"Fit" from far away: worth it to visit 7th grade spring?

dramakid2
Mon, 18 Dec 2017 13:49:05 +0000

We started our search during Spring Break of my son’s 7th grade year (which was just this past Spring, he’s writing all his apps right now.) Even though it was the end of March and probably not the most convenient time for the admissions offices, we found every school to be very accommodating. We explained that we would not be able to attend their Spring open houses due to scheduling conflicts, and every school was more than happy to arrange a tour for us. Each one also made an admissions representative available to answer questions on an informal basis. Every school knew that my son was in 7th grade and that we were not there for a formal interview. Since we visited several schools over our March Spring break we were able to narrow our list for the Fall. We focused on revisiting the ones he liked, and added a couple others that were not on our original list. When we returned in the Fall we took tours again, this time with different students at the schools. It was a great opportunity to get a feel of the schools from more than one tour guide, and in our case, from more than one admissions representative. If you have the opportunity to travel in the Spring I think it can only help you in the Fall. Going to BS is a major commitment for the student and the family, so take advantage of whatever time you have to be sure you find the right fit.