<p>Hey how's everyone doing?? SPS is going great so far, but it is so much harder. I've been reading the thread and it sounds really good. Sorry I took so long to reply. If there's anybody out here from SPS, PM me. I wish the best of luck to everyone!!!</p>
<p>esa, you must give us some more color! is it what you expected? How are you dealing with the other kids? How hard is it? etc.etc. Are you still glad you chose sps over the other schools?</p>
<p>Esa, it's good to hear from you. Yes im sure an adjustment period is quite normal. D, had the same reaction her first year. It's quite a jump from middle school to prep school. Good Luck, and keep us posted. Oh, what sport did you choose this term?</p>
<p>I'm definetely glad I chose SPS over Andover and Exeter. The campus is so beautiful, especially this time of year, the school community is so small, and they have state-of-the-art everything, not to mention the new gym. Dorm life is great and there's never a moment where there's not something to do. I couldn't have made a better choice. How's everyone else doing. Where's fxMom??? Well anyway, thanks for all the support that made last year's thread so enjoyable. I'll definetely keep you posted.</p>
<p>Hello everyone! This is a great thread. I'm a Mom of 8th grader applying to Exeter, Andover, SPS, Milton, Groton and Dalton (in NYC) since we are contemplating a move from MA to NYC. Our son decided he wanted to apply to boarding school rather than move to NY and probably because I went to boarding school since 6th grade. International school with IB. So our first interviews are next Thursday at SPS and Milton and I found this board very helpful. Wondering what are his chances when I read all the talented backgrounds of students on this message board. He's been playing cello for 7 years, basketball 7 years, straight A student, junior varsity fencing, nominated to go to National Congressional Youth Leadership Council for state of MA, loves to read, great writer, and social...my husband and I both went to Harvard and Yale and these applications are just as tough as college and grad school applications. Pretty crazy. Should we have hired a consultant?</p>
<p>Moho, we struggled with the consultant deal, and we had zero background with b schools, let alone the east coast. In the end we decided against it and when it alone. Yes, It was quite an experience but in the end I would not change a thing. I have one more in the 7th grade so I will be prepared.</p>
<p>good luck!!</p>
<p>
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So our first interviews are next Thursday at SPS and Milton and I found this board very helpful.
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</p>
<p>Yes, I appreciate the willingness of parents and students to share information on the College Confidential discussion boards. Are you interviewing now because of the timing of your move? It fits our work schedules, and my son's study schedule, much better for us to interview much nearer to the application deadline. We plan to travel to Exeter and to Andover in the first week of January for interviews. That will be the first trip ever to New England for my wife and for my son--I used to go there on business in the 1980s and 1990s. </p>
<p>As for admissions consultants, I'm against using them. OF COURSE I cherish the advice that is available here on College Confidential. But in my view, if an applicant can't get in by being himself, he belongs somewhere else. We will apply various places (I say "we" because parents are part of the process in application to secondary schools) and then we will observe the results. If my son obtains offers of admission from more than one school, he will have to think carefully what to choose. If he is not admitted to any school to which he applies, he already has a pretty good plan B. All of us parents might as well not worry but just be flexible in our thinking during the next few months. </p>
<p>Good luck and best wishes in your applications.</p>
<p>Consultants do lots more than just secure admission to school. A good consultant tests your child, makes suggestions of appropriate schools, and determines what your child wants to do (who may have a different perspective from the parents).</p>
<p>Having said that, if you spend at least half a day at each school and have a meal in the dining hall, you can get a good feel for the school. Avoid pre-conceived notions. We thought we wanted small church school and opted for a larger school in the end.</p>
<p>Indeed this is a great thread and my son gained great insight into the entire application process by referring to this board. He ended up going to Deerfield and to date he is loving it. From the feedback he gave about his interviews, it seemed that the school was interested in the experiences he had outside of school (camping etc) and in any contributions he thought he could make towards the school (forming clubs etc). </p>
<p>Of import though was the notion that it was a very easy going getting to know you exercise. I think it is important that you are not coached for the interview as it will come across as stiff and unnatural. He said he just answered the questions politely and was himself.</p>
<p>Privileged,</p>
<p>My D visited Deerfield this past weekend, and has already received a postcard from her interviewer telling her how much they enjoyed talking with her and how much her tour guide loved her. Is it unuusual to receive such feedback so early after an interview, or do they send these comments as a matter of course? Deerfield, by the way, is her top choice, along with St. Pauls, which she also loved during her visit.</p>
<p>We have received a post card from the interviewers of all the three schools we visited. I guess that's a courtesy. However our impression is that Deerfield is indeed very good in providing individual attentions. Later on we have also received letters from Deearfield's department heads of the subjects where my kid expressed special interests in.</p>
<p>I cannot recall my S receiving a post card from the interviewer from Deerfield (we are international and the interviewer came to our country to do the interview) but he did receive correspondence from heads of the special interest subject areas and he did NOT receive a lot.</p>
<p>Not sure that too much stock should be put on this. More interest seemed to have been demonstrated in other students who applied along with him if one were to look the amount of correspondence they received and some of them were not accepted. </p>
