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We're considering moving to LA-area from NYC, but won't be able to make the decision for a few months. Have a dc whom I'm applying to K this year. (Still going through NYC process because it's about 50/50 that we'll go.) Anyone have any insight into Cali-private school process? Will we be screwed at that late date? If so, any neighborhoods better than others in/around LA for public elementary schools? I'll speak with my psd too, of course, and do some research online, but thought a few here might have BTDT.
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OP - thanks all. Hmm, no clear consensus. I guess I'll check in with PSD asap and find out. Wasn't going to bother her until we knew a bit more. Thanks also for that info on the schools. Yes, Bev Hills definitely has a good rep, but we weren't sure we wanted to live there. :) But may have to - at least to start out - if private isn't an option. Thanks again!
[ Reply | Options ]You should check our the schools in Pacific Palisades and Brentwood. The Canyon School, Marquez Schoo, Kenter Canyon School, are all great elementary schools. There are also good elementary schools in Santa Monica. The Lincoln middle school in Santa Monica is very good, as is the high school ,which has an honors program. The middle school in the Palisades and Brentwood is very large (Paul Revere) and not everyone has a high opinion of it. If you want to stay near the beach, the Malibu school system is very good from K - high school, but not very diverse. As for private schools, there are fewer, and they are very competitive, especially the well-known ones like Crossroads and Harvard Westlake. That being said, we were considering moving out there and actually went through the process of applying. Our New York kids did well and they were flexible about the late date because we were coming form another state. Good luck.
[ Reply | Options ]Op-thank you! This is so helpful. We're considering Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Santa Monica, so this is great info to have. Most of my friends who grew up there went to private, but I figured there HAD to be a strong public school system given some of the communities out there. Even if we started in public until we had a chance to apply to private after K. Thank you, thank you!
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Wow, how many of you replying to this post actually live in LA? I do, my child goes to a fancy private school, and she only went to daycare, not a "feeder" pre-school. There's a book that lists all the private schools in the LA area, called the Whitney Guide (you can get it on Amazon, I think) that's very helpful for addresses, etc. It also lists schools by philosophy,(progressive, traditional, Waldorf) which is great. Her opinions are a little wild though, since it seems she's only visited each school once, some years and years ago. Still, very useful if you're new to the territory. The Windward School is indeed a wonderful school, but it's 7-12. Brentwood is a very traditional school that goes k-12. There are no single sex schools in Brentwood, except Archer, which is a girl's school that is 7-12. Marymount is nearby in Bel Air, also 7-12. There are no single sex elementary schools here. I would get the book, call the schools you're interested in for applications, and start visits, etc in a few months. Some of the elementary schools stop accepting applications in October, so you may have to act quickly. Most of them have an application cut-off sometime in December. If you're not local to the area during the application process, just call the Admissions Directors. Most of them are extremely helpful and understanding. To the person whose sister is currently applying to schools, I can tell her after 10 years at this admissions game, there are no "feeder" schools for K, she may be falling into the deep paranoia and panic that everyone goes through during this process. I think there are just as many rumors flying during the admissions season out here as there are in NY. Relax.
[ Reply | Options ]OP - Thank you! I started doing some research online today, and yes, it looks like for K, the Oct cut-off is pretty standard. So I might end up applying to both LA and NYC schools and see what happens. It sounds like there are a few public options too, so it's nice to have that back-up. Thanks for your help - I'll get the book this week. Really, really appreciate it!
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