|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|||||
|
How and Why We Write School Guides |
|||||
|
Pince-Nez
Press was founded in 1996 by a parent who had gone through the private
school admission process and felt it could be more efficient and
manageable if parents had more information on the schools and the
admission procedures. The guides are written with the goal of making
the admission process easier on parents and kids by helping them
broaden their search to include all possible school options and
then to narrow it to the schools that will meet their educational,
social and financial needs. Schools
are invited to be included in the guides. We ask to visit the school
and interview its admission director or head. The school entries
are based upon the information we receive from the schools, our
observations, the schools' responses to questionnaires, review of
the schools' written materials, and our interviews.
It means we are not
associated with, and don't receive compensation from, any school;
we do not charge schools for appearing in the guides (it is not
advertising); we do not accept advertising from schools; and we
are not associated with any associations of schools or admission
directors. We are a parent-owned company providing information for
other parents. 
Do the guides include test scores?
In Private
High School of the San Francisco Bay Area, all schools were asked
for the mean SAT (math and verbal) scores of their last class and
mean GPAs. In Private Schools of San Francisco and Marin Counties
(K-8), schools were invited to provide average test scores of 8th
graders or "alternative indicators of academic success."
A good number of schools provided test scores or ranges. In Private
Schools of the San Francisco Peninsula & Silicon Valley (Elementary
& Middle) schools were asked about their approach to test scores,
i.e., whether they share them with parents who are seeking admission.
Parents should know that private schools are not required to give
standardized tests and some do not. Private elementary schools,
if they do give standardized tests, may choose form a variety of
tests, and, unlike public schools, they are not required by law
to report the results.
Do the guides tell which schools are the best?
No one school is best for all kids. What is best for your child depends on your child and on your expectations of what a good school offers. Creativity? A nurturing environment? A traditional education? A spiritual environment? Competition? Diversity? Our guides seek to provide enough information so that you can determine which schools are best for your child--using your criteria.
Do the guides include scholarship information?
They include
information on financial aid that the schools themselves offer,
including the percentage of students on financial aid, the number
of full and half tuition grants, and average grant amount. They
do not list outside financial aid. A number of programs in the Bay
Area do provide scholarships to assist in paying private school
tuition. They include the following: San Francisco Independent Scholars SMART (Schools Mentoring and Resource Team) The Guardsmen The BASIC Fund (Bay Area Scholarships for Inner-City Children)
Many Pince-Nez Press guidebook authors are available to consult with families on school selection. For more information, please call (415) 267-5978. |
|||||