the place...

As far as testing, I think your best bet is to look at the schools you are applying to for 10th grade to see what they require. My guess is that all will require test scores, transcripts, and recommendation letters from current teachers.

We are not happy with our current school (9th). It is our first year and we are going to apply out. Curious if the current school sends the recommendations /scores or if they 8th grade school does or both? Wondering if we will need to retest. I know I can ask the school at some point but we want to be sensitive about the steps we take and the process.