Critique school application for my son

[Deleted]

How old is Nick?

All of this sounds super generic and uninteresting.

[Deleted]

I defer to anyone with kids and/or nursery school application experience, but the "become comfortable in his surroundings" would maybe make me think that he has some adjustment issues? Not sure if I'm reading too much into it...

[Deleted]

Good God. 3.5?

Best of luck.

I have no advice.

All 3.5-year-olds are about the same. LOL.

[whitemerlot]

Where do you live that you have to fill out this kind of application for preschool? It reminds me of the documentary Nursery University (which I recommend).

[downtoearth]

I think that sounds fine, but "become comfortable in his surrounds" should be changed to "thrive in an intimate environment" or something about success.

Does he really have fun reading interactive foreign-language books on the i-pad? It sounds very fancy, but in reality is it like he's watching/reading Dora and Diego?

[SJ]

I would either consistently use the Oxford comma or not use it at all. You go back and forth between the styles.

I also think this piece is awkward "...as well as the opportunity to develop sports, musical and artistic proficiency." I would change it to "develop proficiency in music, sports, and the arts" or "to develop athletic, musical, and artistic proficiency."

I know nothing about three year olds so cannot be of much help with the content.

Good luck!

[Deleted]

Honest question: does it matter? Are they really looking for super gifted 3.5 year olds or this is just a part of the process, which makes it seem like it is uber-competitive but they will just take anyone who pays $$$$ and is not an absolute terror? lol

[auberge]

What state/area are you talking about?
How badly do you want to get him into this school? Do you have other options?
Can you offer anything else? volunteer, $$ etc.....

[Deleted]

Add a sentence about wanting him to enjoy playing with other kids, in a diverse environment (unless the school is all white or something)....that it is important for him to be in a nurturing environment. Is the school loosely-gooey or more structured academically? Pick which ever one it is and say that it is important to you. Forget the life-long stuff. Say he loves spaghetti or anything with trains or doing something like going to a museum or playing with his sibling. Personalize it a bit.

And long term you can say something about teaching him to give to others, learn about other cultures and to do work in the community. Some bullshit like that.

If he is shy, say it in a playful way.

********
Johnny is an inquisitive, playful, and shy child who loves playing soccer with his dad, playing with trains, going to the Children's Museum to see the dolphins and starfish, spaghetti with meatballs, and playing Spanish language games with me on my iPad.

Our goals for Johnny's academic career are for him to be in a school that is structured academically but nurturing and mindful of the unique strengths of each child. We would like Johnny to be in a program that teaches him to think globally, to be mindful of others and his environment, and is active in the community.
*********

*excuse grammatical errors - I had to type fast.

[jm1982]

i think it would be useful to specify that the foreign language books are in french, because it makes it a bit less generic-sounding.

[Deleted]

Is this application for a stand alone preschool or is it a preK-- 5th grade type of thing?

[h]

I had to do a similar application for my kids when they were 2 and 4. I think much of the reason for the questions is to make sure that the parents are serious and willing to put forth some effort. They also want to see that you actually have some insight into your kid. These people work with small kids--they know that most 3.5 year olds don't have a lot of unique skills or interests.

That said, I think what you have is generic, but fine. If your child is really interested in something in particular or knows a lot about a subject, then I would go ahead and say it. My 4 yo was really into dinosaurs and had memorized facts about dozens of species, so I told them that. I don't think you have to go out of your way to make your toddler sound erudite. They know kids are kids.

I also think it is fine to be up front about the fact that your kid is shy or needs some help adjusting to new places. That is very typical for his age, and I highly doubt it is something they will hold against him. I was very honest about my kids strengths and weaknesses on the application.

[Deleted]

Also, and obviously this is just my opinion, but I don't feel that a private preschool is going to give a child any sort of "edge" academically.

[Deleted]

Sept 17, 2012 13:32:16 GMT -5 h said:

I had to do a similar application for my kids when they were 2 and 4. I think much of the reason for the questions is to make sure that the parents are serious and willing to put forth some effort. They also want to see that you actually have some insight into your kid. These people work with small kids--they know that most 3.5 year olds don't have a lot of unique skills or interests.

That said, I think what you have is generic, but fine. If your child is really interested in something in particular or knows a lot about a subject, then I would go ahead and say it. My 4 yo was really into dinosaurs and had memorized facts about dozens of species, so I told them that. I don't think you have to go out of your way to make your toddler sound erudite. They know kids are kids.

I also think it is fine to be up front about the fact that your kid is shy or needs some help adjusting to new places. That is very typical for his age, and I highly doubt it is something they will hold against him. I was very honest about my kids strengths and weaknesses on the application.

Best.

[Deleted]

Also, if you are worried, there are advisors who work privately and can help you!

[Deleted]

Sept 17, 2012 13:45:37 GMT -5 @chloe77 said:

Sept 17, 2012 13:30:30 GMT -5 @amoosed said:

Is this application for a stand alone preschool or is it a preK-- 5th grade type of thing?

Pre-K - 12.

Oh ok, then the application seems more legit. I would try to emphasize anything quirky or memorable. You want your son to stick out in the pile of applications.

[Deleted]

Good luck. My sister said it was worse than applying for med school

[chia]

I don't know what area you're in, but you should check out the Forums on the D.C. Urban Mom's website. There's a whole section on expensive private schools, what to put on the applications, what to do in the interview, etc.

It's quite entertaining.
www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/forums/list.page