As a parent, helping your child select the right high school can often feel like a difficult balance between allowing them to have input and helping ensure they make the best choice. How much input is too much? Should the decision be based solely on the desires of your student? As a parent, do you make the final call as to which high school they attend even if they don’t agree?

Just like with any decision, breaking it down into practical steps can help make what feels like a huge task, more manageable. Each year, I enjoy welcoming families into my office during any stage of the high school search process to help them develop questions, narrow down their searches, or even help make the final selection. While I offer you the following guidelines, please know that my door is always open to help. 

1. Pre-Game: Brainstorm Your Family’s Top Criteria

Helping your student take some ownership in the decision, along with open and honest communication about expectations, will help ensure everyone is pleased with the final choice. Before you even begin the conversation about particular schools, consider having your child write down the factors that are most important to him or her. As a parent, you can do the same. Then, compare your lists. What are the no-compromise items? What factors are ideal but not required in a high school? Then, when researching schools, continue to revisit your lists to make sure the school meets your family’s expectations. 

If you are not sure where to begin, consider what U.S. News and World Report stated as “Ten Things to Consider When Picking Your Child’s High School.”

1. Academic Programs Offered
2. Cost
3. Diversity
4. Size
5. Student-Teacher Interaction
6. Graduation and College Attendance Rates
7. School Culture
8. Technology and Resources
9. Extracurricular Activities
10. Parent Engagement

2. Begin Your Research: Attend High School Night

One way to get a big-picture look at a variety of different schools is to attend our High School Night. Similar to a college fair, each fall we invite representatives and students from more than 15 different high schools to visit with our families. We host an array of public, private and independent schools, both day and boarding. Many parents find this to be a vital step in the decision process. Representatives share information about the location and backgrounds of their schools, the classes, and electives offered, the demographic background of their student body and the extra-curricular opportunities available. 

3. Gain Experience: Visit Multiple High Schools

Following High School Night, meet again as a family to talk about which schools your child would like to visit. At Stanley Clark, 8th-grade students have a fall high school visit day built into their schedules. Visiting at least two to three high schools is recommended. This allows the student to experience different school settings, picture themselves as a student, and then determine if it’s a good fit.

While on the visit, it is important to be prepared with questions to ensure you get the most from your visit. Be observant, and watch for examples of your criteria. Research online ahead of time, read reviews and try to connect with current parents and students.

Here are a few questions you might consider:

• What is the mission of the school?
• Does this school have a particular curriculum focus, such as International Baccalaureate (IB), STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) or the Arts?
• What kind of support is on hand for student needs?
• What is the school’s philosophy/approach to assignments/homework?
• What is an average class size?
• How is technology used?
• What extracurricular opportunities (service learning, sports teams, competitive academic teams, performing arts) are available for students?
• How is college counseling handled? 
• Are Advanced Placement (AP) and honors classes offered? Are there any classes offered for college credit?

After the visit day, consider whether the school can be added to a list of possibilities or should be ruled out. List out the pros and cons and determine if the school is a good fit for your family.

Make the Decision

Ultimately, when all is said and done, select the school that is the right fit for YOUR student’s individual needs. Stanley Clark students go to a variety of public, private, and independent schools, both day and boarding, throughout our area and around the country. Clark students are prepared and ready to attend whichever school they choose. Our 8th-grade students have the tools from their experiences and time at Clark to articulate what they are looking for in school and the resilience to make their high school experience a profound and positive one.

About the Author

Tara Grove

Head of Middle School, Interim Head of Early Childhood and Lower School

tgrove@stanleyclark.org