Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree. Most kids aren’t leaving for first grade after all that hullabaloo to get into K unless some huge life change for the family which happens sure but nothing to plan around. I’d focus on setting the child up in the best possible elementary situation and nurture them there until another entry point.

eh, some schools have more spots in 1st. it's the main entry point at St Ann's, for example.

Re St. Ann's- that might have been true decades ago. A friend who's my age (late 30s) went to Grace nursery back when it still had a K and went to St. Ann's afterward for 1st. Hasn't been true for a long time now. Of the nursery schools, only Plymouth still has a kindergarten and it's a transitional class for late birthdays. Kindergarten is now the main entry point.

Depends on the school.

Anonymous wrote:Agree. Most kids aren’t leaving for first grade after all that hullabaloo to get into K unless some huge life change for the family which happens sure but nothing to plan around. I’d focus on setting the child up in the best possible elementary situation and nurture them there until another entry point.

eh, some schools have more spots in 1st. it's the main entry point at St Ann's, for example.

Agree. Most kids aren’t leaving for first grade after all that hullabaloo to get into K unless some huge life change for the family which happens sure but nothing to plan around. I’d focus on setting the child up in the best possible elementary situation and nurture them there until another entry point.

Anonymous wrote:I don't know about consultants, but my kid didn't get into the two private schools we applied to for K. We planned to apply again for 1st, but we LOVED our public school. Did do private for HS. He's at Princeton now.

For our second kid, we didn't even apply to private.

Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s a great reminder that what matters most is finding the right fit for the child and the family, not just focusing on school rankings. After all, there’s more than one path to success.

Have you been in touch with the Parents League? If not, I'd start there.

It depends. Which school are you trying to apply for?

I don't know about consultants, but my kid didn't get into the two private schools we applied to for K. We planned to apply again for 1st, but we LOVED our public school. Did do private for HS. He's at Princeton now.

For our second kid, we didn't even apply to private.

There are consultants at different price range and offer different services from checking for opening to reviewing application / preparing child for assessment. It will depend on how committed you are to going private and willingness to spend upwards of $20K.

Spots do occasionally open up but I don’t know if a consultant is necessary - this is much more of a “lucky break” situation, whether your kid gets in for 1st will mostly rest on factors no consultant can help with.

If your kid turns out to be happy at public I’d suggest you focus more your energy on enriching that experience - extracurriculars, music lessons, tutoring if they struggle with anything - and maybe pay for a check-in with a consultant every couple years to think about how to set them up well for middle school admissions.

Our son was rejected from our #1 school (an all boys K-8). We came from an nursery school with no real exmissions or connection with the school. We plan to put him in public, but wonder if it makes sense to hire a consultant to apply to the school for 1st? I realize there also has to be a spot available. So hoping for advice.