It’s open house season! We’re starting in 7th grade rather than trying to do open houses and interviews in the same year. Any suggestions? We’re first timers.
Also- I’ve read what to wear for interviews. Are open houses slightly less formal?
We went to a few open houses with my older son in 7th grade (he’s in 9th now), and it was very worthwhile. For him, it was important to get an in-person look at schools before coming up with a list, and I think when interviews came around, he was a bit more comfortable than if it had been his first visit to the schools. The only downside I can see is that it’s a long and grueling process to begin with, and starting in 7th makes it longer, but for us the benefits outweighed any downside. As far as dress, we treated them like interviews. In each case there were kids and parents who were less formal (e.g., boys wearing their hockey jackets instead of a blazer). One of the open houses we attended was geared toward sports, and a few kids were very casually dressed, which I don’t recommend. A lot of kids will interview on the day of the open house, so I think it’s more typical to dress as you would for an interview.
Are open houses the new trend or something suddenly fashionable? It sure seems like way more schools than usual are holding them now. Deerfield had one this year, and I have seen quite a few postcards and emails about others this cycle, more than before. Is that a sign of softening interest and way to get some eyes on these campuses, or is something else at play?
We may never know the answers to these questions, but tune in next time for another exciting episode…
From what I know, they’re like an hour or two. If you have to travel, I wouldn’t do them. They’re not necessary in any way.
My guess is that it’s a structured way to have younger (7th grade, 8th grade) applicants get a look at the school without conducting formal tours & interviews.
A good tip for what to wear can be found in the Student Handbook ( usually found on the school website ).
When in Rome…
If a school is formal dress ( coat and tie ), a seventh grade boy attending an OH can probably get away with a nice button down shirt and khakis and skip the tie and blazer. For an interview, I’d recommend adding the tie and jacket.
These are highly choreographed events but they’re definitely worthwhile when you’re able to checkout and compare a few schools ( at a somewhat leisurely pace ) and get a preliminary list going.
The most important thing is to have fun, relax and enjoy the day. 
As it’s fall in New England, I figure if nothing else, we’ll go on some nice rides and see some beautiful scenery. We are visiting quite a few schools, but they are all within a couple of hours of our home.
Open houses can be a great way to check out a school and determine interest without committing to an interview. There are generally a lot of folks to field questions, so if you want to chat about what’s involved in playing tennis (but you’re not necessarily going to be an impact player ) or a particular academic discipline, you may feel more comfortable accessing a coach or department head at this type of event. It is, as noted, a good way for a 7th grader to get an early look. There are folks who are wavering on public/private, day/boarding, and this can be a way to collect info without feeling like they have to expose themselves too much.
The downside is that you will probably want to return for an interview if you like the school, and it can feel time-consuming to return for that. (Some schools arrange interviews on open house days, btw.) Then again, seeing a place a second time can sometimes allow you to see more/differently.
Personally, I liked open houses when we were at this point, but ymmv.
Open houses weren’t a thing back when my kids applied. I could see maybe attending one or two to give the kids an idea of what boarding school is all about and to see if it was appealing but for me and mine, the family focus on the visiting and application process in 8th grade was enough. I personally would not want to extend that to take up 2 years of my kids’ lives. Even if done in a somewhat low-key way, I would feel it would place too much emphasis and pressure on the whole boarding school thing, at least more than I would personally feel comfortable with. Just my 2 cents.