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I have a 5-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl, and we are thinking about applying to private schools. The boy will be applying for first grade and the girl for pre-K (or she can wait till she's older).
We have not been Dallas for long and our kids are young, so I'm not very familiar with the private schools here. Based on my limited knowledge, we plan to apply to St. Mark's, Hockaday and Greenhill. I understand that these are very competitive schools and my kids are no genius. But I feel applying to many schools for a 5-year-old is kind of ridiculous, and how could the schools tell from one 5-year-old from another？They are just 5! So my questions are:
1. How many private schools do parents typically apply? How do they decide which schools to apply?
2. Other than the three noted above, what other schools should I consider?
3. I heard about the Dallas International School and have been there for French cultural events. It seems that it's a great school but with a somewhat unusual curriculum putting a great deal on learning a foreign language. If French is not our focus, is it worth applying to?
St Marks starts in 1st grade and generally wants boys to be on the older/mature side. Most families applying to these types of schools apply to quite a few since they are so hard to get into. I would never count on getting into any of these - so just like college, you want to have a lot of options.
Other schools in this vein that come to mind include:
- Lamplighter
- ESD
- Parish
- Alcuin
Lots of people do the Catholic K-8 local schools as well in addition to schools like St. Johns. I've only known people who've done the DIS - because they were passionate about French.
I have a 5-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl, and we are thinking about applying to private schools. The boy will be applying for first grade and the girl for pre-K (or she can wait till she's older).
We have not been Dallas for long and our kids are young, so I'm not very familiar with the private schools here. Based on my limited knowledge, we plan to apply to St. Mark's, Hockaday and Greenhill. I understand that these are very competitive schools and my kids are no genius. But I feel applying to many schools for a 5-year-old is kind of ridiculous, and how could the schools tell from one 5-year-old from another？They are just 5! So my questions are:
1. How many private schools do parents typically apply? How do they decide which schools to apply?
2. Other than the three noted above, what other schools should I consider?
3. I heard about the Dallas International School and have been there for French cultural events. It seems that it's a great school but with a somewhat unusual curriculum putting a great deal on learning a foreign language. If French is not our focus, is it worth applying to?
Thanks for your advice!
We went through PK admissions last year and happy with where we landed, but it is a stressful and competitive process.
1. For PK, Greenhill and Hockaday will have roughly 200 applicants for 32 spots. Greenhill is coed so that breaks down to approx 100 girls applying for 16 girl spots. St Marks will be similar - 200+ boys applying for about 30 spots since it starts in 1st grade. Greenhill will have a lot fewer spots for 1st grade - it’s mostly attrition only + whatever spots open due to how many K’s will go to Primer before 1st grade.
I strongly advise you to tour as many schools as you are willing to commute to and cast a wider net than just those 3. The only kids I know who were “shut out” last year (ie, got declined / waitlisted to all schools applied to) were families who only applied to that small group. I know multiple Greenhill alumni whose kids were WL last year. I am only one person but last year I knew 1 PK admit at Hockaday and about 10 WL/declines, including 2 who had sisters currently at Hock and moms who were alumnae. ALL of the schools have become even more competitive since Covid - know multiple PK3 & PK4 siblings who were WL at ESD as well.
I think submitting 4-6 apps is manageable and prudent. You need to think of it like applying for college: “reach” schools that are a long shot, target schools where your kids stacks up well & safety schools where you’re almost guaranteed a spot.
2. The Independent School Admission Association of Dallas website is a good place to start. They are the 16 local schools accredited by ISAS. Not all will be a match for your family - ie, Cistercian doesn’t start until 5th grade & Shelton / Winston are for learning different students, but it’s a good place to start looking at the various schools’ websites and registering for Open Houses & tours.
For your PK child, you could also look at DaVinci and Meadowbrook, two independent preschools that are well known entities at the private PK-8/PK-12’s.
That’s not a comprehensive list but rather a good starting point.
3. Schools all have their own criteria for assessing the applicants. Most schools are going to place the most attention to 1) current teacher rec from the person who is with your kid everyday and sees how they compare to their peers, 2) the CATS & ISEE exams since all applicants will take them, & 3) the in-person assessment. My take is parent interviews & essays are more to weed out the crazy parents (whether overbearing, boorish & braggarts, or delusional about their own kids’ abilities). It’s all very child centered as it should be.
St Marks starts in 1st grade and generally wants boys to be on the older/mature side. Most families applying to these types of schools apply to quite a few since they are so hard to get into. I would never count on getting into any of these - so just like college, you want to have a lot of options.
Other schools in this vein that come to mind include:
- Lamplighter
- ESD
- Parish
- Alcuin
Lots of people do the Catholic K-8 local schools as well in addition to schools like St. Johns. I've only known people who've done the DIS - because they were passionate about French.
Good list. I would add to your list Good Shepard which is a feeder for Jesuit and (to a lesser degree) Ursuline and other privates. Also Providence if it aligns with your faith/goals - they send a good number each year to some of the top private high schools. Another school in the (geographic) area of the higher end privates is Wesley Prep. They do have a pre K and it is a very sweet school that does well placing its graduates, but they end in 6th so it's a weird year to apply as many schools have few openings in 7th.
