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Private School on a Budget, Without Financial Aid
There is always an income that feels too low to comfortably pay tuition for private schools, yet too high for financial aid

Vicky Keston
May 11, 20243 min read
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How Many Private Schools Should We Apply To?
How many schools should we apply to? Is there a best number to ensure acceptance, while balancing the work load for applying

Vicky Keston
May 4, 20243 min read
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Student Essays for Middle and High School Essays
How is applying to middle school or high school different than kindergarten? The student plays a more active role. Among the biggest time...

Vicky Keston
Apr 13, 20243 min read
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Gifted Friendly Schools: Options for a Fast Learner
Parents of gifted kids often struggle to find the best school placement. Since most Bay Area public school districts don’t offer gifted...

Vicky Keston
Apr 9, 20245 min read
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School and the Single Parent
Everything can feel more complicated when you are a single parent. Schools are no exception. How do you find a school where your kids...

Vicky Keston
Apr 2, 20244 min read
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Counseled Out: My Child Must Leave Their School
What to do when your private school asks you to transfer your child out . . . . perhaps, there have been long standing behavioral issues;...

Vicky Keston
Mar 27, 20244 min read
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Off Season School Search
March arrived, and while other parents received admissions decisions, you realized that your child needs a new school. Maybe you accepted...

Vicky Keston
Mar 23, 20244 min read
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How to Choose a School
It’s easy to be jealous of parents who are admitted to multiple schools, but choice always make a decision more difficult, especially...

Vicky Keston
Mar 14, 20244 min read
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Advocating for Acceleration – the Need for More Challenge
This is for parents of children who ask for more challenge, regardless of the subject. They’re gifted, curious, or quick learners. They...

Vicky Keston
Mar 11, 20244 min read
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Sharing a Child’s Mild Diagnosis, Neurodiversity or Special Need with Admissions
Admissions season is nerve-wracking for all parents, but for parents of kids with sensory, neurodiversity, or learning needs, there are...

Vicky Keston
Mar 4, 20243 min read
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Communicating With Your School
Even when we love our schools, it’s inevitable that issues will arise. Why? Think back to your own childhood. Schools are full of kids,...

Vicky Keston
Feb 26, 20244 min read
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Financial Aid and the First Choice Letter
Here’s the scenario: You’re applying to private K-12 schools. You’ve created a list of private schools for your child, written...

Vicky Keston
Feb 15, 20244 min read
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Public vs Private School Decision
Public or private school? Such a hot button topic, and the one that parents most often ask. There’s no one right answer, but there are...

Vicky Keston
Jun 28, 20234 min read
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Preschool to Princeton: Does School Choice Affect Future Success?
Like many parents, I often worry how my school choice will affect their future. While the title might be an exaggeration, we all wonder...

Vicky Keston
May 13, 20235 min read
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Can I Afford Private School?
This week, the financial cost of private school feels incredibly real as parents hold private school contracts in hand and have mere days...

Vicky Keston
Mar 21, 20234 min read
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School Primer for Parents Educated Abroad
Parents who didn’t grow up in the United States often reach out to me when their kids approach elementary school or transferring into a...

Vicky Keston
Mar 2, 20233 min read
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Middle School: A Perspective Looking Back at the Awkward Years
When applying for kindergarten, parents feel comfortable looking into the curriculum of the early grades. However, with most San...

Vicky Keston
Sep 27, 20223 min read
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Developing Independence . . . Landing the Helicopter Softly
Last week, I attended our first high school back to school night. As part of the event, a panel of seniors discussed different topics. In...

Vicky Keston
Sep 15, 20223 min read
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The Case for Financial Aid in K-12 Private Schools
For some parents, financial need is a necessity to afford sending their student to the school. For other parents who can afford the...

Vicky Keston
Jul 2, 20223 min read
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Private School Decision Week
As the final two weeks start before private school decisions are released, parental stress increases. What can we do in the meantime?...

Vicky Keston
Mar 2, 20224 min read
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