Private school applications - do you admit you've applied for their rival as well?

[Yahboosnubs]

Apologies for the middle class question but we are going to register for two schools that are rivals for our money, and our daughter's education. Do we tell the one that is asking that we've also registered for the other school? I'm sure everyone does register for both....

Um....does it ask for that information on the application form? If so, why not be honest? What difference will it make?

Be honest if they ask you, but don't go out of your way to let them know.

I can't imagine why you would feel the need to tell them. And of course most schools expect/assume that you will be applying to more than one. In my area at least the private schools run entrance exams two weekends running so that children can take the test for more than one school.

Are they directly asking? And if so, do they say why? If it's for anything other than making sure the entrance exams don't clash, I wouldn't tell them.

No need to tell them. However, if they ask you, just bear in mind it doesn't count against you - private schools tend to know which ones are the best in the area and would expect you to have at least considered even if you didn't actually register for the other school(s). There's no need to hide it; they expect it. I wouldn't talk endlessly about it though, of course.

Generally the schools are more interested in seeing if your child is a "good fit" (as the Americans say) for the school and vice versa. Eg a school that is very academic and bookish, into things like (let's say) science competitions, Math Olympiads and Latin societies, might not suit a child who is good in their schoolwork but whose passion is ball sports like football, rugby and cricket - there are other schools which are more involved in such sports. Likewise a child who is very artistic but less keen on sport and science, eg brilliant at music, several instruments, performing arts, singing, etc might suit a school which has a strong music and arts tradition rather than sporting tradition better. Of course they have to be up to the academic work, but apart from that, it won't count against your DC at all if you've applied to all their rivals.

When I was asked I always said which other schools we'd applied for and added an honest sweetener 'We particularly like your drama provision/language options/vegan lunches'

I doubt it will make any difference tbh. Most private schools will expect you to apply to more than one. It's quite normal in our area for parents to put applications into at least 3 as competition for places is high. I think they just like you to be honest and not keep them hanging on once you've made your decision.

Great, thanks all. It was on their application form and we have decided to admit it. Very annoyingly, the two girls schools have chosen the same day and time to have their activity days/assessment days. We will probably have to chose at that point, before she's even offered a place (or not). Grr.

It's rare that there is only one assessment day in a private school. If you really like both - try talking to be registrar and see if they have an alternative date. If not - assessments don't normally take the whole day - you could try to schedule a morning and an afternoon one, although not ideal.

It is very cheeky of them to pick the same date! I have heard of some competitive boys middle schools doing it, but not at primary level! Especially, given that all have so many applicants and many don't get an offer!!!

Yes to address the very problem that you have come up against. If they see a batch of children sitting tests at a neighbouring school on the same day, they will offer a new date for those children. Don't sit one or another - highly likely the schools will allow you to sit both.

Their marketing people are interested in seeing which schools they come up against.. it's not to judge you

You can request that the girl sits the 'common entrance' if they are both on the same day that she sits papers at on school and they re copied and sent to the other school. Though they are likely to charge more for this, we have been quoted £110 for this. Fortunately we won't need it as one school rejigger it's entrance dates so we can it and know about a place before we hav to confirm registration for second schools examination.

In our North London Consortium applications. We had to put (on the individual forms that we completed for each school) what other schools we had applied to and in some they asked us if school x was our first choice.

I don't think we were 100 per cent honest (as we applied for so many) but we did come unstuck as some of them asked my DD where she wanted to go, what her first choice was etc. She just said she liked all of them and we hadn't made our minds up. That was true but sort of the opposite. We saw some negatives in all of them and wasn't sure which one was our fave. The one we chose was a nightmare to get to but great everything else.

I think that is totally inappropriate but anyway we sort of went along with it.