<p>Exactly. </p>
<p>This might as well be an alphabetical list of some good boarding schools. </p>
<p>Sue22, exactly right.
So does that make you annoyed with how silly the list is, or angry with Andover? </p>
<p>I’m just terribly, terribly disappointed that ‘Top Test Prep’ hasn’t taken my PHLEGMS or SMEG** acronym and run w it…
<a href=“HADES v PHLEGMS - #3 by Benley - Prep School Admissions - College Confidential Forums”>HADES v PHLEGMS - #3 by Benley - Prep School Admissions - College Confidential Forums;
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<p>Annoyed with the silly list. I don’t think PA provided the “half go to Ivies + S & G” statistic. I think someone from the test prep company looked at the published PA list and was just too lazy to work the numbers properly. </p>
<p>There are obvious issues with the methodologies used to create the list. Look at last year’s list and how much schools seem to bounce around from year to year. The schools themselves are not changing enough to warrant the rankings changes. As I said, a company that doesn’t do more than a cursory and superficial sweep at their supposed quality index doesn’t inspire much confidence.</p>
<p>If you want a good sense of how students from various schools do in college matriculations take a look at this. It was created by a CC poster. I’m not sure how recently it was updated but it gives a much more nuanced look at how students fare than simply listing how many kids end up at Ivy League schools. I’d give credit to the creator but I can’t remember his or her CC name.</p>
<p><a href=“http://matriculationstats.org/”>http://matriculationstats.org/</a></p>
<p>The problem with the boarding school stats on the matriculationstats.org site is that it was last updated in 2011 and many schools listed there have only a year or two of data. I don’t find that site useful at all.</p>
<p>^ That’s true. </p>
<p>This is dumb. You can’t base how “good” a school is based on SSAT scores. Certain schools stress the interview process or the applications more than the SSAT.</p>
<p>Thought we’d established this already, but everyone should take rankings at a casual glance and move on from them.</p>
<p>If you really want to get your hackles up look at the rankings by the same company for medical schools. It just lists them by MCAT scores. It does not even report where the majority of students gain residencies. The main goal is to bring in customers for their test prep courses. We all know that scores alone guarantee admittance to the best boarding school, college, medical school etc. By the way, the author of the matriculation stats posted in 2011 seems to lack a life. He/She states in there that he/she looked back at their own Lawrenceville college matriculation stats and they had remained steady. Who keeps lists like that for years? Hmm sounds like somebody needs a companion in their dreary life. :)) </p>
<p>The people that keeps lists like those are the people who do their job. </p>
<p>Seriously though, give it a rest. All rankings are flawed and subjective. :)</p>
<p>Sorry, but he/she never said it was their job. Describes how cleaning out parents house found old stats. I admire anyone who wants to grind numbers but people who hold onto lists like these seem to be looking for some kind of validation that does not come from attending a top BS, college etc.</p>
<p>This a boring thread and @grx567, I see you have admiration for some wormhole of statistics, but please pursue independantly - you are not adding any value for the rest of us but only propping up a languishing thread. We all know that these rankings are meaningless. Please let this thread die and pursue your inquiry where it matters.</p>
<p>Moderators close threads.</p>
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<p>There may not be a significant difference in the academic rigor of a school in the same geographical region w 84% SSAT vs 78% SSAT. Some schools simply place more priority on maintaining high avg test scores than others. </p>
<p>Also, there are geographic factors at play. The communities outside of New England simply do not have the awareness of boarding school that is present in The New England community, so the schools outside new england may not be attracting the same pool of applicants who are repeatedly retaking the test to improve their score. S1 says he has New England friends at his boarding school who took the SSAT 3-4 times. </p>
<p>There is, however, likely to be a difference in rigor between a school w 84% SSAT V 48% SSAT. </p>
<p>I recall someone suggested the acronym St. Grottlesex. Memorable. </p>
<p>I agree these top 15 schools are different flavors of a very high quality education, and when it gets down to who likes vanilla vs. chocolate Hagen Das (or red or blue colors) I think we all agree the argument is moot.</p>
<p>But attrition data are remarkably hard to find, and as most schools might suggest, 3% a year isn’t much, but over 4 years adds up to 12% of the class. In some schools it is rumored to be higher, with episodic mass expulsions, and it is very hard to know, since by design classes grow a bit every year, and how many of the 10th, 11th and 12th/PG admitted are replacements vs. expanders? </p>
<p>Having gone through “attrition” with someone I know, and discussed it on these boards with other parents, I always remind parents to read the rule book carefully and seriously with their kid and realize that once the disciplinary committee makes a one-strike decision, their child’s scholarship and school career may end unexpectedly and without recourse (or refund). And to us what may not seem like much more than teenage shenanigans can seem like a reason for withdrawal to a disciplinary committee. </p>
<p>I am not a number cruncher but since many of these schools add students with the upper grades how do the stats from kids joining the school in upper form get calculated? Everyone mentions average SSAT but some applicants and students who enroll may never take that test because they use the PSAT or SAT for their application. I am referring to the students who apply and enroll in their junior year of HS. this may be a significant slice of the graduating class at any given BS.</p>
<p>Attrition is an important factor but can be colored by so many factors such as loss of income, divorce etc. Wonder if there is an unofficial list of attrition rate for some of these BS? It might help when mulling the application process.</p>
<p>It’s not THAT significant. Maybe about 10 percent of the graduating class is added on to the existing sophomore class by graduation.</p>
<p>Doesn’t that vary widely for each BS? I know there are some that have a small entering freshman class. The evidence of this is the size of the “lifer” cohort. A lifer is someone who started in 9th and attends for all four years of HS.</p>
<p>I don’t think so. The significant majority comes in during 9th and 10th grade (or 8th if you look at Groton), with some added on after. </p>