With the increase in kindergarten applicants to Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Riverdale private schools and the opening of a well-funded new school (Avenues), schools are:
- Releasing applications earlier. Many NYC private schools for the first time released applications over the summer, relieving the post-Labor Day crunch.
- Imposing character counts on essays. Apparently, there is only so much admissions people want to read about your 4 year old. 1000 characters is a typical limit for an answer.
- Releasing applications online. This trend really took hold in 2010 and naturally it is here to stay. Get comfortable with InfoSnap.
- Asking questions like tell me about your child, what are your concerns about your child, and why are you interested in this school.
- Asking for a picture, and sometimes a family picture.
Good luck!