Applying to independent schools in COVID?! Help!
How do we know if we need an educational consultant?
More than ever, we’re committed to serving our families well. With the official launch of Atlanta Independent School applications, we’re getting a lot of calls about how we’ve changed (read: pivoted) our consulting process in the waye of COVID-19. In the unpredictability of this year’s admissions landscape, we adjusted our practices to prioritize our clients’ needs safely and intentionally. But, what hasn’t changed is our high-touch support to students and families during what’s shaping up to be one of the most stressful admissions seasons of our generation.
You read more about our process here.
Atlanta’s private and public school landscape is changing and evolving. With the constant renovations of problem-based learning, academic rigor, and extracurricular options, the opportunity for success grows—but so does the complexity. That’s where we come in. An initial consultation allows us to understand your student's needs and goals, guide your family in the search for an educational environment that best suits your child, and coach your family through the entire school selection process so you make the most informed decision.
It has become more evident that education has changed a lot since parents were in school and, for good reason, families want to become more informed about their private, public, and charter options. It’s no longer “one size fits all” when it comes to schools. In fact, it’s becoming more and more common to send different children to different schools—within the same household. This is a testament to the realization that each child learns differently and our city’s ever-changing educational landscape is better equipped to support that—than say, 20 or 30 years ago when parents themselves were in school.
We aim to be a conversation partner with families as they navigate next steps for their learner(s).We “pay attention to the tension” in conversations with families to equip parents to make the most informed decision. We’re honored to be a part of your child’s advocacy team—and help your child win the day. You can read more about how we come alongside families here.
There are a lot of education consultants in Atlanta. How is Whitehead Learning Group different?
Atlanta is gifted with a variety of education professionals and leaders. Yet, we believe we offer tangible resources on top of private school insight and academic expertise. Our program steps from the goal of being a genuine conversation partner with families—as they make arguably life’s second greatest investment (the average cost of K-12 private school education in Atlanta was $280,000 in 2018). Just as we’re equipping students with the tools they need to feel empowered in their learning, we aim to empower parents with the strategies to make an informed decision when it comes to selecting a school home.
We know that “going to school” looks a lot different than it did even a couple of decades ago. Choosing a school home means deciding which teaching staff is going to be on your child’s advocacy team, helping him or her from the foundations of phonics and number sense to writing research papers and carrying out science experiments. A school home means trusting your child with extracurricular outlets and ways to get involved that may ignite passions that you don’t even know about yet. A school home offers athletic opportunities and for some students, the initial exposure to a brand new sport. A school home could mean domestic and international travel and experiences to create friendship bonds—some even lifelong. "Going to school” isn’t a checkmark in childhood—it’s a home for your family.
Yet, heartbreakingly, this isn’t always every family’s—or student’s—experience. We have heard stories of heartbreak, failure, rejection, and low self-esteem more times than we can count. This is why we don’t treat this school search process as a “bandaid” or even a “quick fix” solution to get into School X. If that’s the goal of your family, we are frankly not your educational consulting firm. At the core of everything we do, we believe in a strengths-based approach within all facets of genuine learning. We’re going to help students identify what’s strong—not what’s wrong. By putting context around their intrinsic strengths, passions, gifts, and learning preferences, we can then hone in on the best learning environments where they will thrive, identify and implement the most effective study methods, and pinpoint course selections and potential interest areas (extracurricular or career-oriented) to help them leverage their educational journey—at whatever point our paths cross. This framework will hopefully make our firm one day superfluous—but we believe so much that the success of true leadership is succession.
So, on top of placing schools into their dream schools where they will thrive, we want to equip students with the Competence, Course, Clarity, Coaching, and Character to make a lasting, authentic, positive impact on our world. Simply put, we believe in empowering students with the tools they need to thrive—in the classroom and beyond. To that end, we are also thrilled to partner with our charity organization, Thrive Global Project, to grant access to quality education for vulnerable children around the world to permanently break the cycle of poverty. You can read more about our mission here.
