There are the parents who want to know what the “magic number” is to donate to guarantee admission. The moms who ask whether a friend-of-a-friend should put in a good word. The dads who call shortly before decisions are released asking, What will it take to get the deal done? The parents whose behavior was so crass that Los Angeles school consultant Sandy Eiges added a clause in her contract stating that the use of profanity could terminate their working relationship.
All this is to get eighth graders into high school.
“I don’t mince words,” said Eiges, owner and founder of L.A. School Scout, which guides families through K-12 school admissions. “That’s part of what they’re paying me for—to get them through this successfully.” Eiges wouldn’t disclose her fee but said that consultants in L.A. typically charge between $5,000 and $10,000 for their services. That is on top of annual school tuition that can range from $25,000 to $50,000, she said.
Getting into high school has become a brutal competition for many families. Across the country, school choice for public and private institutions has surged amid expanded access to vouchers, educational savings accounts and Covid-era learning loss. There are a large number of high school options there to fill that gap, but the systems and admissions are difficult to navigate–not to mention competitive. Freaked-out parents are paying up.
New York City is widely considered the most competitive and confusing market. This week, middle schoolers received random lottery numbers that determine their priority in public school admissions. The system includes four different types of schools: the lottery schools, charter schools, specialized schools that require a test, and then arts schools that require an audition. Private schools are a whole other story.