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What Not to Do When Looking for Schools for Your Child

THE MISTAKE
If I didn’t have the pleasure of doing what I do for a living, I could see exactly what I might do when looking for a school for my child. I’d throw open Google Maps and type in “schools.” I would figure out which schools were nearby and make my list. By jumping on school websites, I would read through the vision, the mission and look at all of the pictures.

 Something would connect with me. I’d open up the application. Fill it out in a few minutes. Some questions would emerge such as, “Tell us about your child.” and “Why do you want to go to this school?” I might fudge my way through such questions, not really knowing that my competition will spend more time here determining the answers to these questions in ways I just don’t have the technical experience to do.
I’ll pay the application fee and send it in.

 

THE REGRET
Later, I will talk with my mom’s friends about the schools we are looking at. They will tell me how they are working with consultants to go through the process. I’ll become intrigued and want to know more. They’ll tell me they are learning about their child and how they learn. They’ll tell me they are doing deep dives into how schools teach and what students learn. So many questions will emerge for them and for me.


I will regret the haste at which I looked at schools and applied to them. I will wonder if what I wrote will be authentic to who my child is and what this school is all about.

 

THE INVESTMENT
My investment in my child’s education, whether I am having my child prepare for public or private schools is one of the most important I’ll make. As much as I can do on my own to understand my child as a learner and as much as I can understand the school options, I will not be able to do it in the same way as someone whose profession is to assess children and their families and teach about schools.

 

THE EEC DIFFERENCE
Each year, Evolved Education School Placement Advisors work with three to six families through the admissions process. In this way, each advisor can do a deep dive into who your child is as a person, as a learner, and as a school community member. The advisor can bring an intimate knowledge of schools in your landscape to match your child. In this way, not only are you able to create a beautiful, matched-to-your-child application, but also you are putting forth effort toward applying to best-fit schools.


My favorite aspect of the work we do with families is just how they come to learn about their children and how their children learn about themselves. The investment made with Evolved Education School Placement Advisors extends beyond the placement process in this way. The student uses their knowledge of themselves to extend their capabilities within their next educational adventure.


One student we just left off with discovered he had perfectionistic tendencies which were causing his school application essays to take a very, very long time to complete. His advisor pointed this out to him and they worked together on tools to approach this tendency in a healthy way. Now, going into high school, this student has strategies to handle the high goals he sets for himself. Likely, he will have to write long papers as a freshman, and likely, they will not be coupled with the lagging skills he had which caused these tasks to take a very long time.

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