Questions to Ask

This page covers:

• General questions you may want to ask on your tour (printable)
• Various sets of questions you may want to ask for your specific interests, or for a specific type of school (each printable)

We’ve tried to distill our mother lode of questions down to about 20 basic ones, some of which might be answered without your needing to ask. These questions are a good starting point for any school tour. We also offer additional various sets of questions for specific categories.  You can use them as a basis to create your own list of questions for school visits, or for picking the brains of other parents.

The Questions

Each of the links below take you to a printable PDF: 

• 20-ish Basic Questions

To delve deeper in any particular area that matters to you, or if you are looking at a specific type of school, check these out:

• Safety, Facilities & Services
• Academics & Faculty
• Arts & Performance
• Enrichment/Specials & Extracurricular
• Character Development & Community
• Additional Questions for Private Schools
• Additional Questions for Schools w/ Specialized Approach
• Additional Questions for Language Immersion Programs

Or, if you want to review all the questions in a single file, download the Master List.

You may end up with a long list of questions, but don’t be shy about trying to get them in – for every parent who might think you’re being excessive, another three will think you’re a rock star.

Are there “right” answers?

Well, it depends.  Some are obvious, others depend on what you’re looking for, what you value.  As you research and tour schools, you will get a sense of the range of answers to a particular question.  This should help you define what your "right answer" may be.  But if you are stumped, leave us a comment below -- we are happy to supply you with our opinion, or any knowledge we may have.

Once you’ve assembled a list of questions, you might want to asterisk the burning ones.  At minimum try to get those answered.  Anything you must know that didn’t get covered on the tour, you can try and email or call for an answer.  There’s a decent chance you’ll get a response.  But if not, just the fact that you actually walked the halls of the school should give you a much clearer sense of whether or not you can see your kid thriving there, and whether or not you’ll want to pursue a spot. 

« previous pagenext page »