Let’s Admit It

Applying for kindergarten, middle or high school is a complicated process

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With so many educational options available, most families can use a little guidance when it comes to admissions calendars and processes at local private schools. We checked in with 10 local schools to find some answers for families of future kindergarteners, middle- and high-schoolers who are interested in the independent school route. 

If your child is pre-kindergarten

Considering a private kindergarten? Then it is not a bad idea to start exploring when your child is 4 or even 3 years old, many school administrators suggest. You’ll want to apply for kindergarten by December or January of your child’s final pre-K year, and the process typically includes testing, interviews and family visits. Early applications also help when considering financial aid to fund your child’s tuition.

At Elijah House Academy in Chesterfield County, Admissions Coordinator K.J. Washington conducts tests and interviews with children and parents, and often receives 40 applications for 15 spaces. “We have a waiting list,” he says, so there is some flexibility for children who apply by January and don’t get in. “It all depends, and that’s why we encourage families to apply as early as possible.” Likewise, at The Steward School in Henrico County, Director of Admissions Robin Oliff suggests applying by the second week of January, because many area schools send acceptance letters by the third week of February. Steward does not have a waiting list or pool for kindergartners. At Saint Bridget School, children take a standardized readiness assessment administered by teachers, and each fall, the school hosts an open house for families of prospective kindergartners. 

Testing is fairly standardized for many incoming kindergartners: The WPPSI-IV (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence) test is used at most Richmond-area schools, and Steward has a readiness screening day when teachers and the headmaster meet all applicants. “We check their fine motor skills. We check basic letters and numbers,” Oliff says, “all the while knowing that their exposure is going to be different, depending on where they were in preschool.” 

As far as making sure a school is a good fit for your child, Oliff and Washington heartily recommend visiting early and often. “I would encourage families to be hands-on in the process,” Washington says, and Oliff mentions Steward’s “Play With a Purpose” day for kindergarten applicants to test out the toys and classrooms so they’re familiar with the school. 

“My first advice is to consider all their options,” says Pamela Wray, who was Saint Bridget’s admissions and development director for eight years before taking the same position at St. Joseph’s School in Petersburg this summer. “There are wonderful public schools, private schools and parochial schools. My best advice is to consider that there is more than one right school for your child. I think the more you look, the better decision you make.” She also recommends talking to parents whose children already attend a school, and not to put all of your hopes on one school.

If your child is turned down, often an admissions counselor or another person will be able to answer questions and offer advice. Sometimes, a child may benefit from an extra year in preschool, Washington says, or perhaps further testing, adds Oliff. For every family, whether their child is admitted at Steward or not, Oliff and her colleagues offer feedback on what kind of learner the child is and what sort of educational needs he or she has. 

“My wish for every parent is that you have that moment when you know your child is in the right place,” Wray says.

For the middle-school crowd

One important thing to note: Private middle schools often start at fifth grade, a year before public middle schools. That doesn’t mean that your child, if moving from public to private, needs to start in fifth. But it does mean you may want to start looking at schools in third or fourth grade. 

Testing, again, is fairly standardized at area middle schools. Sabot at Stony Point, like other schools, gives applicants the WISC test (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) and an in-house assessment of math and literacy. Collegiate School also gives the CTP (Comprehensive Testing Program) and ERB (Educational Records Bureau) admissions tests used at many competitive private schools. At Orchard House School, however, testing is not required, although applicants have one-on-one and family interviews, and the school considers assessments from their past teachers. 

Beyond academics, schools for middle-schoolers are focused on supporting students through a traditionally difficult period of childhood while letting them have freedom to figure out their own paths. “When you get into middle school, it’s a little bit of a different ball of wax, because children are becoming more independent,” says Maggie Barrett, director of admissions for Sabot at Stony Point. “Sixth grade — for anybody — is pretty rocky. You need to let your child bump up against the things that are hard. That helps them build resilience, rather than parents coming to the rescue.” 