Atlanta’s private and public school landscape is changing and evolving. With the constant renovations of problem-based learning, academic rigor, and extracurricular options, the opportunity for success grows—but so does the complexity. That’s where we come in. An initial consultation allows us to understand your student's needs and goals, guide your family in the search for an educational environment that best suits your child, and coach your family through the entire school selection process so you make the most informed decision.
It has become more evident that education has changed a lot since parents were in school and, for good reason, families want to become more informed about their private, public, and charter options. It’s no longer “one size fits all” when it comes to schools. In fact, it’s becoming more and more common to send different children to different schools—within the same household. This is a testament to the realization that each child learns differently and our city’s ever-changing educational landscape is better equipped to support that—than say, 20 or 30 years ago when parents themselves were in school.
How would Whitehead Learning Group come alongside and help us in the school placement journey?
Welcome to Atlanta! We understand that moving, by definition, is stressful. Whether you’re moving from across town or across the country (or even the world!), we want to make your transition process as stress-free at possible. Satisfied clients tell us time and time again how our referral network helped make lasting connections—even before they officially became Atlantans! From reputable therapists, learning specialists, and tutors to life coaches, babysitters, and even realtors, we provide your family with a Welcome to Atlanta packet that aims to make the moving process just a little easier.
We’re moving to Atlanta. Can you help remotely before we officially make the move?
What’s the best school for my child?
We get this question a lot. Truth is, your family’s definition of “best” may be different than another family’s interpretation. The “best” school should always, always mean the “best fit” for your child’s academic, emotional, and social development. Remember that rankings and data don’t predict how your child will fare at that school—just because a school is ranked 10/10 does not ascertain that your child’s experience will be 10/10. You can read more about understanding school rankings—including data to skip—here.
To that end, we are opposed to ranking independent schools in any design. ALL 70+ AAAIS schools are phenomenal learning institutions—in their own way. The beauty (and apprehension) that comes with Atlanta’s ever-changing school landscape is its diverse member schools. Just as it would be impossible to rank children in a family, we believe that each school is the “best” school if it meets its own objectives and if the curricula, culture, and experience serves your child and family in the best way possible.
Therefore, it’s important to use that “best fit” filter when researching schools. To start, it’s valuable to understand your options—public, private, and charter schools. Schools, by virtue of governance, determine their own unique missions, ethos, learning objectives, curriculum, emphasis, and culture. That’s why we recommend families understand their own missions, ethos, learning objectives, emphasis, and culture prior to touring schools. After this initial research, we encourage families to visit several schools to talk with faculty and staff and to see where your mission and the school’s mission may overlap.
When should I start touring schools?
If your student is approaching an educational milestone, it’s typical for families to consider their options. For example, in this natural next step, would it also warrant a change in the educational landscape? Maybe you will have a rising kindergartener (cue the tears!), or a free-thinking, quasi-independent middle-schooler on your hands (parents, are you ready?!). Or maybe your high schooler has begun the preliminary college search, but you know it’s time to get serious about next steps and strategies. If you’re thinking of moving anywhere within the Greater Atlanta Area or even to the city, it would be meaningful to do some research. Even if your child is not at a “natural” entry point (K, 6th, 7th, 9th grades—depending upon the school), understanding “comps” in the area is beneficial.
For tips on what to look for on school tours (and how to keep up with the nuances of each campus), check out our guide here.
Do we need to worry about the SSAT? What is it exactly? Do all schools require it?
If you have students in the 6th-12th grade, the SSAT (Secondary School Admissions Test) should be on your radar. While the majority of independent schools DO require this form of standardized testing (it’s a way to “level the playing field” of applicants), some do not—so be sure to check specifics. It’s important to understand the format and scoring of the test itself as the exam, by design, is unlike an assessment your child has likely seen before. Check out more tips here about scoring, registration, and how/why it matters in your child’s application portfolio.
My friends keep talking about the JATP. Do we need to worry about that? What is it?
