While being bilingual does add a certain je ne sais quoi to an application, for private school kindergarten interviews, it’s best if children know English well.
But for life, it’s good for kids to be bilingual. Dr. Perri Klass reports in Hearing Bilingual: How Babies Sort Out Language in the Times that bilingual children are more versatile problem solvers.
Many families with bilingual children consult with me about how much English language acquisition is necessary to be successful in the private school admissions process. Parents are aware of the tradeoffs and often make a conscious choice about how much of their native language they want to use at home.