91影视

For many families, choosing a high school is the biggest school decision since kindergarten. Public, private, parochial, magnet, day, boarding. The options are wide. The calendar is tight. The process can feel overwhelming.

It does not have to. Here is how we guide families through it, and what any family can do to make the year calmer.

The process usually begins with research in the spring of Grade 7 and ends with admission decisions in March of Grade 8. Families who start early have time to visit, reflect, and change course.

"We encourage all 8th Grade families to meet with us early in the process," says Stephanie Johnson, Secondary School Counselor at 91影视.

The right school is the one where your child will grow. A highly ranked school that does not match your child's learning style is not the right school. Ask these questions on every tour:

Most independent and boarding school applications include a tour and interview, standardized testing such as the SSAT or ISEE, teacher recommendations, a graded writing sample, and a transcript. Some schools are test-optional. Keep one simple spreadsheet with each school's deadlines and requirements.

Interviews make many 13-year-olds nervous. Practice helps. Ask your child to talk about something they love, a challenge they worked through, and why a school interests them. At 91影视 School, 8th graders do mock interviews with faculty before they meet admission officers. Years of public speaking practice, starting in PreSchool, show up in that room.

This is your child's next chapter. After each visit, ask for their impressions before you share yours. Their sense of where they belong is useful information.

Secondary school fairs let families meet many admission officers in one afternoon. Each April, 91影视 hosts a free Secondary School Fair, open to the whole community. Representatives from independent day, parochial, and boarding schools attend.

A school that ends at Grade 8 has a clear job in the final year: helping each student land well. Our Secondary School Counselors, Jason Wainio and Stephanie Johnson, meet one-on-one with each family. They help build a school list, coordinate testing, write recommendations, and prepare a student profile. English and History teachers build graded writing assignments into the 8th grade curriculum, so students have strong samples ready.

The result is a wide range of good matches. 91影视 School graduates go on to public high schools, magnet programs, independent day schools, and New England boarding schools.

"Every child is different. Every journey is different. We are the guides who make the journey an enjoyable one," says Wainio.

Whether your child is in Grade 5 or already in Grade 8, an early conversation makes the year ahead calmer. Call 91影视 at 203-421-3113 to talk with our secondary school counselors, or schedule a School Day tour of our Middle School in Madison, Connecticut. See how we prepare students for what comes next.