<p>CKSABS, Need blind is a publicly announced (and thus committed) Andover policy. Colleges that are need blind do likewise. Check the admissions sites of virtually every major university and you’ll see an explicit statement - although for all but a half-dozen or so that only applies to U.S. applicants. </p>
<p>It is theoretically possible that other boarding schools may have need-blind practices and not announce it, but I doubt it. In fact, the only rational reason for having such practices but not stating it publicly is to provide flexibility to rescind them easily. I don’t know St. Paul’s practices, but it is telling that the quote provided earlier in this thread only tells half the story - that they will meet the need of those they see fit to accept. If they were need blind you’d expect them to tell the second half - that having financial need will also not affect your chances of being accepted.</p>
<p>Who’s miserable Istoleyounose? I don’t think you understand Tom, in everyone over 40 you might detect some sort of this so called “bitterness”. Maybe it’s experiencing the death of a loved on, losing ones shorts in the market, seeing hope fritter from Jimmy Carter though Obama’s first 100 days, paying for a kid to go to BS who doesn’t appreciate the sacrifice it takes, the sound of the freight train getting louder and louder every time you wake up in the middle of the night (analogy of one’s approaching mortality), I could go on. If you want a protected safe environment from the bitterness of us old folks may I suggest a Nickelodeon web site, or maybe just wait until you get to your dream school and create a ‘special’ place just for you and your friends.</p>
<p>I dubble dogy dair u to tok with mi aje cids cuz they r veri not smrt.</p>
<p>Thank you so much, you stole the words out of my mouth. While in many aspects (mostly intellectual) I can keep a quasi-adult conversation going, I am (by NO means) an adult. Just a lost teenager…</p>
<p>I’m not saying that the parents are miserable in general. I just mean that if your going to mope over the 40,000 pay check (which you do rightly), keep it to yourself and don’t tell us kids. There’s nothing we can do about it. I’m sure your kids are grateful for the gift, so don’t package guilt in right with the 40,000 dollars, just so the kids can “understand” the financial burden. There’s no reason for us to “understand” the financial burden. Let it be a gift that doesn’t include feeling bad for your parents. </p>
<p>As far as “who’s miserable”, I’ve just been hearing a lot of complaining by parents on CC lately. That’s all.</p>
<p>I have seen far more than a fair share of CC parents moping, actually. (Sarum you are by no means one of them!)… istoleyournose, I agree with you but then again neither me or you can understand forty k. We are both full pay living in quite a posh world. </p>
<p>I began to understand what one dollar meant when I volunteered in India. Not trying to make this sentimental, but parents don’t ever expect us to feel the pain of money. Please. I understand in a very abstract manner… Yeah, you can say “go work”. I lawn mow and get paid far more than what I should for a job far more shoddy than a pro. When we are kids and we “work” we get paid a bloody hell of a lot more than we should.</p>
<p>There’s a balance that’s healthy. Protection of their children from some amount of reality is every parent’s goal. But too much protection is not a good thing. It leads to insular and spoiled and ultimately shocked young adults.</p>
Of course, and I think the fact that he got into Exeter shows that (his parents did not donate a ****load or anything)! We are all far more mature than what kids our age are cracked up to be, but are in no means adults.</p>
<p>Sure, sure. But the kindof thing like Sarum just said: “Welcome to the real world, its your job to fix it”, although probably a bit of a joke, places way to much responsibility on the kids. I read this article once about these “helicopter parents” who can be summed up by the phrase: “WE got into Harvard” Your placing so much pressure on us to go to these great schools, apparently fix the real world, and still be mature. I’m only 14, most kids my age are play halo right now, but I’m here talking to you about parenting expectations, what does that say about my childhood? Sure, I got into exeter, but I wouldn’t describe myself as a “happy kid” in a million years. I have good days, but most of the time I’m under a huge amount of pressure. It would be nice if atleast MY OWN PARENTS would let me be a kid and not place the responsibility of the world on me. It your job, as parents, to shield me from that. Not doing so is irresponsible. You can say it’s reality, but all the kids on CC have a horribly ******* stressful reality of their own, without dealing with yours.</p>
<p>Exactly… I am not saying this would be me, nor am I saying this would be these host of parents yet I can say a good portion of the parents telling us kids to “grow up” would be the same ones that would freak out about me not acting my age if I had a beer.</p>
<p>I doubt that any parents are trying to make any kid feel “bad” or “guilty” because they are telling the world that they are paying a tremendous amount of a money to a BS during very distressing economic times. These parents do so willingly and lovingly. Because, however, the kids who are going to these great boarding schools apparently “love learning” and want to “stretch themselves intellectually”, then I think that they can learn (and love?) some cold hard facts and stretch themselves intellectually about the economy around them and its dramatic impact on their parents and so, so many others. If not, then these kids just may not be the kids that should have the joy, privilege and …responsibility!.. of attending these magnificent schools.</p>
<p>Oh, we don’t deserve it, toombs? Who the hell are you to tell us what we do and do not deserve? How about you get off your computer and go parent your own kids rather than ones you’ve never come into contact with? How’s that for an idea?</p>
<p>meh – fif’s 23 year old appreciates the sacrifice involved in four years of boarding school and four years of private college. He’s a grown man now and paying his own bills (well, most of them), so he should get it. His 16 year old sister is beginning to grasp her luck and she’s certainly putting in the effort to justify it for us, but we don’t dwell on it. She’ll get it eventually, for now she just needs to get into Harvard , Yale or Princeton.
If not, she’ll owe me $190,000.</p>
<p>Tom! You acted like benevolent4them in the Andover/Exeter war! Toombs, Tom is usually not so stark haha. Either way I agree, but many parents do not give us enough credit for who we are compared to the idiot class of 2013 and expect far too much.</p>
<p>Wow, look how far away this thread has been carried! That’s why there is a parents section but you kids keep butting in there and eventually convinced the parents that it’s OK to involve you kids in adult conversations because you are extraordinary kids (well you still are!). On a serious note, it’s not necessarily a bad thing to learn a thing or two about the harsh reality your parents are facing. While making you feel guilty is not your parents’ intention, if you do feel a little consider it a price you pay for getting the education 95% of other kids don’t get. Think about it, 30 some years ago your parents were 13/14 years old just like you are. They didn’t grow old and tough overnight and they are still humans who feel stressed and pressured on a daily basis like you do, how about giving them some understanding when they vent?</p>
or maybe just wait until you get to your dream school and create a ‘special’ place just for you and your friends.</p>