When the Kazinskys arrived at the THE SCHOOL COUNSELING GROUP, INC., there was much anxiety in the air. In discussion with the counselor, what emerged were concerns that really lay beyond their daughter's academics. They worried about the negative social pressures and even dangers that beset today's teens, and saw private school as a way of sheltering their child. Yet they were also worried about their family budget: what about paying for college? What if, as seemed likely, the mother's employer had cutbacks?

When the counselor sat down with Ruanne, she discovered a young woman who was very aware of her parents' emotions and concerns, and wanted very much to reassure them. She had had increasing trouble in math, and was anxious lest her lack of success in this area be a sign that she was "slipping." At the same time, she began to articulate her own ideas about school. She described the teachers she enjoyed that year, the activities in which she took a lead, and her wide range of friends. The positive side of her public school emerged. The counselor noted what a well-motivated, energetic, and adaptable young lady she seemed to be. Through the consultation, the parents gained a new confidence that their daughter's good values would enable her to thrive in either a public or a private school environment.

Together the counselor and the family developed a plan. Ruanne and her parents went to open houses and took tours of several area day schools, so that they could get a feel for the world of independent schools. Ruanne agreed to be tutored in math, in order to bring her grades in that subject up to the level of the rest of her achievements and to restore her self-confidence. She took the SSATs (Secondary School Admission Test) and her strong showing reassured both her and her parents that she possessed the skills and ability to make her way in a challenging independent school if she chose to attend one.

During their research, the Kazinskys learned that they would need to apply to a range of schools in order to best secure their daughter's plans. This was okay with them, because during their visits they had seen a number of very different schools where they could envision Ruanne thriving.

Together the Kazinskys decided that for seventh and eighth grade, their daughter would remain at the public school which up until now had served her learning needs well and offered her social success and variety. In the fall of her eighth grade year, Ruanne would apply to enter a co-ed independent high school with an academically challenging curriculum and a diverse student body. Then she would experience the smaller classes, personalized attention and focused motivation a private high school could provide, just at the point in her life when she might be ready to start thinking about college and her future.