In The Fan, Orchard House is for girls in grades 5 through 8, and its teachers and administrators emphasize leadership, resilience and grit. “In a girls’ school, every leadership role is filled by a girl,” says Laura Haskins, head of school. “It’s normal.” This experience also helps girls advocate for themselves as they enter high school and college, especially in coed atmospheres. “I always encourage people to come to the school and see the social interaction,” adds Melody Imburg, director of admissions. “You actually need to walk the halls.” 

Collegiate also has single-gender classes (for core subjects) for children in fourth through eighth grade, in part because boys and girls are at different developmental stages at that age, says Brent Miller, director of admissions for the middle and upper schools. “They’re able to function in a system that’s better for them,” he says. But in art, music and drama classes, as well as lunch periods, the school is fully coed.

Wait pools or lists exist at all three schools, and they offer mentorship and “pals” for students and families new to the community. “We try really hard to pair new families up with current families,” Barrett says. Orchard House helps connect fifth-graders with eighth-graders in a “little sister” arrangement. And at Collegiate, Assistant Head of School J.P. Watson experienced the CougarPal system for himself when his family moved to Richmond in 2015. His daughter, a seventh-grader, was assigned a pal to help her get accustomed to the school.

“She was able to find a core group of girls who took her under their wing,” he says. “For a father, that’s a good feeling.”

Often at smaller schools like Orchard House, which has fewer than 80 students, admissions is like putting together a puzzle, figuring out a good balance of talents, strengths and personalities among students. Imburg says that despite disappointment, she wants parents of children who aren’t accepted to their school of choice to remember one important thing: “There’s nothing wrong with your child.”

For families of high school freshmen

As you’d expect, the battery of tests at most schools becomes more demanding as students age, but that is the case whether your child is applying to private schools, specialty centers or a governor’s school. And most families start visiting schools and exploring their children’s options in seventh grade, although some start in sixth. But academics are not the only concern; so is character. 

At St. Gertrude High School, a Catholic girls’ prep school for grades 9 through 12 based in the Museum District, “we’re always looking at students who are interested in our mission,” says Meredith McNamara, director of admission. Girls can follow any faith or none, she says, “but [they] need to want to give back to the community. First and foremost is a genuine, caring personality and the willingness to put yourself out there and find out who you are.” 

At New Community School, in Richmond’s North Side, the testing standards are somewhat different, given the school’s focus on students with dyslexia and related learning differences. Applicants take the WISC test and have one-on-one testing, because, other than language issues, New Community students are often of above-average intelligence, says Carolyn Tisdale, director of the upper school (grades 9-12) and admissions. 

“Does the child need us?” she says. “That’s what we’re looking for.” Over the years, New Community has grown significantly, from an enrollment of 50 students in its first year, 1974, to 175 this coming year, covering grades 5 through 12. The school’s new academic building, with dedicated art and science classrooms, as well as smaller spaces for language-acquisition tutoring, opens this fall.

At St. Christopher’s School in Richmond’s West End, Director of Admissions Cary Mauck takes teacher recommendations and GPA into consideration, as well as the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test), which The Steward School, Collegiate and Benedictine also use. “At the end of the day, we try to look at students through a variety of lenses,” Mauck says. “We grow our class a little bit from eighth grade to ninth.” 

He adds that the all-boys environment helps students stay focused and also explore their interests, whether it’s a sport, an academic team or robotics. “If you like to sing,” Mauck says, “please join the choir immediately.” 

At all three schools, visiting is encouraged. St. Christopher’s holds its initial open house on Election Day because public schools are often closed, and boys and their families can meet teachers, attend classes and have lunch. Both St. Gertrude and St. Christopher’s offer shadowing for students, and New Community is open all year for tours by appointment. The schools also offer financial aid, and applying earlier in the school year gives families more options. 

The reward for teachers and administrators comes when they see their students succeed and thrive. “Many of our students come to us not trusting school,” says Dan Stackhouse, New Community’s media coordinator. “They learn to trust teachers, trust that they’re smart and trust that it will get better.”