Good morning,
Looking for some guidance and info…
We are considering a move to an area which would really be unsuitable for our son…right now we are in a highly regarded public school…ranked in top 10 academically and last year was the state champ in swimming and top 50 in country for lacrosse…He is an honor student and a top contributor in both these sports…it would be almost impossible to replicate his experience at this school somewhere else and it is definitely not possible to do this where we are considering moving…But, this is a huge career move for DH so wondering if we can make it work if we consider boarding school for his last two years…We are looking at bit at Deerfield as it is regarded in both sports…any other place we should be considering? We would like it to be in the New England area so that we will be somewhat close…How much of a athletic hook would he have…he is the fastest 14 year old swimmer in New York state and also is being recruited already for DI lacrosse…our income is 250K + but we would have two others in college at the same time…could we expect money in the form of financial aid or athletic ? Thanks for any thoughts, we are just trying to figure out if we can make this work and all info is appreciated…
Are you looking for this coming year? As I’m sure you know, it’s pretty late in this admission cycle–but decisions haven’t been finalized, so, if you’re talking about next year, get in touch with them (by phone) ASAP and explain that this move has just come up. Yes, Deerfield is strong in all these areas (academics, swimming, lacrosse) and yes, with 2 others in college, there is probably some FA available, with that income. In the current swim season, I think Deerfield has won all their meets except for one loss to Exeter, and are 1st in their standings. They always do well in Lacrosse (for both they are in Western New England Division I). Because those are among their strong sports (along with squash, crew, etc), they do look to continue those traditions, so being very strong in those sports is probably something of a hook. Of course, it might depend a little on how many graduating seniors are on each team, etc., but they do look to keep those traditions strong. I have a son who is currently a sophomore there, so feel free to ask any questions. I’m not sure what other schools to suggest specifically-- but you can look at the standings for each sport (that Western New England Division is a strong league in both), as well as maybe asking his current coaches, and then figure out which schools are academically and otherwise a good match. Again, I can’t tell if you’re looking for next year, but time is very tight for that. Make sure you contact the coaches at Deerfield (and wherever else you apply) directly as well. Send swim times, lacrosse videos, etc. good luck!
Call Deerfield. They can give you better answers than we can. Significant athletic talent can be a hook. If he’s already getting interest from colleges for lacrosse, he would probably have a hook. I have no guesses about financial aid. With two already in college, you may qualify–it doesn’t hurt to ask, and you should also fill out the SSS financial aid forms. http://sssbynais.org/parents/apply/parent-webinars
The deadline for applying has passed, but schools do know that job changes can happen at inconvenient times. Worst case, they’ll either refer you to a school which has a rolling admission cycle, or tell you to apply next year. If he’s 14 right now, you might consider having him enter boarding school in the fall of 2016, if all else fails. (Having said that, I would be surprised if you couldn’t find a school for him.)
It would be worth calling schools which also offer those sports. Northfield Mount Hermon? If you do call them, call before the schools close for March break, which is almost upon us.
Thank you both for taking the time to reply… We are thinking about this for fall 2016 when he will be a junior… if we decide to go for this, DH will commute for a year before moving the rest of us!! I also have discovered that Avon old farms and Kent offer both sports so I will add them to the list!!
You should just know that Junior year is SIGNIFICANTLY harder to get in than sophomore year (many fewer slots). However, having a hook for whichever particular school school (it helps if they really care about those 2 sports-- even more so if they’ve lost some good people that year) can really help for those few slots (they often use those to flush out teams or rosters orchestras or whatever they particularly care about). Those 3 schools are quite different in terms of academics, culture, etc. but, since you seem to have time, just start checking them out. It’s important to find a place your son feels like he’ll really fit, not just that has his sports. It’s especially hard junior year-- there are fewer new students, so social groups are more established, there’s a lot of academic pressure with a focus on courses for college, SATs, etc., so kids really have to hit the ground running-- so fit, both cultural and academic, will help with that. One good thing about varsity sports is that teams often provide a built-in social network. Anyway, good luck. Spend some time on Boardingschoolreview.com to find schools in the area you want with his sports, and then look at their websites and websites of their sports leagues to see how they do. You can also look up individual schools here on CC to get some more info.
I think any school which plays in the same league as Deerfield would have the same sports.
Exeter
Andover
etc.
You can set parameters and search at Boarding School Review: http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/searchschools.php.
It can be hard to jump into these schools as a junior. You might want to consider having him enter as a new sophomore in the fall of 2016. Are you willing to let your son board?
Could he be a repeat Sophomore?
Portsmouth Abbey has a strong lacrosse program - several recruits to D1 and D3 colleges in past few years. Might be worth a look.
Thanks all…lots of good info and things to think about…we would really prefer not to rush into this so we are shooting for Fall 2016…if for some reason he does not get accepted somewhere that is a good fit then we can always continue the commuting thing for as long as it takes!!