<p>When the meetings are held to decide whether to accept a student each year, it is a committe which meets and they examine the mix of applicants and make choices based on a combination of factors, such as talents, legacy, sibling and the ability of the student to contribute to the school etc.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>
<p>Receiving postcards following visits is very routine. When my d and I visited schools recently, one of the postcards from the admissions person beat us home! Very good lesson in manners for our children!</p>
<p>Ditto with our experience.</p>
<p>Hi All... I'm a first time poster here on this board. I have browsed in the past when my older girls applied to colleges. I took a peak to see if anyone ever posted on Prep Schools. </p>
<p>First, Let me say, that my son who is now in 8th grade has attended a great independent school for the past 5 years. My older two girls went to Westover and Gunnery respectively. Both attended as day students and had great experiences. In fact, I think their high school experiences were so good that it had a negative impact on their college life. I say that because the friendships they made in HS were so deep and intense, that I'm not sure anything could live up to it. My eldest now attends NYU and finds the classes ok, but of course you couldn't have a more radical change... Westover to NYU???? My second daughter took a more cautious approach and went from Gunnery to Skidmore, and although she finds the college work easy compared to the workload at Prep school, she misses her Gunnery environment terribly.</p>
<p>Now for the question.... My son, who is very bright, but not a genius, wants very badly to go to Taft. His backup is Gunnery, which I would not be unhappy with. My concerns are him being able to accept a middle of the pack mentality if he were lucky enough to get into Taft and the treatment of Day Students at these more elite Private schools. He had a great interview at Taft, it was quite clear that the interviewer really liked him (I say that having gone through this process 2x before, so I think I get a pretty good read on these things) Even having said that, his chances of admission are not great because most of the kids from his school will apply as well and Taft will take around 10 day student boys. The surrounding towns are well populated compared to schools like Hotchkiss (not commutable for us) so they have to spread the acceptances among those towns. He is a pretty good baseball player although not a superstar, and he is a second degree black belt in Karate. He is taking the SSAT's on Sat. but I assume he will test ok. He usually comes out in the 92-98 percentile on EERB's so I assume he will do ok on these as well. </p>
<pre><code>I guess I am looking for feedback from anyone who has had day student experience at Taft or for advice in general. Thanks for reading!
</code></pre>
<p>Phil</p>
<p>KarateDad,
It sounds like your son is well positioned for Taft. You know better than us what the day student competition is like. If you know that there are other equally strong applicants would you consider applying as a boarder the first year and then converting to day status the 2nd year? It may increase his chances but of course we are talking about added expense.</p>
<p>Remember, these schools are building communities. He sounds as though he would be very competitive in gaining a spot at Taft. Of course he can gain an edge applying as a boarder if that is an option. As for being in the middle of the pack, that would be more difficult to comment on. I will say this, imo, being in the middle of the pack at schools like Taft, is academically ahead of being tops at many of local high schools in Tx. My d spent a week at Westover over the summer, and absolutely loved it.
Good Luck and keep us posted.</p>
<p>Priv, It's good to hear that your son is adjusting well at Deerfield. I guess the question is....... how are you doing? I remember last year for me seemed like My d was on my mind 24-7.</p>
<p>Best, Larry</p>
<p>OOps thought I was sending a private message to privileged. Yes, I know many of you believed I was a female/ mother Nope...........</p>
<p>Prep and Parent,</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback. The bad thing about where I live is the public schools are woefully inadequate, the good thing about where I live is we are blessed with some of the best independent schools in the country. While I have nothing against boarding, I believe my kids had the best of both worlds being able to stay at school whenever they needed or wanted to, but most nights coming home to their own beds and being able to talk about theird lives with us. It may be totally selfish, but I loved living those high school years with them, and I think my sons will be even better.</p>
<p>As for Westover: A truly special place. If I had to list all the positives and negatives, I would start with the positives and never get to the negatives! The absolute best thing were the friendships my daughter made. Her best friends in HS still speak with her on a daily basis. When one of their classmates had a tragedy this summer, almost the entire class made it back to Westover to deal with the grief together.<br>
From an educational standpoint, I can say absolutely nothing bad. Jaime's english teachers were so good, that when she writes papers for her current NYU classes and classes she took at Columbia, she feels the profs are too easy! The background these girls get in grammar, writing, poetry, Literature is unmatched. The classes she had in art history have served her well in her European semester abroad, and the Math classes were good enough that she was able to grade out of any college requirements. That being said, the only real negative I can think of is that in terms of college placement, I think she would have looked better coming out of a less competitive school. I know she feels she wouldnt have traded it for anything, and my Wife and I feel the same way. It is a caring and giving environment that teaches the girls to behave in a moral, ethichal and caring way. If anyone of you would like to talk to my D directly you can email me and I will forward the request on to her. One of her friends is already back at Westover working there and I know she will answer yours or your daughters' questions.</p>
<p>Phil</p>