N. Dallas Private School - When to start process (private schools, camp)

[Anderson19]

I am looking for some advice around the private school admissions process in Dallas. We have a 13 month old and want to make sure we are setting him up with the best chance of getting into the Dallas area private schools. When should we tour, what should we do to better our chances?
Just want to make sure we aren’t missing any expected deadlines or missing out on any preparation we could be doing now.

[Purplecow20]

I would tour a year before you apply bc it is less stressful. No one will remember you and you can sort of lurk at the process and get a better sense of the vibe of the schools before you actually have to apply.

Also - if there is a school that you are interested and they offer a summer camp, I’d suggest you enroll your son the summer before you apply. I know they say it is not supposed to matter, but from my experience, it can help.

Of course, I know families that did none of that and got in to the top 3. I did those things because I wanted more opportunities to meet families applying, get a vibe for the school, and a better sense of whether we fit. For example, two of the schools I had on my list didn’t feel like a good fit - even though they are consistently on the list of top favorites. I also realized after 2 weeks of summer camp, that I would need to get an office near the school if she were accepted bc the commute was too far for my personal comfort zone. Lurking the year before I applied helped me figure that out.

Just a note that if you are looking at SM, you may need a different strategy since they don’t start until 1st. I have a girl, so that wasn’t a consideration for me.

Good luck!

[tcualum]

The summer camp idea has merit. My younger son attended a summer camp at one private school and they liked him so much that they reached out to us and personally asked if we'd like to apply. Our son was happy where he was at so we politely declined.