Which Private Secondary School Is Best For My Student?
Finding A Home Away From Home
School tours. Interviews. Application deadlines. The ISEE is only a piece of the entire application process. Making a decision about where you child should apply can be a source of stress for a lot of parents. You have to weigh your child’s best interests and the extra-curricular activities against the basic logistics of living in Los Angeles – distance, carpools, cost and sibling attendance. Even if you find a school that is the best fit for your child, if it is across the Valley or in the South Bay, the geographic limitations for parents are another large piece of what makes the private school scene in Los Angeles so competitive and stressful.
It’s important to note as you are talking to administrators, visiting campuses and discussing class sizes that no one school is perfect. Each school has perks and drawbacks and what some families view as a pro, someone else might view as a con. As a family, it takes preparation and time in order to weigh the schools with as much information as possible.
Our goal is to give you the information below in order to help you narrow down your choices and know the options that are out there.
Look Through Your Child’s Eyes
It’s easy to think of the process in long-term with college readiness and SATs and future plans, but take a step back and think about your child. Think about where he/she is coming from and what his/her past school experience has prepared him/her for. No matter how much ISEE prep students get, they will still be challenged academically in their new environment. You need to be realistic about what your child can do and if he/she will be overwhelmed by the workload or social pressure of a student body that is very large. Be sensitive to your child. Students are nervous and feel the need to perform and be perfect, but they can’t see this long-term. They are thinking about where their friends are going; they want to know if they will know what their new classmates know. Be supportive! They feel tremendous pressure and they can’t see the end result like you can. Keep it all in perspective that you aren’t looking for the best school, you are looking for the best fit for your child.
What To Consider
Is the school a good academic match?
- What is my child’s academic ability?
- What are my child’s academic interests?
- Is my child self-motivated?
- What is the homework load?
- What is my child’s learning style? Temperament? Pacing?
Does the school’s philosophy blend well with ours?
- Girls only or coed
- Religious or secular
- Progressive or traditional
Will the school provide “a home away from home” for my child?
- What facilities and extracurricular activities does the school offer?
- Which sports are available? How competitive are the teams?
- Can my child participate in drama, dance, music, art, etc.?
- Is there a student newspaper or journal?
- What is the school’s demographic?
- Consider the school’s size: the “small fish in the big sea vs a big fish in a small pond” concept
Practical Matters:
- Where is the school located?
- Is transportation offered?
- Is financial assistance available?
- Do I need to think of younger siblings?
The Decision: What are Schools Looking for?
Oh, to be a fly on the wall behind the doors while admissions teams are piling and sorting applications! The sorting and agonizing they must do every year seems quite a task and there’s no way to know what goes into every decision. Here is what we do know about the process that may be helpful for you to keep in mind.
Schools are looking for a well-rounded campus. They consider the following:
Connections: Where do their loyalties lie?
- Students moving up within the same school have priority, but it’s not a lock:
- Siblings
- Children of faculty
- Children of alumni
Brains: What will our graduating class look like?
- Grades, ISEE scores (including essay), and teachers’ comments
Talent: Who will represent us on the field, the court and the stage?
- Do we have enough athletes?
- Do we have enough performers?
- Do we have potential writers, student government leaders, creative contributors?
Diversity: Is our school well-balanced? Cohesive? Representative?
- Is there a good balance between boys and girls?
- Are minority students fairly represented?
- Are the different schools (and types of schools) fairly represented?
- Are different geographic areas fairly represented?
The Intangibles: What personal qualities do they want to see? (random order)
- Good behavior
- Responsibility
- Independence
- Good social IQ
- Maturity
- Self-confidence
- Leadership skills
- Enthusiasm
- Honesty
What Has Our Experience Taught Us?
As Davidson Tutoring’s staff has spent years talking to parents, schools and other tutoring companies, we’ve learned something. Every child usually finds a home. It takes some legwork, but if you find a place where your child fits, the admissions team can see that, too. Here are some things we’ve found helpful that you should know.
- Schools talk. That’s right. They are not isolated units of power. They communicate with their feeder schools, they talk with each other, they go to conferences together and they are not on their own. This is to the advantage of the incoming students and the schools from which they matriculate. There are not backroom deals happening where they swap around students, but they all have a finger on the pulse of other admissions teams and they want to make sure students find a school that’s a good fit as much as you do.
- Send one score report if the school requests it. Certain schools are clear that they want students to only test once. Even the ERB Board has an unofficial “take the test once” stance even though their policy allows students to test twice. If a school asks for one score report, only send one. There is no indication on the score report of how many times a student took the test.
- Don’t put all your eggs in one basket! Apply to more than one school. Have a few plans in place and don’t assume that your child has an “in” and that’s enough. So many factors go into admissions decisions, having a safety school and a plan ahead of time will reduce a lot of your anxiety and help you as a family consider alternatives that you may not have thought of before. Many parents have not seen things unfold as they originally planned, but they have been surprised by what has come out of the change that has been good for their children.
