School Finder and Comparison Tool
To help parents navigate the preschool admissions process, the website has a preschool finder as well as a private preschool comparison tool that will allow parents to identify a set of preschools that meet your child's and family's needs as well as compare these schools' characteristics (e.g., educational philosophy, cost, hours and days of service provided). Please click on the School Finder tab to learn more about this service.
Handouts
Moreover, the website has handouts that help parents prepare for the school tours, child and parent interviews, reference letters, standardized tests students take to enter kindergarten, admissions officers' pet peeves and admissions decisions.
Please click on the following links to download the following handouts:
- Preschool tour handout
- Preschool child and parent interview handout
- Admissions Officers' Pet Peeves
- Handout to help prepare your child for the standardized tests to enroll in kindergarten
- Admissions decisions handout
- Financial aid and scholarships handout
We also provide more personal services to help parents navigate the preschool admissions process, including eduprofile, workshops and individual consulting. The remaining section describes these services in greater detail. To learn how to purchase these services, please click on the Our Services tab.
Eduprofile
We have created a survey that will help us determine your child’s educational profile as well as your family’s educational goals and practical concerns. More specifically, the survey asks you about your child’s basic learning capacity, skill development, learning styles, motivation to learn, social temperament and disabilities. In addition, the questionnaire asks parents questions regarding the importance of various educational characteristics (e.g., what content is emphasized, teaching methods, classroom behavior management approach, school community and feeder schools) as well as any practical considerations that are important, including the school's type, location, educational approach, schedule, transportation, and cost. Once we have reviewed the survey, we will send you information about your child’s educational profile as well as a list of schools that we think will meet your needs.
Workshops
We offer two 2-hour preschool workshops to provide assistance with:
1) Navigating the New York City preschool admissions process
2) Preparing children for the kindergarten standardized tests
The preschool admissions process workshop provides parents with tips regarding 1) how to identify the preschools that meet your family's needs, 2) the logistics of the admissions process, 3) touring schools, 4) parent interviews, 5) preparing your child for interviews, 6) writing a compelling essay, and 7) juggling acceptances and wait-list offers.
Most parents do not understand why your four-year-old child has to take standardized tests to enroll in kindergarten. The second workshop, preparing students for standardized tests, explains the rationale behind the admissions tests required by many kindergarten programs (i.e., the Howard Gardner evaluation and Stanford Binet). Attendees will also receive material with a list of activities that have helped other parents nurture their children’s intellectual skills in a natural, playful setting. Parents will also learn how to prepare your child to be as comfortable as possible on the date of the test.
Individual Consulting Services
We provide individual consulting services to parents who would like help navigating the public and private preschool admissions process. More specifically, we can help parents with any one or more of the following steps:
Step 1) Develop your child's and family's educational profile
Step 2) Identify the preschools that meet your child’s and family’s needs
Step 3) Understand the logistics of the admissions process
Step 4) Prepare for the school tours as well as the parent and student interviews
Step 5) Complete the application and write a compelling essay
Step 6) Select the best school for your child and family