- The Los Angeles Preschool application process includes a pre-application visit.
- While competitive, its preschool class values humor, lack of egos, and citizenship.
- A top advisor shares the best projects in the region and directors share how to get in.
Getting your kids into a respected preschool in Los Angeles starts with barely diapers, Cindy Chanin, founder Rainbow EDU Consulting and Coaching and a former Ivy League admissions representative who worked closely with Los Angeles’ most popular private school, told Insider. She also noted that the process, while competitive, is unlike anywhere else in the United States.
“Schools in Los Angeles generally discourage families from taking themselves or the process too seriously,” Channing said. “Instead, they value a sense of humour, lack of egos and a sense of citizenship.”
Creativity, the development of curiosity, and learning through play are at the heart of the mission and philosophy of most of the best kindergartens. “If your student is a kid in line and ‘heads down,’ they’re not going to stand out,” Channing said. “Prosperity pays off.”
The community also bears the deep veins of the Reggio Emilia approach to education. “Reggio Emilia is a student-centered educational philosophy that is self-directed, experiential, and promoted in a relationship-driven environment,” Chanin said. “Community, arts and entertainment are at the heart of Reggio Emilia. Like the entertainment industry that drives Los Angeles culture, the school is inspired by fun, creative kids.”
“Many of the top kindergartens in Los Angeles claim that they are less interested in your numbers or status than they are in whether you fit into their philosophies and values,” Chanin added. “In addition to considering whether your child is a good fit, they also strive to understand for themselves who you are as a parent.”
Each school has its own unique way of making up classes, and many admissions directors are looking for diversity and diverse personalities, she said. In general, Channing added, most schools have traditionally used the same admissions process: call them, schedule a visit, and then you can apply.
At many top schools, open houses are booking fast. “Many schools are reporting a surge in applications,” Channing said. “The head of admissions said this year was ‘crazy.'” She added that in the first few years of the pandemic, while some schools didn’t meet their enrollment quotas — losing much-needed income and seeing some of the most dedicated Families have wavered in their allegiance – but now they are experiencing “excessive demand” from family competition for the limited places available.
“Certain long-standing factors are coming into play again, just as they were before the pandemic: the number of siblings applying, the number of returning families, and the need to balance incoming classes based on gender or race,” Channing said. Say.
Still, Chanin noted that what the world has collectively experienced over the past few years has “undeniably shaped” parents and families. “There appears to be a new and more cautious commitment to finding a quality, reliable education for children,” she said.
To find the best option for your family, Chanin has selected 11 elite kindergartens in the Los Angeles area that, in her experience, offer the best programs. The directors said, sorted by community, here’s what they cost for a year and what the application process looks like.
