4 Ways Private School Prepares Your Child For College Success

Nan Menon

PrivateSchoolPathesPathToCollegeSuccess

As parents, our child’s achievement is always a primary focus. We want them to be happy, do well and ultimately pick a profession that will fulfill them as well as allow them financial freedom. We know the choices we make by selecting our child’s school will have great impact on their further education.

Did you know that approximately 95% of graduates from non-parochial private high schools continue on to a four-year post-secondary institution?  Compared to the 49% of public school graduates, this statistic really says something about the ways that private school can prepare a student for the academic path. 

Here are four reasons why private school sets your kid up for college success:

1) Private School Provides More Individual Attention From A Guidance Counselor

Guidance counselors are key figures in your child’s college planning and admittance.  

According to a study done by the National Association for College Admittance Counseling (NACAC), counselors at public schools have a median caseload of 299 students while counselors at private high schools have a median caseload of 106 students. 

With such startling statistics about the amount of attention one counselor can give to each individual student, it is no wonder that private schools have an impeccable reputation for college placement and admissions.  

This is particularly poignant in light of the NACAC finding that the odds of a student planning to enroll in a college or university with a bachelor’s degree program increase by 37% after speaking to a counselor about going to college. 

2) Private Schools Have Higher Academic Standards

A 2011 study by the New York City Education Department found that of the 70 New York City High Schools which earned an “A” on the city’s high school progress report, 46 had a rate of remediation over 50%.  

This means that even the best public schools are having difficulty preparing students for college.  We want better for our students, and because of our rigorous academic programming we can supply it.  

In 2012, 83% of private school grads who took the ACT met or surpassed this test’s college readiness benchmark score in the English section.  Compare that to the 64% of graduates from public schools who did the same, and the numbers become clear.

3) Private School Teaches College-Prep Skills

A report released in January of 2014 by the National Center for Education Statistics revealed that in 2002, tenth graders in private high schools were approximately twice as likely to receive a bachelor’s degree or higher by 2012 than their public school colleagues.

One of the key reasons for this is the skills that a private education teaches. Rather than teaching to a state-mandated test, private school education focuses on 21st-century life skills like computer literacy, public speaking, and problem-solving. 

A student’s academic IQ benefits from this, but so does their emotional IQ.  Such life skills are invaluable in the classroom, the workplace, and beyond.

4) Private School Teaches Better Planning Skills

With its rigorous academic schedule and course load, the private school environment teaches students to manage their time and workload effectively.  

This ability, along with the independent problem solving associated with the inquiring minds that are highly valued in a private school environment, gives a student an edge when it comes to thinking about his future.

According to the NACAC, students attending private high schools are significantly more likely than public school students to enter a bachelor’s degree program in the year immediately following high school graduation.  Thinking ahead will always pay off and private school helps students to look broadly at their future.

Thinking ahead will always pay off and private school helps students to look broadly at their future.

Conclusion

While college and university seem very far away still when you apply for admission of your preschooler, or even when making the decision to keep your fourth-grader in private school or enroll them in public school, the choices we make leading up to high school and college are impacting their chances of success greatly. 

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