There are a number of reasons why students transfer schools, including: academic, social, emotional, and family situations. We will go over the various reasons so you can begin to think about whether transferring to a different private school or public school makes sense for you.
Also, as you think about a transfer, make sure you consider all options for middle school and high school. School types include: public schools, charter schools, private schools, boarding schools and military schools / military academies.
10 Reasons Why Transferring High Schools Makes Sense
- 1. Is your teenager making progress? If you see signs that your teen is not improving and growing, it is time to reassess the current school. For instance, boarding school outcomes include: better grades, smaller classes, improved study habits, better time management, greater confidence, independence, and resilience.
- 4. Are learning issues being addressed? If your teen has ADHD, or Dyslexia, or other learning differences, your teen could benefit from the special learning strategies programs offered at some private schools. Some private schools focus on mild to moderate, while others offer highly specialized programs.
- 5. Are you an international family? If so, you might be seeking a school that offers English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). At some boarding schools or private schools with homestay programs, they only offer admission to advanced speakers. However, some schools do offer classes in ESL or ESOL for intermediate level students. In this case, classes are offered to international students seeking to improve speaking, writing, and reading skills as they prepare to apply to colleges in the U.S.
- 6. Is your son being challenged academically? Private schools are often quite rigorous. Compare data to public schools and private schools. For instance, some military boarding schools have mandatory study time, tutorial periods, faculty office hours, and boast matriculation to the Ivy League, University of California campuses, and top service academies like West Point and Annapolis.
- 2. Have you experienced a family change? Perhaps you have relocated or something has changed in your family. Relocation or getting separated or divorced can pose real challenges for families. A boarding school can give parents a time to regroup and give their teen additional supervision and support during a change. A death in the family can also prompt parents to look into boarding schools. Sometimes a single parent wants their child to receive mentorship and counseling during this transition.
- 3. Do you have any safety concerns? If your teenager is facing any issues with bullying, hazing, discrimination, or bad influences from their social circle, a school transfer may help teens find a new sense of place and protection. Boarding schools typically have very strict policies that are enforced and a set of values that students follow.
- 7. Does your teen need to change his circle of friends? Friends have a huge influence on values, leadership and life skills, college choices, and even career directions. If your teen is not associating with students who boost his/her self-esteem, it is important to transfer schools. Because of the close-knit community at boarding schools, it is a great place to make lifelong friends that uplift, support and provide encouragement.
- 8. Does your son/daughter need a single-gender focus? If you think a single gender approach could help, there are many private day schools, as well as boarding schools for all-boys or all-girls. Teens have an opportunity to focus on specific learning approaches and extracurriculars that hold strong appeal. Single gender boarding schools concentrate on research-based methods on how girls and how boys learn best. For this reason, single-gender education can accelerate academic progress, boost self-esteem, lower stress and anxiety, and buffer students from distractions.
- 9. Does your son/daughter have a specific career interest? Beyond college prep, some boarding schools are becoming highly responsive to new career interests, trends and directions. This has resulted in dynamic programs in STEM, UAS, aviation, cyber security, business, leadership, management, the arts, media, and much more.
- 10. Are you seeking specific athletic programs? To gain an edge for college scholarships, some students want to transfer schools and play a specific sport. For example, at boarding schools, by being in a smaller division, athletes can be a real stand-out in their sport of interest. The sooner they transfer in high school, the better in many cases.
In summary, transferring schools during rolling admission in the fall or in the mid-year during the spring semester has a number of key benefits. Making a school change can give your teen a positive outlook and result in strong outcomes in terms of both personal and academic growth.
Regardless of your reason for changing schools, a new junior high school or high school experience can be a life changer for your teen.
Additional Resources:
How to Transfer Schools
Benefits of Mid-Year Transfers to a Boarding School
Tips for How to Apply to Boarding School
What are some good reasons to transfer high schools
Questions: As a public service, the Army & Navy Academy, a college prep day and boarding school for boys, grades 7-12 would be glad to address any questions. Even if the Academy is not the right fit, we may be able to offer other resources.
Admission Office: tel: +1-888.762.2338
