How To Apply To Private High Schools 13 Steps With Pictures

To strengthen your application, focus on your grades in school. Study for tests as usual, take excellent notes, pay attention in class, participate by raising your hand, and follow the rules. Earn at least an 85% or above on most assignments, projects, and tests. One 70% or C is alright, although you should try to keep your grades up as much as possible. If you need help, you should ask for it. If you understand everything, you will know how to answer questions on tests, leading to a nice grade book. If you do not understand a concept, always ask a teacher during class or during office hours.

Focus on extracurricular activities. Some schools allow 8th graders to mentor younger middle school students (in academics or in clubs). You could help teach/mentor the 7th, 6th, (and sometimes 5th) graders in your middle school for one example of a contribution to your school. Of course, if you are already very busy, you do not need to overexert yourself and attend extra clubs and activities.

Do not talk during class (especially if you’re the oldest in your school or if you’re on the student council, as you want to be a role model), tell offensive “jokes”, do random things unrelated to class in class, bully other students, zone out too often, or arrive late at school. You can do extra by participating in class often and helping other students out! This makes your recommendation letters stand out from the rest and will increase your chances of attending the private high school of your dreams.

If your older sibling has gone to college, they may not have that much time to answer your concerns and questions about going to high school. Schedule a call when you can (around the weekends is best) and use that call for your sibling to answer your questions about applying to private high schools.

They may have applied for private high schools themselves, so you can ask them a few questions and concerns you have.

Is it a religious high school? Are uniforms required? How many modes of transportation to and from the school are there? (e. g. by school bus, by car, on foot, on bike) How many language AP courses are offered? What is the curriculum taught for mathematics? What colleges do graduates from this school get accepted to? How many clubs are there? Does the school offer a variety of sports? (e. g. football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, track-and-field, swimming, competitive dance)

During the open house, grab some food! Some schools may offer the most delicious cookies, whereas some may offer fruit and other drinks. Food is usually offered at open houses of schools. If you are accepted to a school you’ve toured before, it will be harder to get lost on the first day, since you’ve seen an overall outline of the school.

Make sure to email the teachers whose classes you’ll be missing before the shadow day! Shadowing lets you actually experience what the teachers and students are like. You can usually take to the students with any questions or concerns about the school. There may be one student taking you to a variety of different classes, or you could be allowed to “roam around” the campus, exploring the different classes, lunchtime environment, and clubs.

At the very least, private high schools will want you to get recommendation letters from your math and language arts teachers. “Extra” recommendation letters are not needed, so you don’t need to ask for one from your science, history, or other subjects’ teachers.

You are not allowed to take the test more than one time, so check your work and read carefully through the questions. Take your time and do not rush. This test is not a competition- it decides whether or not you will be accepted into the Catholic high school, so be circumspect about it. You will only need to take the HSPT once. You don’t need to take it for every Catholic high school you’re applying to. The other high schools you’re applying to will receive your grade on the test from the high school you took it at, so you don’t have to take the test multiple times.

Proofread carefully. Not proofreading your essay may make you seem unprofessional or uninterested in making any effort of applying to a private high school, which decreases your chances of getting into one. You may want to ask your language arts teacher for help during office hours if you are unsure of how to write a private high school essay. Take the time to personalize your application essay.

Start doing all of this in August-October. This way, you will not need to rush to turn everything in.

Commonly asked questions include, “What draws you to this school?”, “Do you have siblings that attend our school?”, “What are your strengths?”, “What pastimes do you have?”, “What is your favorite subject in school?”, and “What is your family like?” [5] X Research source Wear semi-formal clothing to the interview. Wear a polo shirt and trousers for a simple look. Another possibility could be wearing a white shirt with a coat jacket and trousers. A more feminine look would be a blouse and a knee-length skirt or even a pastel-colored dress. Do not wear overly bright colors, as that is not formal. Avoid overly revealing clothing, clothing with swear words, or otherwise inappropriate and informal clothing.