If you have K-5 children, there’s no doubt that you’ve heard this little abbreviation tossed around mom groups, preschool classrooms, and play dates—the JATP. AAAIS (Atlanta Area Association of Independent Schools) has partnered with member Atlanta-based psychologists to streamline the admissions process as best they can--by establishing a Joint Admissions Testing Program (JATP) for applicants in grades K-5. This evaluation meets the testing requirements of JATP member schools and can only be administered once per twelve months. For details about cost, registration, understanding the score report, preparation strategies, and member schools, read more here. Further, we unpack some anxiety surrounding the test here.
What’s Ravenna? Do I need to make a profile?
Ahh, Ravenna! The universal “Common App” for independent schools. Newly adopted by Atlanta independent and private PS-12 schools, the majority of admissions teams require that prospective families utilize this platform to keep track of household information, child academic history, and other personal data to submit with your application. Ravenna isn’t something to be scared of—in fact, you can make the portal work for you. Check out our tips and tricks for building a personal account, what step you shouldn’t skip, and how you can leverage Ravenna to keep you organized during the school tour adventure.
One of many factors, class size is a facet to consider when evaluating a school. How much attention do students receive? Are there options for small-group or individualized instruction (this is especially important in lower school)? But, how can you review class size within the lens of assessing a school’s efficacy? For example, did you know that class size and student-teacher ratio aren’t synonymous? In your school research, if data shows an unusually high student-teacher ratio, don’t be hesitant to clarify with the admissions team to find out why.
What’s the deal with class size? Just how important is it?
Some schools request that we send in a student portfolio? What types of assignments or pieces of work do schools want to see?
Think of a student work portfolio as a visual “resume” that speaks to your child’s academic journey up to this point. While each school wants to see specific assignments or work samples that align with their mission or emphasis (WLG can help you navigate this!), there are some universal strategies to keep in mind as you cull through your student’s take-home work file box. While the quantity of samples can also vary from school to school, aim to collect 3-5 samples to add to your child’s application packet. First off, try to select work samples that emphasize your child’s curiosity. Have a research project that investigates, examines, analyzes, or compares? Throw that in the mix. Next, choose some returned assignments that illustrate your student’s creativity. Was there an assignment where your child thought outside of the box and/or beyond status quo? Think science fair projects, anything problem- or project-based, a culmination of learning that shows innovation, design thinking, or individual originality and imagination. Finally, schools want to see work examples that demonstrate your student’s enthusiasm for learning. Be it a passion project, a student-selected and directed research piece, or something that “fires” your child up, this is important to add to the file. Most schools also request that applicants send over a writing sample. While they’re going to analyze your student’s writing based on grade level preparedness, content, purpose, and delivery also reign supreme so keep those in mind when you’re selecting an essay.
Help! My student needs to interview as a part of his/her admissions process?! What do we need to know?
A stellar transcript, a top-notch application, excellent SSAT scores, a dynamic essay—and now, just one more hurdle to jump: The admissions interview. On average, this evaluation is an opportunity for admissions teams to weed through the data and get to know your child’s unique gifts, strengths, passions, talents, and interests—in 30-60 minutes (dependent upon grade level). It’s important to know just what private school admissions teams are looking for? In middle and upper school interviews especially, resilience and empathy—proven predictors of academic achievement, collaboration, innovation, and problem solving—rein supreme. Here are some strategies to best help your student convey all of that—in just half an hour.
Most schools will invite prospective students onto campus to experience a “normal” day of school culture, expectations, classroom structure, and more. While we can help you know what to expect on a case-by-case basis with each school, we want to share some universal tips that can help prepare your student for their day of fun! Admissions teams will rely on feedback from teachers who had direct contact with your child to provide insight. In my teaching days, I filled out many forms like these! Feedback requested always included insight as to how prospective students got along socially with peers, followed directions, took initiative in learning tasks, “fit in” overall with classmates, took risks in their own learning, and were respectful and abided by classroom expectations and school protocol. For specific strategies organized by age (lower, middle, and upper), read more here.
What’s Observation Day all about? What are admissions teams really looking for on these visits?
When do we start? What’s a good timeline?
Each student’s story, circumstances, needs, and goals are unique—and so are our solutions. Though we follow a specific framework in order to identify expectations, we reserve the privilege to adjust the timing and sequence as we best see fit in order to thoroughly meet each family's needs and academic plans. Each client receives access to a secure portal with a tailored timeline customized to individual goals and needs.
