Schools offer sound advice to make open houses productive

A private school’s open house can be a crucial event for parents deciding between multiple institutions.

Administrators at Hawken School with campuses in Lyndhurst, Chester Township and Cleveland, University School with campuses in Shaker Heights and Hunting Valley and Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills spoke about their school’s approach to open houses and how involved parents should be during those events and the admissions process more generally.

“An open house is a great way to get your feet wet,” Christina Townsend Hartz, the director of admission and financial aid, at the all-boys University School, said. “Parents can start with a little bit of research to make sure it is a school they want to visit.”

Katherine Gonzalez, assistant head of school for enrollment management at the Hawken