<p>There are repeatedly mentioned boarding schools talked about here on CC that I question whether we do an injustice to those applicants trying to get into boarding school. Competent kids get disillusioned because they perceive that if they don't get into Deerfield then all has vanished. Many students coming from public school may not exactly be able to hit the ground running at Exeter but after attending Episcopal High with just as capable faculty and facilities enables them by the time they graduate to get into a good college of their choice. In the coming months CC will drift back to the usual suspects but if CC wants to assist then I propose broadening the horizons of the prospective students with those schools not mentioned enough here on CC. Stirring the pot.</p>
<p>I completely agree with you, OPS! The definition of a good school here is so narrow. If you look at Boarding School Review, for example, there are some really strong stats about a large number of schools. Applicants should be encouraged to look at variables beyond the standard “top 20” classification. How about looking at average education level of faculty? Number of international students? Student/teacher ratio? ECs? Sadly, it seems that standardized tests scores (SSATS and SATS) are as much of an obsession here as the excessive - if different - testing in the public schools (and I know I’m not the only one here who has left public schools, in part, because of the all the testing) and this still reflects privilege and SES more than natural ability and/or motivation. Also, there are personal/reflective questions that don’t seem to be part of the discussion. For example, are you someone who might thrive at the top of the pile rather than constantly competing to keep up? Do you have experience with the sometimes Machiavellian nature of the east coast elite? What do you want from your relationship with instructors – rigor or personalization? One could argue that the “top 50” are pretty similar and that the difference between a school ranked at 30 and one at 15 depends on the variables you consider important.</p>
<p>Thank you both for the refreshing change in tone and focus you suggest.</p>
<p>Families investigate BS for a variety of reasons. Some students have learning disabilities/differences (and may yet be scary smart). Other students just don’t share the same zeal for academics. Some have only modest talents, in the classroom and on the athletic field. Still others start out as weaker students, only to then gain confidence and find their stride.</p>
<p>Agreed. I, as well as one of my younger brothers, attended a school rarely mentioned on this site (McCallie). Harvard accepted us both. In fact, Ivy League colleges accepted numerous schoolmates while I attended McCallie.</p>
<p>Life at BS’s doesn’t begin and end with HADES schools. There are many great, may I say hundreds of great, BS’s throughout the US of A. </p>
<p>Expanding the scope of CC sounds like an excellent idea.</p>
<p>toombs61, Yours may be old info. The college admissions have become so competitive that McCallie grads may hardly be matriculating to Harvard these days. I think CC mostly attracts hypercompetitive kids that want to go to the HADES schools. That’s why you mostly see these schools discussed here. Obviously, they will still consider lower level schools as safety. I think this discussion won’t ignite CC interest in other schools.</p>
<p>Pulsar, if status is what you’re after then you’ll only be satisfied with HADES. But status as an end in itself is pretty empty.</p>
<p>What you are looking for in a boarding school affects which schools you look at. Most of the people here, although they may not come right out and say it, want to go to boarding school at least partly to get into a good college. They want to excel, to achieve everything that they possibly can, and, as long as they want to succeed for a larger reason than wanting to be the best, there is nothing wrong with that.</p>
<p>If comes down to what you care about. If you care about social life, look at a friendly school. If you care about student teacher ratio, look at a small school. If you care about what college you will get into, look at a top ten school with excellent matriculation. All choices are valid.</p>
<p>Wcmom, I don’t think it is a question of status. It is about getting the best possible education, also HADES schools have big endowments and are generous with FA.</p>
<p>The intention of this site is to help prospective students and parents about boarding schools. To ask questions, provide opinions, experiences and discuss civilly, not antagonize. Nothing wrong with a little school spirit but we don’t want the constant debates. Please give it a rest.</p>
<p>My son goes to a HADES school now. The primary differences I see between his school and my old school are money and diversity. Lots of money and lots of diversity. The striving, yearning, aching, and competing of the kids, parents and teachers are pretty much the same at every BS. Sure, some schools have better college placements than others. But I doubt that my son has ever worked, studied or sweated any harder at his school than I did at mine. </p>
<p>A rich, diverse school can help a kid. But, in the end, it is the kid that helps himself who gets the most from life. As long as a BS creates a place where a child can press himself to excel at high levels, the school is or can be a great BS.</p>
<p>My son goes to a HADES now. The primary differences I see between his school and my old school are money and diversity. Lots of money and lots of diversity. The striving, yearning, aching, and competing of the kids, parents and teachers are the same everwhere. Sure, some schools have better college placements than others. But I doubt that my son has ever worked, studied or sweat any harder at his school than I did at mine. A rich, diverse school can help a kid. But, in the end, it is the kid that helps himself who gets the most from life. As long as BS school creates a place where a child can press himself to excel at high levels, the school is or can be a great BS.</p>
<p>i wrote a whole paragraph trying to explain my points but i just thought it was too much so here is just the raw point of view</p>