Regardless of what time we come alongside your family, we identify specific goals to tackle each month. Generally, we recommend a 6-12 month timeline for investigative research, school tours, test prep (SSAT or JATP), interview prep, and application strategy. Most independent schools have an internal application deadline between end of January and early February. We help our clients tackle their application portfolios with ease, precision, and punctuality—so they can go into the holiday season stress-free.
When should we start the college planning process?
What should Freshman year goals look like?
Sophomore year goals?
Junior year goals?
Senior year is crazy. Any tips?
Best tips for a college interview?
How is Whitehead Learning Group’s approach different from other college counselors?
Our biggest advice to families is to start early. This doesn’t necessarily mean taking the SAT 13 times by sophomore year. But, our most successful students (as determined by applicants thriving in one of their “Top 2 Schools” and receiving the most scholarship funding) have started with us early. You can read our 4 ways to get ahead in the college application process here.
We recommend that parents begin the college conversation as early as freshman year—to determine majors/jobs their student might be interested in pursuing and to get some general schools on the radar. Taking advantage of school breaks and scheduling campus visits throughout high school (rather than waiting until senior year) allows families to categorize “great fit” colleges early on—large versus small, public versus private, STEM-focused versus Liberal Arts, close to home versus far away, etc. These general groupings help guide conversations as their student approaches senior year. We believe that self-awareness and identifying unique strengths are two hallmarks to targeting “great fit” colleges. To that end, we recommend that all high school students develop the vernacular to pinpoint successful college environments that foster their talents, strengths, and gifts—our one-of-a-kind roadmap can be found here.
Freshman year comes with its own navigational period juggling a more rigorous course schedule, athletics, extracurriculars, and family commitments. We encourage freshmen to take use an extended runway to their advantage—learn the study habits that work for them by identifying their unique strengths and learning preferences, develop a strategic standardized test timeline, and navigate curricular scopes.
Our Freshman Focus package is deigned for the current 9th-grade student who desires an edge in the college planning process. Our in-person strategic meetings leverage each student’s academic potential, strategically navigate course section, summer program planning, applications, volunteering, leadership, and internship opportunities, and standardized test timelines. You can read more about our tailored 1:1 meeting schedule for freshmen here.
By beginning early, the sophomore student has the outlook to explore interests and passions and navigate extracurricular opportunities to find affirmation in a potential discipline or major. We recommend that parents begin the dialogue with their student to begin narrowing down majors/concentrations and “school types” (large state school, Ivy, private, Liberal Arts, close to home, far away, etc.)
Our Sophomore Success package is an annual commitment that includes 1:1 ongoing evaluation of transcript and curricular scopes, PSAT/SAT/ACT timelines, “good match” colleges and universities, summer program planning and internship opportunities, and junior year course selection. Research shows “that high school counselors influence their students’ future plans by providing them with high expectations” (Hitchcock, 1998). This package is designed for sophomores who yearns for a head start in the college planning process. With a customized timeline that promotes strategy and relationship-building, sophomore students have the unique opportunity to build their advocacy board with an academic mentor who tracks with them throughout high school. You can read more about our tailored 1:1 meeting schedule for sophomores here.
Junior year is arguably the most academically rigorous of students’ high school tenure. AP course selection is extensive and the IB track requires work effort this year. By this point, juniors should identify and implement a targeted ACT/SAT timeline. We recommend that juniors consider correlating SAT Subject Tests with their AP Exams. At this point, college admissions are looking for juniors to take control of their inquiry and leadership opportunities. Service learning, internship, and/or employment should be pursued this year.
Our Junior Jumpstart package is tailored specifically to ensure a smooth and successful college application process for rising 11th-graders. We work directly with students to analyze all elements of their college applications—from refining their “good match” college list and arranging tours and interviews to developing rapport with admissions representatives and coaches. We offer ongoing evaluation of high school transcript and AP classes, extracurricular activities, and internships, develop a strategic ACT/SAT timeline, provide assessment tools for potential majors and career plans, resume building, preview college applications and requirements, and offer strategic guidance about summer internships and volunteer programs, Early Decision/Early Action track, financial aid resources, and interview preparation. This package is the most popular as proactive families are able to leverage this point in their student’s career to complete a variety of tasks on the college to-do list—especially in the summer before senior year. You can read more about our tailored 1:1 meeting schedule for juniors here.
