I was traveling on M10, so missed the updates in real time and am getting partially caught up.
In a quick scan of some posts and threads, I have seen a number of “I didn’t get into School X, but got into School Y…but I don’t really want to go there.”
My question to people is THEN WHY DID YOU EVEN APPLY TO SCHOOL Y?
I mean, with my older girl, there were plenty of schools we visited that she did not apply to…but isn’t one of the theories behind assembling an “apply to” list that applicant would be fine/happy attending that school? Genuinely puzzled and would appreciate some clarity.
I think they just really really wanted to get into school X and are hoping for the best? I don’t know either and I would like to know their thought process as well
Well I guess they were backup schools. I have 2 backup schools that I don’t particularly like, but it’s better than my public school. Luckily I didn’t go down that route.
I’m honestly not sure. That’s why I’m not a huge fan of the ‘cast a wide net’ attitude- if you apply to schools that you could never see yourself at as back ups, what’s the point of having them as back ups?
@monica20 That’s exactly the opposite of how and why a family would cast a wide net. Again, for families that need financial aid, there is not enough room at the biggest, richest schools for all the qualified FA candidates, so IF attending boarding school is the goal instead of simply attending one of two or three famous schools, applicants with their hands out need to have a diverse set of schools to which they can apply AND feel comfortable attending without hesitation. That doesn’t mean anyone should apply to schools they would not attend. And, if someone feels that only St. Paul’s and Groton are good enough for their exceptional self, then they can put that hand out and then they can roll the dice. They might be home the following year, though.
@GnarWhail From personal experience with friends, some kids aiming for GLADCHEMMS schools apply to many without considering fit in the application process, unfortunately. While boarding is definitely a goal for most, fit should be priority, since one could be miserable at the boarding school they are admitted to. Agree that applicants should apply to a diverse set where they are comfortable attending without hesitation.
@SevenDad I recall reading a recent post about a student who applied to schools that didn’t appeal to her because there current school “made her” apply to them. I can imagine that a private school who sells itself on being able to get kids into boarding schools has a vested interest in each kid casting a wide net. But perhaps they don’t do the ancillary work of helping the kids see why these other schools are also wonderful opportunities. A wide net is a terrible thing to waste!
@GnarWhail Even full-pay kids can’t rely on that to get into any school they desire (unless they are donating funds for a new building or something similar). Everyone who is truly keen to go to boarding school should cast a carefully-crafted wide net.
I think that when you have a top choice school, it’s very easy to fall into love and (in a way) ignore the others. That subjectively dismisses the other schools applied for as not as ‘wanted’. (That was certainly a mistake I made, though I did get into my top choice).
IMO, casting a wide net is a wonderful idea and I would’ve certainly taken that path this year. However, I only applied to BS for the education, experience, and opportunities offered there, and so I stuck with the “best or nothing” thought for the process this year, since my family does not have the money to just send me to any BS and would rather spend money on a prep school with the best education or spend no money at all(because of rejection from those schools) than to let me apply to less-known (yet still respectable) schools, get in, and spend money on tuition there. Money is hard on them, and my mom and I are really close, so my family wanted me to leave the home only for the best education if I happened to be accepted. I hope that makes sense to you.
As responding to the original question of this post: Perhaps the applicant’s desire to attend the school died/ went away during the admission process, like when I felt some regret during the wait for M10 for applying to Hotchkiss, but I find that would be quite rare and shouldn’t happen. Applicants should really consider and research the schools before applying to make sure they are 100% interested and passionate, or else they’d be giving(I was going to say wasting, but then I realized how fruitful the application process can still be to the applicant, regardless of their interest in the school) a ton of time, energy, and some money to an outcome that will mean nothing to them in the end.
@HhopefulFforSsuccess2021 Of course, but some back-ups aren’t really desired by the applicant. I’m not speaking in general terms, since every applicant’s experience is different.
@AppleNotFar Indeed, most applicants cannot count on getting into any school they choose, but in the end, full-pay applicants can get in somewhere 100% of the time if their goal is simply to just get outta Dodge. In fact, legit full-pay applicants can get into some schools this coming Monday if they want to make a call and begin the process, and that list would include some (plenty of) recognizable schools.
The Boarding School Review website allows you to search for schools with either rolling admissions or schools that have opening for 2017; some schools appear on both lists. Single-gender options seem to be among the best options.
Certainly there are the schools with rolling admissions and schools who are short on enrollment. @Golfgr8 There are also potential spots at other schools for the right candidates. What that right candidate is depends on the school, but anything is possible if you have what it takes. Primarily, that’s cash on the barrelhead. What comes after that step depends on your current situation. If you’re serious feel free to PM me.
I truthfully didn’t see half of my colleges before applying. That was how ahead of schedule my advisor was. The majority of my applications were in before we even got through November. Only after visiting was I able to say “This isn’t for me.” I was advised on the basis of affordability and the strength of my program at each of my schools. Aside from that, of my School X’s, two were Ivies. Another was a school that ranks within the top 40. We’re anxiously awaiting the decisions from Ivies, but we all knew we’d need a backup plan. So, in essence, Y is on our radar because we’re a very anxious group that is well aware of a need for security. I have 5 or 6 X schools, and 7 Y schools. I have excellent credentials (not to toot my own horn), but that still doesn’t guarantee security. We’re all just trying to ensure that we have futures, even if we’re paying for more application fees than we’d need to.
