Girls' high schools Lakewood - positive posts only!

naturalmom5

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 12:15 am

amother wrote:

Does every high school you apply to grant an interview? How long is the wait between applying and getting a phone call for the interview? It's been a week since I mailed the applications in and only one school called for an interview so far. I'm getting anxious! Help.

Good luck
You're going to need it
There's always Bais yacov of Greater Washington
Excellent school where you get a real education

amother

Bisque

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 12:26 am

naturalmom5 wrote:

Good luck
You're going to need it
There's always Bais yacov of Greater Washington
Excellent school where you get a real education

How did this help with my query? 🙄

naturalmom5

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 12:29 am

debsey wrote:

Depends how yeshivish you are. Based on your description, Oros or Meon Bnos Melech would work. Given that they are very different schools, I'd say you need to be a bit more specific.

Oros - very intellectual school, girls are a bit more trendy, more open minded parent body, fantastic teachers.

Meon Bnos Melech - small, new school, very warm, ultra yeshivish (you say she dresses "nerdy" I dk if you mean by hashkafah or due to cluelessness). If you fit in with the parent body (I'd say somewhere to the right of Bais Sheindel) and you want a lot of individual attention and caring, as well as a lot of room for her to shine and expand her horizons, this might make sense for you. But if you're not ultra yeshivish, it's not going to be a good fit.

Shiras Devorah - great school, great teachers, probably best extra-curriculars in Lakewood, tends to be a more challenging curriculum. Overall, there is some "gashmius pressure" there. The girls tend to dress well, it's more of an overall Boro Park/Hungarian crowd (obviously with many exceptions) There's a definite "type" and if you're a good, sincere, smart girl who fits that type, you'll do great.

Bais Kailah - caring administration, there are more challenging and less challenging academic options. It has the most diverse parent body, but has been moving more to the right in recent years. IMHO it's been getting better and better recently with several changes in their admission policy.

Bais Sheindel - very yesivhishe, old guard lakewood families. Not really worth talking about unless you're a legacy or have major pull. Not very challenging academically, lots of warmth and emphasis on hashkafah. Like Shiras Devorah, there's a definite "type."

Bais Yaakov - yeshivishe. More academically rigorous than Bais Shaindel. Lots of pressure to conform. Like Shiras Devorah, more of a pressure to conform, dress in a certain manner, many girls do dress extremely well. Like Shiras Devorah and Bais Sheindel, there's a definite "type."If you don't have major pull, don't bother trying to get in.

Bnos Bais Yakov - has had a bad name in the past. It is now under new, fantastic administration. Very likely to become the next desirable school in town, but that will take a little time. Probably easiest to get into, but my prediction is that it will change. Some really good teachers and a terrific new principal.

Yesodos - DK anything. Two new schools are supposed to be opening up next year. DK anything about them.

Excellent post Debsey Smile

You should write a Barron's guide to Jewish schools

naturalmom5

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 12:47 am

amother wrote:

I didn't read all the responses but why would the op or anyone else ask for "positive posts only"??? Doesn't she want accurate and useful information no matter which way it leads her? I recently called references for my babysitter I just hired. Imagine I told the references to leave out anything negative. It would almost defeat the purpose. I think people often confuse positivity with reality. The op needs accurate information, not only positive information.

You obviously do not know anything about ImAMother
If you heard negative about a babysitter you would merely move on

Here if a school is criticized albeit, with good intentions
Things get really ugly and vicious REAL FAST

amother

Babypink

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 8:34 am

Another bisque do you mind saying which school called you for an Interview?

Notsobusy

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 9:53 am

amother wrote:

I believe only one school started setting up interviews. Maybe more started, but definitely not all. Also, they're each interviewing a few hundred girls, it takes time to call everyone. Definitely don't worry, I'm pretty sure they interview everyone who applies.

amother

Babypink

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 10:24 am

Can someone post what schools started interviews? How do I know if I should be nervous or not if I wasn't called?

Chayalle

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 10:38 am

I know that BK has started interviews, but if you haven't been called yet, don't panic! They do it slowly - I believe they start with siblings, and them move on. They're massively busy with upcoming play, etc...so it takes time.

To amother who asked, generally speaking you get an interview with every place you apply to.

I do know that one year a particular school did not give interviews, at first, to girls from a certain school. There was a reaction and they gave interviews in the end. I don't know if they took anyone, but here's the cool thing: My friend's niece was one of those students, and somehow her name got lost in the shuffle and she never got an interview. While waiting for one, she got acceptance letters to both Oros and BBY. At that point her mother called that school and asked for a refund of her application fee. At first they sort of fuffled, said it was for receiving her application, so she pointed out that for everyone else that included an interview. They offered her an interview, and she said no thanks, we've already gotten two acceptances that work for us. She told them - look, think about it, if you feel you owe me the $$, I'm good friends with so-and-so your student, and you can send me the money with her. The very next day, that girl got called to the office and was asked to pass on a refund of the application fee.....

debsey

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 12:23 pm

Chayalle wrote:

Good for that mother! Only someone who has been through the byzantine Lakewood girls high school application process will understand how satisfying this story is! By contrast, my son had a faher at a very competitive out of town yeshiva for HS. Happens to be he was one of the first kids fahered. The mashgiach called my husband and asked him to tell my son - "don't worry that you were interviewed such a long time ago and still didn't hear from us - we have a long list of boys and we're still interviewing. DS did not end up in that yeshiva, but I thought - wow, what a mentschlich way to treat a kid, compared to the girls' HS application process in Lakewood.

amother

Purple

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 3:10 pm

I called today one of the schools that cashed my check already Very Happy

and they told me they are starting in a couple weeks. (Not BK)

amother

Babypink

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 3:45 pm

Purple amother do you
Mind sharing what school since we don't know who you are?

amother

Pink

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 4:16 pm

Just curious, because I have an oldest in the interview process right now, do schools give interviews to girls they find to be a better fit for their school earlier than girls that don't seem as good a fit?

Cmon be nice

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 4:21 pm

Oros Bais Yaakov

amother

Pink

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 4:29 pm

Oh ok, any others? Thanks

debsey

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 4:33 pm

amother wrote:

No. They "batch" the interviews, school by school. Some don't even set up a date, they interview the girls in the elementary school. That's how BY did it when my daughter was applying about 5 years ago, anyway.

amother

Pink

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 4:40 pm

debsey wrote:

[b]

Got it, thanks!

amother

Babypink

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 5:46 pm

Comon be nice what about oros Bais yaakov?

Cmon be nice

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 5:51 pm

Sorry, I forgot to hide lol- I'm Purple amother - I called them and they said interviews are starting in a few weeks

amother

Powderblue

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 7:12 pm

does anyone know why the principal of BBY left?

amother

Bisque

Thu, Jan 26 2017, 7:32 pm

Cmon be nice wrote:

Sorry, I forgot to hide lol- I'm Purple amother - I called them and they said interviews are starting in a few weeks

Ha! I called them today too! My daughter really wants to go there. Seems like the best fit for her from all the other choices. I heard so far only BBY, BK and Yesodos have scheduled their interviews. I guess the other schools take their time. Good luck to you!!