Summer can be an anxious time for families who know they will be applying to schools for their child in the fall. Parents are aware of the daunting tasks that await them in September, but they don’t yet have concrete ways to get ahead of the work, other than endlessly scrolling through school websites. Spring tours are over and applications have not yet opened. So, what can you do? 

Even though applications are not yet available, and you may not know the specific questions each school on your list will ask, there is actually plenty you can do during the summer to make the writing process easier come fall! 

What Admissions Committees Want to Learn About Your Child

Each school, regardless of how they frame their essay questions, will be interested in getting to know what makes your child unique. The best way to convey this in writing is through specific, clear examples that will lift your child off the page and bring them to life for an admissions reader. Summer is the perfect time to start considering anecdotes that showcase your child’s individual personality and approach to learning, which you can then incorporate into parent statements when applications open.

Create a Bank of Stories for Your Parent Statements

Begin by thinking about the traits that are most essential to who your child is. Are they extremely creative, always thinking outside of the box and filling your home with their own inventions? Are they deeply empathetic, the first to check on a sad friend or help their sibling learn a new skill? Perhaps they are doggedly curious, following every question with a stream of additional questions and eagerly pursuing answers? 

Once you have homed in on the qualities that make your child uniquely and unmistakably themselves, begin to jot down specific examples of times when these qualities have been especially evident. Make it a point to be on the lookout for additional anecdotes throughout the summer. Your future essay-writing self will thank you for creating this bank of traits and stories come fall, when you will be able to draw off of them to develop a vivid, compelling portrait of your child! 

Get Expert Support Before Applications Open

And remember, if you need more support, Smart City Kids can provide expert guidance in every step of the admissions process. Our goal is always to reduce the stress and sense of overwhelm in your school search. Reach out to get a head start on your school applications!

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