Boarding School | Page 13 of 15 | Lakefield College School Blog

So you have been accepted to an independent school wait list, now what?

Posted on 21/04/201416/07/2015Categories Best Fit Education

Waiting to learn of an admission decision or hearing from a school that you have been found acceptable but that they don't have a space for you can be frustrating, stressful and nerve wracking. Once you have been waitlisted for a school, what does it mean and what should, can you do? First, let's look at what being put on a wait list means. If you are in a "wait pool", it is the same thing. Some offices use "wait pool" instead of "wait list" as they do not want families to think that a "wait list" is prioritized. In my experience, whichever term is used, parents still want to know where their child 'is' on the wait list or where they 'are' in the wait pool. At Lakefield College School, we use the term "Accepted Pending Space" to also mean the same thing. All of these terms mean you…

Should I attend a School Fair?

Posted on 5/02/201416/07/2015Categories Best Fit Education

I attend a number of school fairs every year in Canada and around the world. They serve a very important purpose but you must take in what you learn and afterward evaluate all that you have been told. Yesterday, in Mexico, a woman arrived at my table and said "every school I have visited so far has told me they are the best, are you the best too?" My reply was, "that depends on what you are looking for." Was it an ESL program? No, we offer ESL support instead of full classes. Was it the best boarding program? Maybe, tell me more about your child... Remember, it is all about finding the right fit and the 'best' program for your child. At this fair, there were public school home stay programs for $20,000, private for profit boarding schools with almost entirely international student populations for $36,000, then there were…

A matter of size – “the right size” school for every student

Posted on 8/01/201416/07/2015Categories Best Fit Education

School size can be a key factor in school selection. It can also be a defining characteristic of a school, so much so that in LCS's case, the Trustees have decreed that the school shall not have a student body of more than 365. Sometimes we end up at 366 when the dust settles at the end of our offer period, but to end up with 367 we have to get Board Chair approval. We don't bother asking about 368 as we know that is out of the question. Why is size so closely guarded? It can matter in so many ways when choosing the right school. Overall School Size Overall school size limits what classes can be offered. It is great to have a high school of over 400 or 500 when offering the IB as you need more students to ideally and affordably offer everything at the higher…