<p>Are there any parents out there whose child has gone through the A Better Chance vetting process? If so, how did you fare when you were referred to the boarding schools? This is our first time attempting the A Better Chance route, or even applying to BS. I would like to know how your experience has been?</p>
<p>My d used ABC and while we are pleased with the program overall, it has some negatives. My d was referred to six schools through ABC and was accepted at two, wait listed at two (she was later offered at spot at one of the schools) and not accepted at two. Be aware going in that your child may be referred to schools he/she is not interested in and near the end of the process, my d was asked to rank the schools. Of the ABC school referrals she was only truly interested in two schools. She ranked them one and two on her list. She was accepted at the one she listed as her first choice and wait listed at the other (later offered a spot). My d really had no interest in the other four schools she was referred two and my attempts to get her to complete the schools applications and schedule interviews was meet with resistance and outright refusal for a few of the schools. </p>
<p>We also applied to seven schools independent of ABC (there was overlap of her top two choices). She was accepted at five schools, wait listed at one (same wait list as the ABC referral) and not accepted at one. She would have gladly attended any of the five schools she was accepted too. </p>
<p>The best thing about ABC is that they will advocate for your child, especially at the school your child lists as her top choice. They also provide resources to parents who live in a city where an ABC office is located like interview prep and SSAT prep materials. I also like the ongoing programs and the program they offered the summer before she started bs. It was only a weekend program, but my d had the opportunity to meet other students who are attending bs all over the country.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your response.
My d was referred to eight schools (four of which we applied to independently) and we are anxiously awaiting March 10. We did not care for the ranking process, but it did help us to look at the schools a little closer.<br>
So far everyone has been very helpful and supportive. Unfortunately we were unable to take advantage of all the resources they have to offer, we live too far away.
We have enjoyed the experience immensely so far.</p>
<p>Good luck, I hope you have great news on March 10.</p>
<p>My daughter went through the ABC process last year. Our situation is a bit different as she is in middle school and only applied to local day schools. But I think a lot of the same stuff will apply.</p>
<p>We have had a great experience with ABC thus far. She got referred to 6 schools, but we only applied to 5. Of the 5, she got accepted at 3 and waitlisted at 2. Of the 3 acceptances, 2 offered full need FA and 1 waitlisted for FA. She was accepted at her 2nd, 3rd and 5th choices (2nd choice was waitlisted for FA) and ended up at her 3rd choice. She loves her school and we can’t imagine her anywhere else.</p>
<p>One of the main advantages I found with ABC was that we only had to fill out one application and it was FREE. We also applied for waivers for the ISEE and SSAT and got both (and we are not low-income, made about $65k+ that year). We also got a waiver for the NAIS fee. It was a lengthy process and we gave up many weekends for the informational meetings, testing, school visits, etc. But we would have had to do this whether we went through ABC or not. I also love that they offer other opportunities (awards, summer opportunities, etc.) that I would not know about otherwise - especially for the high school aged kids. The disadvantage for us is that our local office is a bit unorganized and it is sometimes hard to communicate effectively. I think that is just because it is a non-profit and it can’t afford to hire more people so staffing is limited. Also, ABC puts a lot of focus on the high school aged kids and the middle schoolers don’t get a lot of attention.</p>
<p>Overall I am very happy with our ABC experience so far. We have “given back” by volunteering at the school fair/interview day this year and I had a blast being on the other end of the admissions process. I am sad that my daughter may opt for a public high school and won’t get some of the advantages offered to her through ABC.</p>
<p>Good luck, I hope you get good news on March 10.</p>