If you’re planning on attending college, your parents likely hope that you’ll get the best education possible. But even if you’re going to a public school, they might be open to considering independent schools—and that’s especially true if they have good reason to believe that these schools will prepare you better for career options beyond college than your current school does. What exactly makes the prominent independent schools so good at preparing students for wider career options?
How Independent Schools are Helpful to a Students for Wider Career Options
The Culture and Community
Kids who attend independent schools have exposure to a larger community from a very young age. They’re likely to participate in student clubs and/or teams in addition to extra-curricular activities with peers who are not necessarily from their neighbourhood or socioeconomic background. This experience gives students an opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds, which can be particularly valuable when considering what employers look for in applicants.
The Academic Aspect
Most independent schools offer a rigorous academic curriculum that helps students prepare for a wide variety of colleges and careers. A typical high school curriculum includes language, math, science, art and music. As students mature, they can earn college credits as well as advanced placement courses through national exams like AP Exams or SAT Subject Tests. In addition to traditional academics, students at many independent schools also have access to extracurricular activities such as community service or student government so they can gain important leadership skills.
For example, students might learn how to manage budgets or plan events by participating in clubs. An area university often sponsors clubs, so there’s a real-world application involved in these groups. Clubs help develop transferable skills like communication and organisation, which make it easier for students to find work once they graduate from high school. Contact one of education consultants today if you’re considering attending an independent school but aren’t sure if it will be a good fit for your child.
The Extracurricular Activities
The education sector is constantly growing, with more and more people seeing new opportunities opening up in schools, colleges and universities. With a world-class education system to support them, it’s not surprising that many students decide to continue on after graduation and embark on careers as teachers. But of course a career in teaching doesn’t mean you have to stay within a classroom – there are plenty of different roles that teachers can move into once they’ve started their professional life. One of these is administration.
Ways to get into independent schools
Getting into an independent school is harder than getting into a public school, but there are ways to make your application more competitive. While independent schools emphasize holistic admissions and look at things like strong parental involvement, it’s still important to have a solid application.
Here are some tips on how to get in:
The first step in getting into an independent school is submitting your Common Application or Coalition Application (for schools that accept either). These applications can be found online and ask you about your background, extracurricular activities, etc. It’s worth noting that some private schools will only accept one of these applications—it’s worth checking with each one individually before applying.
