I’m starting to see some high schools post about posting touring info in the near future. Whew. We’re getting closer to the starting line.
I was talking to a rising 8th grade parent last week about possible questions to ask when touring and/or exploring different school options. When I went through the high school process the first time I was generally lost and had no idea what I should be considering.
My second go round I put together a list of questions that at least would help us get a sense of what schools offered and also, once it was time to put together our application, would be an organized way of remembering which schools offered what - they could start to blend together at a certain point. This also helped keep my son engaged by giving a task and sense of purpose to touring. We’d generally stop off for a bite after tours and recap what we’d seen and learned. The 3 things at the bottom was to help make sure he was paying attention and it was really helpful when refreshing our memories at the end of the season.
You can absolutely print out the sheet and take it with you, jot answers on your phone, carry a notebook but I strongly suggest figuring out a way of tracking info so that when fall hits and touring starts, you’ll have a sense of a system. And the questions below are a jumping off point - think about what other issues might be relevant for your family.
school name:
number of students:
students per class:
commute:
neighborhood:
start time:
lockers:
outlunch:
admissions method:
languages offered:
AP courses offered:
academics:
IEP/accommodations support:
clubs/teams:
music/arts programs:
freshman support:
guidance/college office:
other observations:
3 things to remember (student input):
