More and more moms are coming to our office with concerns and questions about how and what to do to set their children up for success!

The trend in LA and NYC is that college actually begins at 2! In other words, where you send your child has a big impact on their ultimate trajectory. With all that pressure, it is becoming as competitive as putting your child into private school.

But, I actually advise parents to remember that you always end up where you are supposed to.  And if that is the case, how can you put yourself in the driver's seat?

Here are my pro-tips:

One, rather than feeling at the mercy of the school, turn that energy around and really evaluate the school to see if it matches what you are looking to cultivate in you and your child's life. We always suggest Creating a real checklist for yourself when you are evaluating the pre-school.  

Ask yourself: 

1.  What are the parents like? 

2.  What is the ethos of the school? 

3.  Do you like the administration, the founder, the principal?

4.  What is the general nature of the school: Competitive? Nurturing?

5.  What is the foundation of their teaching? Montessori, Reggio, etc

6.  What elementary schools do they feed into?  

7.  Will this help moves you one step closer to the private K-12 or elementary schools you want to attend? 

Another parent also asked herself: How do they treat you when you are a prospective parent vs a paying parent?  How do you feel walking the campus? I thought these were equally valid questions!

Two, it’s a numbers game. You want to apply to multiple places to give yourself some options in case there is a lot of competition — not necessarily academic — but because you might be in a year with more applicants.