<p>Thank you all for your input. Although I can appreciate all of the wonderful things schools like St. Paul's, Lawrenceville and Deerfield have to offer, we are focusing on a smaller environment of about 450-500 or less. I believe that my D will succeed best in a smaller environment especially going in 10th grade. We are searching for a school that will provide her all of the academic and athletic options that she would want. Also,she wants a close knit community which is what has attracted us to Brooks, Taft, Pomfret, Middlesex and Episcopal. I am hoping we will be able to get a feel for what she wants when we go visit.</p>
<p>jg0339 thanks for the info on Brooks we are excited to learn more about the school. My D has had many email exchanges with Casey and she seems really nice.</p>
<p>One other school that might fit your requirements is St. Andrew's in Delaware. I don't know how strong your sports are there, but the community spirit is wonderful and the academics are strong while still allowing for fun.</p>
<p>Great suggestions from everyone and I thank you all for your help. This is my first time joining in and I guess I decided to jump right in. I appreciate all of your responses.</p>
<p>Old1 St.Andrews is a great school and I have several friends with children there. However, it is a bit rural for my D. The problem is that there really are so many fantastic schools out there that it makes choosing one so difficult. I really believe that there is the "right" school for everyone. I guess that is why the visits and re-visits are so important so you can imagine yourself going to school there and being a part of that community. I hope we will discover the "right" school once we visit. In the meantime, if anyone has any additional info/feedback please let me know.</p>
<p>Solid recommendations typically require more information such as academic interests & SSAT scores. Although you did share that your daughter is an "A-B+" student, grades are meaningless without an equalizer such as SSAT scores. For example, if your daughter's scores were a composite of 85 or above, then the schools recommended would be different than if her SSAT composite score is below 72. It is also confusing when you request recommendations of schools with strong academics for your "A-B+" student, but do not want a school that will beat her up academically.
Another area of difficulty in assisting you with school recommendations is the inconsistency of athletic requirements/goals when you mention that you are looking for strong athletic programs & that most of her friends play for Division I universities, yet you want small second & third tier schools with marginal to good athletics that are certainly not preparation for Division I athletics. The recommendations proffered can only be as good as the information offered.</p>
<p>I am sorry I am not trying to confuse the issue here. She has not taken the ssat yet but she has done some practice tests in a prep class and falls somewhere between the mid-high 80's and the high 70's. She is slated to take it in December.</p>
<p>I am hoping to find a school that will challenge her academically but not be so rigorous that she will be overwhelmed with the workload that she is completely stressed out.</p>
<p>In order to clarify, she is in a very competitive sports program currently. She would like to continue playing her sports but realizes it will be extremely hard to duplicate the level of her current school program. She may have to make some trade offs to find some of the other aspects in a school environment that she wants. For example, a close knit community, great teachers who are engaging and supportive, opportunities for new experiences and travel abroad programs. In order to have such a successful sports program at a school, sometimes the school becomes too one dimensional. The only focus becomes the sports program and it can be all consuming and not a well-rounded environment. Although most of the senior girls do play D1 lax, my D is only a freshman and she has another 3 years of high school. She is looking for quality of life and new experiences.</p>
<p>For now we are just gathering information and trying to see if there is a better fit elsewhere or maybe looking at new schools and their programs will show her that her current situation is the best fit for her. Either way I do believe having options are key.</p>
<p>You can still get the good community feel at a large school. My niece is at one of the largest, but her "dorm" is a house with a total of six girls plus the house counselor. I was somewhat nervous about a larger school, but everyone definitely is warm and friendly. So, while size of school can be one factor in your selection options, keep an open mind.....</p>
<p>To find out why there is a surprise Headmaster's Holiday today at Brooks, go to: Brooks School's website, (sorry, link was denied by cc), then to "news", then "school news", Headmaster's Holiday & finally "read more". Epitomizes spirit of the school!</p>
<p>I just went to the school website and it really seems like an amazing school. I cannot wait for us to visit. I will keep you posted on our visits.</p>