Our star school consultant, Joyce Szuflita of NYC School Help sent me this fantastic post about transferring into a private elementary and/or middle school. It is in direct response to a question she was asked about the possibility of transferring into a private school at 2nd or 3rd grade or middle school if you don’t like your public school. This question might also come up for you if move into a different neighborhood or decide you want to try a private school.
Here is her insightful answer:
Transferring into an Independent (Private) lower School after the initial early prek and kindergarten years can be a challenge. It is totally dependent on attrition. If you want to transfer in 3rd grade you need to be pretty lucky, but it is not impossible if you are determined. It has been the practice in Brooklyn for decades for a certain number of children to transfer in 6th grade (middle school) into the Independent Schools. There are not unlimited spaces, but some of the programs do add seats with the knowledge that this is an entry point. You also need to consider if your child’s birthday is in the fall (the age cutoff is Dec. 31 for public school, but earlier for Independent Schools. There have been children that have had to repeat 5th grade in the Independent Schools) The Public and Independent School admissions processes are not working together to help parents in the middle school years. The Independent Schools offer seats in the early spring and you need to make your decision and put down your deposit in a timely fashion. The public school choice process can drag on long into May and this year into June, so you can’t be on the fence waiting to see if you get the ideal public school placement. There is also the Hunter test in 6th grade for 7th -12 grade at Hunter HS (public) – for some, it is the holy grail of public academically rigorous programs.The thing is, as families are making the choice to raise their kids in the city, and as gas prices rise making that long commute from the burbs look less desirable, families are staying through elementary school into middle and high school. The sweat equity, school support and fantastic grant writing that has helped many elementary schools blossom is extending to middle school. Don’t despair. Middle School is traditionally a wild card (no matter what tony or struggling neighborhood you live in) but there are some long established institutions that are being energized and some new schools coming on board with very strong staffs and vision. The middle school future is looking rosier than not at this point in Districts 13 and 15 at least.
-Joyce Szuflita
www.nycschoolhelp.com