Every parent wants their child to do well in school and be able to come out on top, reaching for their dreams. Right from preschool they are thinking about how they can make their child’s education experience the best that they possible can. And rightly so; in three different studies, it was shown that of the kids that participated in some kind of preschool program, 80 percent of them out preformed their peers when it came time to start kindergarten. Then there’s elementary school and the choice of public or private middle school and high school. Even if a child goes to private school, many parents will opt for them to also attend a preparatory academy in order to make sure they get the most out of college. Here are some advantages of preparatory academy attendance and give them a jump start on the credits.
- Better Access to Resources
Preparatory academy has a much more engaging and challenging curriculum as well as higher access to more resources than public school. These resources include but are not limited to:
The Arts: There are classes available for dance, drama, music as well as visual arts and other types. Having access to these types of classes expanses a student’s horizons and helps them to develop their own interests and who they are without fear of being judged or pressured into something else.
Technology: Most prep schools have state of the art wireless internet access and issue a laptop or tablet for each student to work from. This gives the kids a jump on understanding the technological world that they are about to enter. Being knowledgeable in the world of technology is very important nowadays.
Books: Prep school libraries are extremely large with many different subjects and categories available at all times to the students. While students always have the internet, nothing replaces real books. - Honors
In quite a few separate studies, it was shown that kids in prep school placed higher in advanced studies than kids only in public school. For example, while 60 percent of kids in public school were placed in advanced science, 81 percent of prep school kids were. 39 percent of public school kids were in advanced math compared to 70 percent of pre school kids, and the list goes on. - Smaller Class Size
- The advantages to having a smaller class size are:
- One on one attention from the teacher for each student.
- Ability to focus on the individual student’s needs and style of learning in order to advance each child specifically.
- Students are able to make connections with their peers to motivate and encourage one another.
- College Prep
Preparatory Academy is meant for just that- preparing for college. A student can begin to build credits and get a jump start on their college education but this does not necessarily mean that colleges prefer prep school students, particularly. However, because of the consistent higher scores and more exposure, colleges do tend to pick a lot of prep school students, but not particularly because they went to prep school. However, a public school student could be in the same boat if he or she will work hard to make the same kinds of grades and build on their experiences.
One of the things that colleges also look at is the high school reputation. If your prep school has a history of sending students off to a successful college education, your school will be looked at favorable. However, this is the same for any high school; private, public or prep.
It was found there was less peer pressure and struggle between students when classes were significantly smaller. Students are more apt to ask questions and clear up confusions in smaller classes because they aren’t afraid of being made fun of because they didn’t understand something, clearly.
So, if you are thinking of sending your child to a prep school, take in to consideration more than just their college education. Overall, think about what you child is going to experience and what they will be able to learn during this time. Remember that just because your child went to prep school does not automatically gain him entrance to college. He or she must still work just as hard as any other student competing for the same spot.