Senior year is stressful! Both parents and students alike can feel this tension. Our “trade secret” it to start early:
• By Labor Day of senior year, our seniors have determined application requirements and deadlines of each school on their working college list (we recommend 8-10 safety, fit, and reach colleges). By then, we’ve targeted which colleges accept the Common Application, Coalition Application, Universal College Application, UC Application (required by all UC schools), or require their own school-specific school application (such as the University of Georgia or Clemson University). We start all applications by building unique profiles, including application essays. We recommend September to be the “deadline” of any college entrance exams.
• In October, parents should complete the FAFSA. We complete the CSS/Financial Aid Profile for all colleges. Our students request letters of recommendation from teachers, mentors, employers, and counselors.
• In November, we request official transcripts to supplement applications to Early Action schools (either November 1st or November 15th deadlines). We request all score reports to be sent to colleges directly from College Board (some schools accept self-reporting though contingent upon acceptance, those schools will ultimately require official score reports so it’s best to knock that out early).
• In December, our students have completed and submitted all college applications (Early Action, Early Restrictive Action, Early Decision I, Regular Decision, or Early Decision II). We want our families to enter the holiday season stress-free. To ensure this, our students have submitted all applications by our internal deadline that is a minimum of 10 days prior to the universal deadline.
You can read more about our tailored 1:1 meeting schedule for seniors here, which also offers separate packages to target Essay Writing or Financial Aid/Scholarship Strategies.
With the wave of Regular Decision college applications in full force, some schools will reach out to applicants requesting more “face time,” generally in the form of an interview. These can take place face-to-face over vanilla lattes or depending on scheduling, can be carved out over the phone. You’re so close to the finish line so treat this next step in the process with as much effort and intentionality as you’ve handled the entire process up to this point.
Before your interview, research as much about the school as possible. Narrow your research on why the school is a good match for you and your interests. You should have done a good amount of research before you decided to apply, so hopefully, this shouldn’t take much time. Your research before an interview should be mostly review and focusing on specifics about how the school fits your needs. Avoid questions that can be answered via a simple school website search. Instead, opt for research-based questions. We list 10 questions to keep in mind here.
During arguably one of the most transformational times in a student’s life, families are yearning for qualified experts on their student’s personal advisory board. A 2005 study by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) discovered that the average college counselor spends just 38 minutes with each student altogether over the course of four years in high school. Further, a NACAC-funded survey implements the following year unearthed that, on average, public school counselors have a growing caseload of 482, nearly twice the recommended maximum of 250 students.
Sending your student off to college can be equal parts exciting and terrifying—adventurous yet anxiety-ridden. Therefore, we believe that advocacy and strategy shouldn’t be mutually exclusive. We selectively partner with a predetermined number of students each year so each client can expect to receive the uniform exemplary level of 1:1 customer service, championing, and expertise.
We believe that the college discovery and application process should be stress-free. To guarantee that all our families experience this at the finish line, we have developed our own set of non-negotiables. Unlike our competitors, all of our meetings are one-on-one to ensure a smooth and successful college application process. We don’t “cap” the time we spend with students—understanding that each senior’s college application journey is unique and should be treated as such. We also stress to parents that while it’s tempting to focus on the finish line, families should select a college counselor who digs in with their student during the entire marathon. Families should outsource expertise for the experience—the dozens of college essays, the FAFSA, the demonstrated interest strategy, the resume building, the strengths assessment, the transcript requests, the score reports, the letters of recommendation, the interview prep, the follow-up, and the strategy.
We understand the pressures of extracurriculars and Atlanta traffic so we meet students on their timetable—by meeting in each family’s home. Regardless of which package you choose, we promise to be intentional and strategic as we offer navigational roadmaps for your highschooler's college application journey.