<p>I've read some post where parents have said that after speaking with admissions, they've realized that the school isn't a good fit.</p>
<p>Do parents contact schools before traveling many hours for open houses? Is it a good idea to contact the schools to see what kind of student thrives there especially when your child has a mild learning difference? </p>
<p>I'm getting a little overwhelmed with the volume of reading that I've been doing that it's all sounding the same to me. </p>
<p>I'd love to email or call and ask these questions but I don't want to sound like a PITA</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>I don’t think I’d call and I’m not sure you’ll get what you’re looking for from a phone conversation. I’d concentrate on your list of schools to visit and then back off from it a bit until you visit. A lot is going to depend on the personal interactions you both have when you go.</p>
<p>Even though it was a good bit of travel, I really enjoyed that time with my daughter and we treated it as an adventure.</p>
<p>Agree with Momof7th… in that what you can glean from a phone call is limited. Nonetheless, a preliminary phone call could help you determine whether a school will work with you or not. Some schools are more child/family centered than others and you could take some off your list before investing the time visiting. If they are 1) cold 2) inflexible 3) come across as doing you a favor (we encountered this) on the phone, it’s a red flag. From the minute you first contact a school you are getting a vibe and sometimes it does play out.</p>
<p>I think it’s best to start visiting, rather than rule schools in or out through phone calls. The admissions office admits students, but the faculty and students are the school. It would be a pity to rule out a great school because you caught an admissions officer on a bad day. </p>
<p>This is the sort of thing a good private educational consultant could help you with. [Independent</a> Educational Consultants Association | IECA](<a href=“http://www.iecaonline.com%5DIndependent”>http://www.iecaonline.com) An experienced consultant should know which schools have done well with his/her clients over time.</p>