<p>too many people obsessiving over hades and ivy’s and generally hades is basically there center point to almost all discussions on this forum and many are students currently attending or alumni which may give prospective students a bad point of view and many people are giving others the wrong idea of hades schools like toombs suggested</p>
<p>alot of my friends have tried this forum and they were turned off by the lack of support to new comers they said many people just directed them to old threads and they were not that friendly ( mind you there are alot of awesome people on this forum)</p>
<p>not enough talk or interest about small boarding schools or single sex, and not alot of talk about schools outside the new england area</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I agree with the ops and how prospective students are really set on getting into the “Top 20” because of the propaganda and influence of CC. I think McCallie is a great school (though I wouldn’t be able to attend) and know about alot of schools in that area. However, one of the reasons that all the talk on here is directed toward NE schools and bigger boarding schools is because that’s what the CCers (myself included) know what to talk about. The majority of CCers are from the NE and proportionately it would make sense to have more people on here from Exeter/Andover/Choate then from maybe St. Andrews, Wyoming Seminary, or Grier. If maybe there were more people from these schools there would be more talk about them and prospective students would broaden their horizons.</p>
<p>Of course I agree with you, but I feel that that’s not entirely feasible given the localized nature of non-boarding school private schools and the spread-out nature of applicants who come to CC. Very few people will live in the same area and the only advice that can bee widely helpful is for schools that many are interested in, which happen to be mostly boarding schools. That said, I do think that more emphasis should be put on schools that are not in the “Top 20” than currently is.</p>
<p>The messages in this thread are so “on the money.” When we made a last minute decision to send out child to BS we were “babes in the woods”. We knew nothing about BS other than those considered “a household word” or which had been the alma maters of fellow law firm members (ironically, mostly all boys schools). So off we go to visit Exeter, Hotchkiss and St Paul’s. These schools would have been a disaster for our student. So by summer it looked as if our D would be enrolled-- much to her chagrin-- as a day student in a local all girls school. However, in July, right before school was to start we ironically came across the perfect BS right here in our own state–one with with I was totally unfamiliar despite having lived in the city where it is located in the late 1970’s. My husband had even done a historical architectural evaluation of the school in the 1970’s, but he had the impression that it was an all boys school (indeed it was originally called The Asheville School for Boys). Well Asheville School turned out to be the best of all possible choices–a New England style boarding school in the South with excellent academics and only 250 miles from home. The school even was able to provide a generous last minute financial aid package. So you never know what educational gems might be lurking–right in your own back yard.</p>
<p>I have to say that this forum did open my eyes to other options beyond the usual suspects, and I’m thankful for it.</p>
<p>I would definitely encourage all prospective students and parents to look beyond “the big 2” and other acronymic (HADES/GLADCHEMMS) schools.</p>
<p>I have found that it is mainly the applicants who tend to focus on ten or so schools. Every “nonHades” school that we have looked at, we have looked at because of suggestions that were made to me by parents on CC. These schools would not have been on our radar without this site.</p>
<p>Often, it is up to someone to ask, as I did last year.</p>
<p>But I agree, it does get tiresome to hear only of the same schools. Maybe the super low admissions rates to those schools feed the obsession and paranoia. </p>
<p>I can see how this site would be intimidating to a student not applying to the obsessed over schools. Often, so-called 2nd tier schools are kind of an afterthought, which I think is a shame; like “oh well, there’s always _____ as a backup.” What is a safety to one student, is a reach for another and if I heard the school that my child was struggling to get into referred to that way, I would certainly be put off.</p>
<p>I mean, look at the thread directly below this. (which I realize will change I am referring to the one about “safeties.”)</p>
<p>I can’t emphasize the financial situation that forces many to look into HADES.</p>
<p>I personally can only afford 1-5K in tuition, and andover has over 700 million dollars endowment and full needs guarantee, so financing is not an issue. Yes the andover school campus is just stunning, 800 acres of crisp beauty. They have largest library of any HS, offer courses beyond typical BS. I personally am going to need 2-4 years of Undergraduate math and 1-2 years of Physics, which most other BS’s can’t offer. Andover has 2 of the 4 IPhO’s team members, and they attract the best, brightest and nicest students. With all due respect, I doubt anyone here can match another BS that would satisfy my needs.</p>
<p>to Recap, and I’m being liberal here, my needs would be</p>
<ol>
<li>Ample F/A for at least <10k</li>
<li>Advanced Math courses including Linear Algebra, Vector’s Calculus, </li>
<li>Academic Merit Requirements, </li>
<li>Decent campus, but more a luxury than necessity</li>
</ol>
<p>Wow! I never realized that all of the nicest students (and ALL of the best and brightest) went to Andover! While a great school, there are certainly other schools that offer many years of math beyond BC, have ample FA and whose physics faculty are as strong if not stronger than Andover’s. Yes, this list is small but to state definitively that Andover is the only school to offer what you need demonstrates a lack of understanding of what is out there for you. Good luck in admissions, I hope you wind up at Andover!</p>
<p>^I am actually curios what other schools you would consider of in similar ranking, I looked at many other’s, albeit I am a NYer hence a NorthEasterner, so seriously post some names, 
I would love to know what my bias is missing, :D</p>