I have been reading lately that reaching out to a boarding school admissions office with a phone call is a good route to go, does anyone agree or disagree with this? Also, if you agree do you have any tips or things that I should say? Because I am totally on for calling them, but I just don’t know what to say.
Thanks!
If you are interested in applying next year, you can email them and they will respond. We got on a one on one session with an AO this way at a top school which is not always called friendly on this board.
What is your goal? Are you applying next year? Are you trying to find open spots for next year? You need to give some more info before anyone can give you advice.
I’m applying for next year as a freshman (2022-2023) and basically just want to reach out and tell them I’m interested without being weird or anything. If you have any more questions I would be happy to answer them, I’m just very new to the process which is why I was so vague.
I think that if you have a specific question that can’t be answered by digging deep in their website and on CC and by attending their presentations than yes, call. Otherwise— why?
Go on the school’s website, and fill out the form to show your interest. See what the admissions page says about on campus visits or virtual events. If they are allowing on campus visits, you can call and ask to schedule a visit for a tour and interview. A lot of these happen in the fall because students are on campus so you would get to see the school when in session. Because of the pandemic, however, they may not allow prospective students and families on campus when school is in session, so that could be a reason for a summer visit to the school.
Echoing and maybe making more explicit: do not call just to call because you’re thinking this will improve your chances.
Yes being informed and engaged will absolutely help. But random calling will not. (It might actually work against you if you are perceived as being a pest or inauthentic.)
Do the work of learning about the schools and learning about yourself and how you will intersect.
Your interactions and questions will stem from a true place over the next 6-8 months.
Ah, got it. No, do not call right now. I don’t know of any schools that are scheduling interviews for next fall right now. Pay attention over the summer, at some point scheduling of interviews will open up and then you can call to schedule an interview. I think it is great to be an early interview. Both my kids were the first interview at some schools and they really stood out because of it.
Absolutely do not call for no reason and given how new you are to the process that is all it would be at this point.
Start researching schools, building your list, learning from their websites, asking questions here.
If you are really itching to make contact, I think you can call the admission offices and ask when they typically open the interview schedule. I did this for my kiddo about this time of year, and it was nice to actually talk to a person. While I don’t think this will make any difference in your admission rate (after all, the person you speak with most likely won’t have any say in your admission), sometimes it’s nice to get a more personal feel of the school early on. Some offices were very helpful and kind, offering to contact me when the schedule opened, and others gave a blanket “sometime over the summer” answer.