- Take some time talking to other families, talking to your school advisors and visiting schools. Don’t be afraid to take a risk and apply somewhere different. Your child is full of potential and each school will bring something different and amazing to light.
Los Angeles Secondary School List
Below is a list of private schools in the Los Angeles area. Check out these schools and others at: privateschoolreview.com and niche.com and/or visit their individual websites.
Families, typically, apply to 3 to 6 schools.
The Archer School for Girls Grades 6 – 12
11725 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
- 873.7037
Brentwood School Grades K – 12
100 S. Barrington Place
Los Angeles, CA 90049
- 476.9633
Bridges Academy Grades 5 – 12
3921 Laurel Canyon
Studio City, CA 91604
818.506.1091
Berkeley Hall School Grades Pre – 8
16000 Mulholland Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90049
310.476.6421
The Buckley School Grades K – 12
3900 Stansbury Avenue
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
- 783.1610
Campbell Hall Grades K – 12
4533 Laurel Canyon Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91617
- 980.7280
Chaminade Grades 9 – 12 Catholic (contact school)
7500 Chaminade Ave.
West Hills, CA 91304
818.347.8300
19800 Devonshire St. Grades 6 – 8 Catholic (ISEE)
Chatsworth, CA 91311
818.363.8127
Crespi Carmelite High School Grades 9 – 12 Catholic (boys only) (HSPT)
5031 Alonzo Ave.
Encino, CA 91316
818.345.1672
Crossroads School Grades K – 12
1715 Olympic Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
- 829.7391
Episcopalian School of Grades 6 – 12
Los Angeles (ESLA)
6325 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323.462.3752
Flintridge Preparatory Grades 7 – 12
4543 Crown Ave.
La Canada – Flintridge, CA 91011
818.790.1178
Geffen Academy Grades 6 – 12
Westwood Village/UCLA Campus
310.794.9877
Harvard-Westlake School Grades 10 – 12
3700 Coldwater Canyon
North Hollywood, CA 91607
700 N. Faring Rd. Grades 7 – 9
Los Angeles, CA 90077
- 274.7281
Heschel Day School Grades K – 8 Jewish
17701 Devonshire Street
Northridge, CA 91325
818.368.5781
Immaculate Heart Grades 6 – 12 Catholic (girls only) (ISEE)
5515 Franklin Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323.461.3651
Loyola High School Grades 9 – 12 Catholic (boys only) (HSPT)
1901 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90006
- 381.5121
Marlborough School Grades 7 – 12 (girls only)
205 S. Rossmore Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
- 935-1147
Marymount High School Grades 9 – 12 Catholic – (girls only) (ISEE)
10643 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90077
- 472.1205
Milken Community High School Grades 7 – 12 Jewish (Coed)
15800 Zeldin’s Way
Los Angeles, CA 90049
310.440.3500
de Toledo High School Grades 9 – 12 Jewish (Coed)
22622 Vanowen St.
West Hills, CA 91307
818.348.0048
New Roads Grades 6 – 12
3131 Olympic Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
- 828.5582
Notre Dame Academy Grades 9 – 12 Catholic – (girls only) (HSPT)
2951 Overland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
310.839.5289
Notre Dame High School Grades 9 – 12 (Catholic co-ed) (HSPT)
13645 Riverside Dr.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
818.933.3600
Oakwood School Grades K– 12
11600 Magnolia Ave.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
- 752.5277
Pacific Hills School Grades 7 – 12
8628 Holloway Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
- 276.3068
Pacifica Christian High School Grades 9 – 12
1730 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
310.828.7015
Page Academy Grades Pre – 8
419 S Robertson Bl. B.H 90211
323.272.3429
565 N. Larchmont Bl. L.A. 90004
323.463.5118
Pilgrim School Grades Pre – 12 Christian
540 S. Commonwealth
Los Angeles 90020
213.385.7351
Polytechnic School Grades K – 12
1030 East California Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91106
- 792.2147
St. Monica’s High School Grades 9 – 12 (Catholic – coed) (HSPT)
1030 Lincoln Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
310.394.3701
Shalhevet Grades 9 – 12 (Jewish)
910 S. Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.930.9333
Sierra Canyon School Grades K – 12
20801 Rinaldi
Chatsworth, CA 91311
818.882.8121
Turning Point Grades K – 8
8780 National Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
- 841.2505
Viewpoint Grades K – 12
23620 Mulholland Highway
Calabasas, CA 91302
- 591.6500
VistaMar School Grades 9 – 12
737 Hawaii Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
310.643.7377
Westridge School for Girls Grades 4 – 12
324 Madeline Drive
Pasadena, CA 91105
626.768.3134
Westside Neighborhood School
Grades Pre – 8
5401 Beethoven Street
Los Angeles, CA 90066
310.574.8650
Willows Community School Grades K – 8
8509 Higuera St.
Culver City, CA 90232
- 815.0411
Wildwood Grades 6 – 12
11811 Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
- 478.7189
Windward School Grades 7 – 12
11350 Palms Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
- 391.7127