School research is a critical component of the NYC admissions process, usually the first step that families take as they begin to plan their child(ren)’s educational journey. When researching schools, there are a wide variety of factors to consider: location, curriculum and philosophy, cost, and much more. But size is also a key factor - and there is also more than one way to define school size, including both the number of students attending and the range of grade levels offered.

Many families tell us that they’re not sure how to account for the pros and cons of certain school sizes. Ideal school size is ultimately unique to your child and your family, because every child has their own individual educational needs and types of environments where they thrive. However, there are some standard considerations to weigh as you consider schools of different sizes; let’s break those down!

Choosing Between a Larger or Smaller School

First, let’s consider school size according to the number of students attending. Obviously, size of the student body is generally correlated with the range of grade levels offered (we’ll discuss that next), but not in every case; there are some very small K-12 schools, and some very large K-8 schools. 

The pros of a larger school ultimately come down to the variety of options that your student will have to choose from. Larger schools employ more teachers, which can mean that your student can learn from instructors with a variety of styles and personalities. Larger schools are more likely to offer special programs and classes, like a robotics studio, a pool, a full campus library for studying, and other perks. Of course, that translates to a larger variety of extracurricular options and ways to be involved in the school community. And, don’t forget that a larger student body simply means more peers for your student to be friends with, which can be particularly beneficial as your child grows and evolves. 

That said, smaller schools offer great benefits as well. Smaller communities are more tight-knit; families often feel a greater sense of buy-in with their child’s education, which can benefit both student outcomes but also a parent’s potential to make their own connections. Students can also benefit from more one-on-one time with teachers, which can be particularly useful for kids who are a little more shy in a classroom setting. You could argue that what small schools sometimes lack in breadth (of activities available, etc.) they make up for in depth (of connections, community, and personalized educational experiences). 

Choosing Between a K-8 or K-12 School‍

Now, let’s consider school size according to the number of grade levels it offers. 

There are a number of reasons why a K-8 (kindergarten through 8th grade) school might be a good fit for your child. Many of these benefits are related to the transition to a new school that will be required after eighth grade. Being “forced” to change schools for high school can be a valuable opportunity to take stock of your child’s educational needs at a pivotal point in their development; it’s a chance to tailor their high school experience more precisely to their strengths and weaknesses, rather than just going along with the same school dynamics you chose when they were in preschool or kindergarten. Another benefit of a K-8 is the faculty’s specialization on younger students; they can focus on high-quality elementary and middle school education, without needing to worry about college admissions and the other time-consuming elements of managing teenagers. Generally, K-8 schools tend to keep kids younger for longer; they aren’t exposed to the social and emotional ups and downs of high schoolers on the same campus during their early years of education, which is arguably a good thing.

Of course, choosing a K-8 school means that you’ll have to go through another admissions process to enter high school. This can be a positive - again, it’s another chance to evaluate the best-fit school for your child at their current age. Plus, the application process for high school is excellent preparation for college admissions; the processes have a lot of similarities, and the process of preparing an application for high school might help your student establish a strong “narrative” that they can nurture and polish ahead of college applications. But of course, there’s a very valid alternative perspective to needing to apply to high school - why would you want to go through the admissions process again? Many parents choose a K-12 just so they won’t have to endure the stress of high school admissions. Either perspective is fair, and ultimately, the need to re-apply is only one piece of a larger puzzle to choose between a K-8 and a K-12. 

Moving on to the benefits of K-12 schools: as you can imagine, many of the advantages of attending a school for 13 years come down to consistency. At a K-12 school, your child will be known very well by a stable group of teachers and friends, which can foster a wonderfully safe and supportive atmosphere. Entire families are fully invested in the school community, often with multiple children attending. Your child gets a predictable educational experience - in terms of philosophy, class sizes, etc. - from their earliest days all the way through high school. Plus, K-12 schools allow teachers and staff to track your student over many years, both emotionally and academically; this often means that your child’s education is personally catered to by instructors with full context.

Bonus: Boarding School Size

School size is also an important topic for families researching boarding schools. There are a few special considerations for school size when boarding, given that living on campus means that the size of the community has a particularly important impact on student life. 

Given that heading to boarding school can be a fairly intense experience for a young person, a smaller school can be less intimidating. Feeling strong connections with a small community of peers, teachers, and staff can make boarding school feel a bit more “homey” than being a small fish in a big pond.

And of course, many of the benefits of smaller and larger schools described above are still true: smaller schools offer a tighter-knit community, while larger schools offer a wider range of options. Particularly in athletics, which is a common component of a boarding school experience. Students will have more opportunities to join more sports at a wider variety of levels (i.e. both JV and varsity teams, more options for students who are brand-new to a sport) at a larger school than they will at a smaller school. Larger schools also offer a wider variety of electives and honors classes, particularly in world languages. 

Regardless of the exact type of school your family is exploring, size is an important factor to consider as you envision whether your child would thrive in a particular environment. For personalized guidance on the schools that suit your family, feel free to reach out to Admit NY.