by Tiffany Capuano

Anne Marie Burke of Cumming turned to a higher power when submitting applications for her three children at Holy Redeemer Catholic School. She sent in the paperwork to the Alpharetta school, which Burke says “is notoriously hard to get into,” and then prayed.

She had plenty of reasons to turn to her faith: Her children, Mary Elizabeth, 9, Brendan, 8, and Caroline, 5, have changed schools three times since 2004.

Burke’s children began at Pinecrest Academy, located within minutes of their home, and she thought this would be where her children would graduate high school. The school, however, was not the right fit for the Burke family, so they applied to Our Lady of the Assumption in Atlanta. Only one of her two school-aged children was accepted.

After a year at OLA, the Burke family knew the commute was too long and put their house on the market, hoping to move closer to the school. In the meantime, they applied to Holy Redeemer, which would allow the family to stay put and eliminate the lengthy commute. Two of her three children were accepted to Holy Redeemer. Her oldest remains on the waiting list.

The Burkes are in a unique situation, having changed schools frequently, but like most Atlanta parents they want what’s best for their children.

Admissions criteria and wait lists may add to parental worries, but pairing school and child is easier than most parents think with Atlanta’s abundant private schools.

Factors for Entrance

Many factors go into selecting a class of students, according to private school officials. After completing an application and an interview, students are selected based on their academic performance and their interests, as well as their sibling or alumni connections.

“We don’t want an entire class of baseball players,” says Claire Strowd, admissions director for the middle and upper school at Pace Academy in Atlanta. Pace, like most private schools, attempts to balance athletic interests with cultural interests such as performing arts.

Gender balance, sibling preference and legacy also are considerations schools use in making the selection process. Religious-affiliated schools also include faith and church membership in their decisions.

Waiting Lists

Families often think that only the most prestigious private schools have waiting lists; however, smaller schools also may “wait list” applicants due to geographic area or other factors that increase demand for student placement.

“When parents talk about a five-year waiting list at a school, it is a total myth,” says Strowd. “Waiting lists among all of the Atlanta Area Association of Independent Schools reset every year.”

When students apply to a private school, they are accepted, declined or placed on a waiting list. A waiting list is used if there are no openings available in a particular grade, and can vary widely each year by grade and school.

For Heritage School in Newnan, students on the waiting list the previous year are given priority the following year, says admissions director Julie Bowdoin. Some schools require students to re-apply each year and enter into the pool of candidates again.

“We don’t rank our wait list, which may make parents nervous,” says Strowd. Because there are so many factors involved in enrolling a student in a particular class, Bowdoin and Strowd agree that gender balance and class dynamics, along with sibling preference and legacy, are important considerations.

Harvard Smart?

Academic performance is the top factor in most private schools, but other considerations help balance this out. “We aren’t out to admit only geniuses,” says Albert Walker, headmaster at Greenforest/McCalep Christian Academic Center in Decatur. “We really are looking for ways to admit a student, not deny them. But we also don’t want to put them in a position where a student is set up to fail.”

“Some of the best work in private schools is done with average students,” says Stephen Kennedy, head of schools at Trinity School in Atlanta. Rather than bringing in those who are academically the strongest, Kennedy says most private schools have a “greater breadth of ability and achievement.”

Sibling Differences

Kathy Morgan of Marietta knew her two children were very different in how they learn. Daughter Lauren, a self-motivator, enjoys being involved in lots of extracurricular activities, while son David needs a school that keeps him motivated academically. Lauren attends The Walker School in Marietta; David attends St. Francis School in Roswell.

And like many parents, making the commute to different schools is no easy task in morning Atlanta traffic. Carpools have been beneficial, but the bottom line, say Burke and Morgan, is that their children are going to schools that benefit them.

Kennedy, who also is the president of the Atlanta Area Association of Independent Schools, sees his own issues as a parent. His 11-year-old triplets will eventually be choosing private high schools to attend, and they may not all attend the same school.

“We want the best fit possible, and a sibling may thrive better in another environment,” says Strowd.
Burke isn’t concerned that all of her children won’t fit at the same school. Her daughter, who is on a waiting list, is gifted, and Burke knows she’ll thrive academically wherever she goes.

Competition in Numbers

For many parents, kindergarten is the ideal time to consider educational options in private and public schools, and the numbers seems to reflect that. At Pace Academy, 40 students are accepted each year into the pre-first grade program, a kindergarten equivalent. Pace usually receives about 300 applicants annually.

Depending on the year, the grade and the school, the entrance competitiveness usually decreases in the higher grades because of fewer applicants. The competition heats up again in ninth grade, when many private high schools see an influx of freshmen applicants.

The Best of the Best

While long-standing private schools such as Pace, Lovett and Westminster may come to the minds of many parents because of their reputations, there are many other private schools offering top-quality educations.

“There are new schools opening in Atlanta all the time,” says Michael Drake, director of the Georgia Independent Schools Association. Half of the schools in GISA are in metro Atlanta.

Bottom line? Getting into Atlanta’s private schools may be tough, but knowing the right information can help parents move through the process smoothly. Private school officials throughout Atlanta say finding the perfect fit for the child is what’s most important.

And with new schools popping up throughout the region, parents and children are the ones to capitalize on the tremendous strengths of the area’s private schools.