Just remember to take into account location of the schools you apply as they will become the epicenter of your social calendar. For instance, living in east Dallas and commuting to those schools you referenced, while not impossible, will be a fairly time consuming commute
Just remember to take into account location of the schools you apply as they will become the epicenter of your social calendar. For instance, living in east Dallas and commuting to those schools you referenced, while not impossible, will be a fairly time consuming commute
Yes. On the commute, during this past summer, my son went to summer camps at Greenhill and Hockaday for a few weeks, the commute was not too bad for us.
We currently live in Lakewood, which has an excellent elementary school. My son loves it and I do too. We are looking for private school options because the middle school in Lakewood is not that great, and I heard it's more competitive to try to get into middle school vs. elementary school for a lot of private schools.
But also because Lakewood elementary is great and the commute is super easy, I am not totally committed to private schools either, hence only wanted to apply to a few. I feel like if my son gets into St. Marks, great; but if he doesn't, Lakewood is also great. We'll evaluate the school situation a few years later.
Anyway, I'll look into a few more and see if we want to apply. As for religious schools, I'm a little hesitant -- I don't mind religious teaching and value it highly, but I also don't want to continuously check on what they are learning from school, e.g. I definitely don't want them to get ideas like wives should obey their husbands, etc.
Anyway, I'll look into a few more and see if we want to apply. As for religious schools, I'm a little hesitant -- I don't mind religious teaching and value it highly, but I also don't want to continuously check on what they are learning from school, e.g. I definitely don't want them to get ideas like wives should obey their husbands, etc.
There is a HUGE difference between chapel at a school like St Marks or Parish and the “Jesus in your classroom” experience at a TCA, Prestonwood, Schofield, etc type of school. Kids at the Episcopal schools are not praying in the classroom with their teachers or being taught Creationism, American Evangelism/ Nationalism, etc. There is still a huge gulf between Catholic education and what you are picturing. Catholic education is excellent - the schools are all very well run by academic minded people.
Case in point - a bunch of families just left ESD this year for TCA & Prestonwood because they were not receiving the “Christian education” they expected at ESD. I don’t think they were listening on their ESD tour because the phrase “inclusive Episcopalian identity” is only mentioned about 100 times. Chapel seems to be more about morals & ethics - integrity, kindness, honesty, empathy, etc. Even a school as conservative as ESD is not teaching that wives obey husbands.
I think you would be well served to go visit some schools as soon as their events start this fall. It will answer your questions and resolve your hesitancy.
Yes. On the commute, during this past summer, my son went to summer camps at Greenhill and Hockaday for a few weeks, the commute was not too bad for us.
We currently live in Lakewood, which has an excellent elementary school. My son loves it and I do too. We are looking for private school options because the middle school in Lakewood is not that great, and I heard it's more competitive to try to get into middle school vs. elementary school for a lot of private schools.
But also because Lakewood elementary is great and the commute is super easy, I am not totally committed to private schools either, hence only wanted to apply to a few. I feel like if my son gets into St. Marks, great; but if he doesn't, Lakewood is also great. We'll evaluate the school situation a few years later.
Anyway, I'll look into a few more and see if we want to apply. As for religious schools, I'm a little hesitant -- I don't mind religious teaching and value it highly, but I also don't want to continuously check on what they are learning from school, e.g. I definitely don't want them to get ideas like wives should obey their husbands, etc.
Let give you some thoughts from my experience. We live in Lakewood as well and I currently have one child at Lakewood Elementary and another (older) child at a private school. In addition to those current schools, we have experience with a Dallas ISD choice school as well. I love living in Lakewood and one of the things that can be both a blessing and a curse is that there are so many schooling options in terms of zoned public (Lakewood/Long/Woodrow), DISD choice/magnets, and private schools. It can be a bit overwhelming looking at all the options.
Just a couple of quick items to think about:
1. In terms of religious schools, I would not worry about it in the context of the types of schools you are considering. My experience from touring schools, talking to friends/neighbors, and experience from my own child is that religious instruction is a relatively small component in these schools (chapel or mass once a week, etc.).
2. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Long as a middle school option (or Woodrow as a High School option). I realize that may sound hypocritical since I have an older child in Private School, but there is a long story behind that that isn't relevant to your family. Our younger child may well attend Long. I think you will find that there is a large group of kids that attend Mockingbird/Lakewood and then transition to Long and that group continues to grow. At the High School level, Woodrow has a lot going for it. The overall metrics don't look as impressive as a highly rated suburban school because of greater socioeconomic diversity, but if you look at performance of similar students Woodrow is similar to well regarded suburban schools. Plus, Woodrow has a lot of specific "academies" including IB, STEM, etc. that produce strong students (or attract strong students more accurately).
3. Beyond that, DISD also has TAG options for 4th-8th grade (Travis, Sudie), that are very well regarded and magnet high schools (TAG, SEM, Booker T) that are very highly sought after.
4. For the private schools, as TC80 notes, take the time to visit some select schools during open houses, etc. as this will give you a feel for the different schools and their respective missions.
5. One thing that is really great about Lakewood in general and Lakewood Elementary specifically is the neighborhood feel. It's a great school with tremendous community support and you know your child will have friends nearby. That's really easy to underestimate.
6. Last, but not least, is the logistics. The commute isn't just about drop off and pick-up, but all the school events, activities, etc. and there are more of those in a private school than a public school from my experience. If interested in the private route, I would strongly suggest at least visiting and looking into St. Thomas, St. Johns, and maybe Lakehill (pretty small school though, but some prefer that).
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