Like many parents, Patsy Isley made a few mistakes when she looked at schools for her first child, like choosing a school because other people (including her son) told her it was the best place to go. She enrolled her son, but after school began, they both realized it was a poor fit. By the time Patsy was ready to begin considering schools for her second son, she knew what she needed to look for. 

Patsy's mistake is an all-too-easy one to make. The process of choosing the "perfect" school can be an overwhelming experience for both you and your child, especially the first time. Charming buildings, lovely grounds, interviews with admission directors, classes to see — the time whirls by, and before you know it, you find yourself trying to sort through snippets of time and quickly fading memories. After awhile, making a decision may start to feel like pulling names out of a hat.

Put the hat down and don't try to rely on the surface details of everything you saw over the span of a few weeks. To ensure that you make a wise decision, look beneath the surface during your visits because that's where you'll find the clues to what makes a school a good match. Before you go, know what's pertinent to you and your child and then look for it when you get there.

Seek out smiling faces
Anne and Simuel Washington weren't thinking about body language while visiting a school with their son, Andrew. However, as educators, they heard it loud and clear. Simuel picked up the excitement of the students they saw in classrooms. "They were into what they were doing and having fun," he says. Just by observing them, Anne could tell that they were happy and content. 

"All the facilities, all the courses, and all the bright kids aren't going to mean anything to your child if he or she feels it's the wrong place," suggests Karen Suplee Hallowell, Director of Admission at George School in Newtown, Pennsylvania. On a visit, you should continually ask yourself, "Is this a place where my child can branch out and flourish, where he or she can explore and be challenged?"

Keep an eye on the action
As you embark on campus tours, observe how people treat one another. Is there lively conversation going on between students and faculty members in the hallways? How does the person dishing up the meatloaf in the cafeteria react to the kids? Did the gardener smile at you? 

Robert Murphy, Director of Admission at The Blue Ridge School in St. George, Virginia, suggests that if the school staff seem happy and in tune with their students, chances are the students like being there. However, he also cautions parents not to make negative judgments based on isolated incidents they may observe. It could be that the teacher you overhead having a few choice words with a student was doing so because the child had misbehaved.

Check the academic fit
Visiting a few classes will tell you a lot about a school's academic environment. Heather Hoerle, Director of Member Services at the National Association of Independent Schools in Washington, D.C., notes that private schools are sensitive to their academic strengths and want to make sure that prospective students are a good match for their style. Some schools serve children who need a number of creative outlets, or they may concentrate on visual learners. Others might focus on kids with average grades. There's a lot to choose from, but the right choice is whatever is right for your child. 

Get acquainted with the line-up
Visits usually have a limited amount of time built in, so it's wise to arrange meetings beforehand with the people who will be part of your child's life at school — the resident dean, coaches, and teachers. Meeting a member of the admission staff is a given, since all first visits include a personal interview as a cornerstone of the private school admission process. 

You or your child may be nervous, but you don’t need to be! The purpose of your visit is to determine whether a school is right for your child and your family. The more informed you are, the easier it will be to make the right decision.