Our goal is to work hand-in-hand with families to help them explore boarding school options that are appropriate to each student’s needs, interests, and abilities and to support the whole family through the entire placement process.
During this stage of the process we will listen to and respect parents’ and families’ experience, history, values, goals, culture and resources.* As part of our information gathering we will review past and recent grade reports as well as standardized testing and any prior psychoeducational evaluations.
With your authorization, we will also talk with appropriate individuals/professionals who know your child to gather information before making school recommendations. Throughout this time we’ll begin to understand and appreciate the unique characteristics of your child and will work to fully explain the school admissions process to each family (for example, the schedule of standardized tests, testing options, application deadlines, etc.)
Our goal is to develop an understanding of the unique characteristics of your child’s values, feelings and interests, personal strengths and weaknesses, academic learning style and ability, extracurricular activities, athletic activities, and special talents. Working with families we’ll shape a practical list of important educational and extracurricular “must-haves” for recommended schools.
We will then begin thoroughly researching which environments meet your child’s needs, talking with admission personnel, and creating a personalized collection of best-fit schools. This tailor-made list of options will be fine tuned as we continue to walk you through the process.
During this stage we also assist in application preparation. While Stratas can’t guarantee placement or acceptance, we can help your child put their best foot forward; bringing out their strengths with well-written applications, outstanding essays, and impressive interviews.
When acceptance letters arrive, we will help you sort through the options to find the best fit. Once you’ve made your choice, you can breathe easy knowing you’ve gone through the right process, and can start getting ready for enrollment.
Starting on day one and beyond we are always willing to answer questions and to support the process however is most helpful to you and your family.
