We are moving to UWS and considering applying for private schools for kindergarten (we've decided not to do public). It feels so overwhelming, what recommendations do have on how to start? books, websites, workshops, consultants?

You should be on urban baby.

"books, websites, workshops, consultants?"

Seems like an awful lot of work just to teach the kid how to color inside the lines and play with Play-Doh.

Urban Baby

1) erbtest.org
2) A few of the schools should have their applications online soon - Ethical, Horace Mann, Brearley come to mind. All of them will require that your child's school submit a report which can be a problem because you are moving schools - I'm assuming this is for Sept 2012?

If you wish to enroll child for Sept 2011, there are only a few options. Get on the phone ASAP with Parents League, but also call the for-profit schools. Claremont (changed names recently), British International School NY (BISNY), Dwight, Mandell. Claremont is DT, BISNY is Kips Bay ish, Dwight is UWS, Mandell is UWS.

Also look into Montessori, some of which extend beyond K. Metropolitan Montessori (UWS) - I know some people who are very happy there.

And when is your child's birthday? The cutoff for privates is Sept 1, but in reality, a few privates have pushed this back. If your child has a summer birthday '07, you are looking at 2 more years of preschool.

watch nursery university.....it makes you feel soooo much better.....(its a documentary)

PennyNYC: How important is it that the school be in the neighborhood? If proximity is a priority, that will make your choice simpler, but it will also knock out a lot of excellent schools on the East Side.

I second nyc10023 on Montessori. It's one of the few private elementary schools on the UWS where most parents seem to feel they get reasonable value for money. For what it's worth, we've been reasonably happy with public so far. (We've also been very lucky.) Have you ruled out public because you're in a weak catchment?

As UB will tell you, if you feel pressed for time & choice as an incoming K parent, maybe it's best to go for K-8. Have to go through the whole rigamarole at 8th grade but you don't feel locked in for 13 years.

Ah, I also forgot Alexander Robertson as an UWS low-key choice.

K-8s:
Bank Street, AR (above), Cathedral, Grace Church (but they're expanding into HS), School at Columbia (by lottery, public school cutoff), Metropolitan Montessori, City & Country, Town.

Ah, also Speyer Legacy.

Thank you all! I did not realize how quickly people respond. Yes, it is for K in 2012, for a boy (April b'day), so we have a year to apply. We are looking to have a school on the UWS, but will consider some other location, if the school fits.

So far, it looks like recommendations are: join the parents league, buy the private schools guide, look at urban baby, watch nursery university, consider boarding school, wait for applications to come online, look at erbtest.org, and look at K-8 schools.

Amongst the recommended schools so far: Bank Street, Alexander Robertson, Cathedral, Grace Church (but they're expanding into HS), School at Columbia (by lottery, public school cutoff), Metropolitan Montessori, City & Country, Town, Speyer Legacy, st. bernard's, buckley, browning, allen stevenson, st. david's, st. lukes. Look at for profits: Claremont (changed names recently), British International School NY (BISNY), Dwight, Mandell.

I will start to look some of these things and see if there are other resources -- I just looked at urbanbaby -- wow, its looks like some of the women are so mean on there!

Thank you so much...

Wbottom: I have great respect for your experience, but the baby boom which started in '02 has changed the landscape for families who would otherwise have moved to the burbs. We are now in this situation on the UWS and I suspect, elsewhere in the city. Your points are valid but in this climate, parents have fewer choices than before and it behooves them to look at for-profits. Which is why I am advising them to take a look at K-8s. If they get in at a K-12 that they love, great. But often the choice is between a K-12 that is not a families' first choice vs. a K-8 that may be acceptable until the end of 8th.

I suspect that it's less disruptive to find a spot for 9th at a school that ends at 8th, rather than to try to switch for 9th at a K-12 that didn't turn out to suit your child perfectly.

Speaking for myself, I chose a zoned public over for-profits and the non-profits that we might have had a chance at. So, if publics are funded at 50% of non-profit privates (or worse), does that mean that my children are getting 1/4 the education that they would have otherwise? Hmm.

All I'm saying is not to discount anything at this point. Take a look at the apps when they come out online, stay in touch with the previous preschool. If this is for Sept '12, call the UWS preschools (bigger ones with exmissions experience are Claremont, West Side Montessori, Mandell, Woodside).

Ok, now I'm starting to understand some of the differences, will see if K-8 vs. K-12 makes most sense for us. I'm not sure if we want to go the forprofit route unless we don;t get into a nonprofit. I started looking at all the suggestions and just watched the Getting in..Kindergarten movie after watching the trailer for Nursery University. I wish I hadn't. I think I freaked myself out by watching it. I know I have to keep calm, but I wish NYC was not so insane!!!

penny, did this work out?

Honestly--we have done both (mixed marriage) and as far as development there is no obvious differnce between our children. What IS a difference is the connections the children make. So, I have to say...if you want your children "connected" private is outstanding. If that's less an issue, public has also been outstanding. What I find is that teachers in public schools are elated/motivated to work with a motivated student.

Small factor, we love on 157th St and a charter school is opening. Will do futire posts on whether it seems viable.

You may also want to check out St Hildas & St Hughes. Great K-8 on 114th and Riverside.

Why has no one mentioned Trinity? True, my kids graduated some time ago, but what a fine school. I agree about finding a K - 12 school - it's hard enough to go through the application process, and if you enjoy it there's always college, sooner than you think. Speaking of which, a great private school will have an awesome college advisor. If your kid is even possibly Yale material, you will have to think of that eventually.