Preschool/Schools

The intense private-school admission process (and sky-high tuition) is just not for you — that’s not to say that finding a great public school to stimulate your kid’s mind is a piece of cake, either. Finding a great neighborhood school, or gaining admission to a coveted citywide spot, brings back memories of applying to college.

Get help now: Tomorrow, educational consultant Robin Aronow, Ph.D., will moderate a panel of public school parents representing District 3 (Upper West Side), plus citywide options including Hunter, Anderson, NEST + M, TAG and others on “Life After Nursery School.” Hear what fellow parents have to say about their experiences and gain some insight on each school’s special qualities (parents in Districts 4, 5 and 6 may pick up a tip or two as well). Sign up online (do it now before the price goes up tomorrow), hire a babysitter, and take notes.

When: Tues., 10/26, 6:30-8:30pm (registration begins at 6:15); $35 through 10/25, $40 on 10/26.
Where: Ansche Cheshed, 251 West 100th St. at West End Ave., schoolsearchnyc.com.

Nothing can strike fear in the hearts and minds of New Yorkers quite like the school admissions process. The stress and frenzy surrounding school admissions has been ramped up in recent years because more families have decided to stay in the city rather than flee for the burbs. And with stiffer competition for those coveted spots in preschools and ongoing schools, we’ve seen a new crop of expensive school advisory services burst onto the scene. Time for perspective. Time for The Parents League.

Consider The Parents League your real-world school admissions app. It’s a non-profit organization made up of parents and schools. (Practically every NYC private school you’ve heard of is a a member.) It was founded almost a century ago, the brainchild of none other than Clara Spence and Maria Bowen Chapin (yes, that Spence and that Chapin), as a way to coordinate vacation and school time.

For a $130 membership fee, you get access to the association’s seasoned advisors, who have all served as heads of preschools or in an ongoing school’s admissions department. You can also attend any of the League’s workshops. Members receive the Parents League’s fab school guides plus other publications.

And perhaps the piece de resistance - they’ve got the inside track on spots that open up (because of under- acceptance, families that leave the city, etc.)

Labor Day and those preschool application calls are just around the corner. It’s not too late to join and get help for the upcoming season. Events to program into your BlackBerry/iPhone/Android phone:

Preschool Admissions Workshops
When: Wed., 8/18, 5:30-7:00pm & Tue., 8/24, noon-1:30pm
Where: Parents League office, 115 E. 82nd St. (bet. Park and Lex. Aves.)

Independent School Event - Day Schools
When: Tue., 9/21, 4:30-6:15pm
Where: Loyola School, E. 83rd St. (bet. Park and Madison Aves.)

The Kindergarten Admissions Process, A Panel Discussion
Representatives from The Chapin School, Friends Seminary, Riverdale Country School and St. Bernard’s School will serve as panelists.
When: Tue., 9/21, 6:30-7:30pm
Where: Park Avenue Methodist Church, 106 E. 86th St. (bet. Park and Lex. Aves.)

Kindergarten Child Interviews: What You Should Know and What They Should Know
Representatives from the 92nd Street Y Nursery School will be speaking.
When: Wed., 9/29, 6:30-8pm
Where: The Diller-Quaille School of Music, 24. E. 95th St.
Visit parentsleague.org for a full list of events.

We’re used to reading (and panicking) about the record number of young kids in the city and the competition for spots at both nursery and ongoing schools. And you’re probably aware of the waiting lists for public school kindergarten classes in Manhattan this year. So it’s refreshing to hear about a new school that’s opening.

Bilingual Buds, a Mandarin Chinese immersion preschool (and primary school), is coming to the UWS. The program is for kids from Mandarin-speaking as well as non-Mandarin-speaking households. Classes will be taught by native speakers, and preschoolers will spend most of the day learning math, science, language arts, art and music in Mandarin. They’ll also study many of these subjects in English. Bilingual Buds’ NY outpost opens this fall for preschool and Mommy & Me classes. The school will eventually expand to include kindergarten through third grade. Hey, there are benefits to learning to speak the most common language in the world.

These Buds are for you.

Bilingual Buds, 180 Riverside Blvd. (at 68th St.), 212-787-8088.

For more information on the school and upcoming events Bilingual Buds is hosting this summer, visit bilingualbudsnyc.com.

After 17 hours (that’s consecutive time) on the UB message boards, you’ve finally got a handle on the city’s preschool situation. Sort of.

Find out the ABCs and the inside scoop. At the end of the month, MoonSoup hosts a workshop on everything from applications to choosing the right school for your child. Patti Wollman, founding director of the Nursery at the JCC Manhattan will share her insights and expertise on the process, as well as preschool alternatives.

And then it’s back to the boards.

When: Thurs. 7/31, 6:30-7:30pm; $30 (RSVP required).
Where: MoonSoup, 1059 Second Ave. (bet. 55th & 56th), 212-319-3222.

The crazy competition for spots in Spain’s top schools has couples getting divorced in order to take advantage of an admissions system that favors single parents’ tots. And you thought New Yorkers had it bad.

Well, it’s still not ideal in the Big Apple. But local school consultants like Robin Aronow, Ph.D., help guide parents through the anxiety-riddled process. A social worker by training, she informs clients about important application and testing deadlines (no coaching!), helps them come up with a realistic school list (both private and public), and teaches them how to best advocate for their children.

This month, Aronow will host two workshops called “Life After Nursery School” ($65 each, $100 for both) on the ins and outs of applications and admissions. Hey, anything to get an edge.

Private School Workshop
When: Wed. 5/21, 6:30-8:30pm.
Where: Ansche Chesed, 251 West 100th St. at West End Ave.

Public School Workshop
When: Wed. 5/28, 6:30-8:30pm.
Where: Ansche Chesed, 251 West 100th St. at West End Ave.

For more information, visit schoolsearchnyc.com.