Beginning the process a 7th grader

<p>One of the strongest programs for skiing (Alpine & Nordic) is Vermont Academy. It sounds like you are interested in boarding though?</p>

<p>snoboardgrl -- I think you are making your list the right way. My son started his list at the end of 7th grade -- I think he ended up with about 35 schools on the list, when he found a school that had something he liked (or it just sounded good) he added it to the list. </p>

<p>By mid-summer, we started narrowing down the list. He told me what things he really wanted in a school (for him this was an environmental/outdoor education program, good chance for financial aid, a fair number of kids on FA, large campus, not an urban location, sends at least a few kids to ivies, etc) and what he would like to have (coed, offered crew and football, rural location, diversity, no dress code, active community service component, etc).</p>

<p>Then we really researched the schools -- and his preferences really eliminated quite a few schools. We also eliminated some schools because they required an interview -- and we couldn't make the trip.</p>

<p>His list ended up being 10 schools -- he was accepted to 8, waitlisted at 2 -- which gave him some excellent choices in the Spring.</p>

<p>It would be really helpful to know more about you. We know that you like snow sports and that is a start. Do you play any instruments? Do you mind a dress code? I heard that Holderness students can ski and snowboard after school most days each week. If you are interested in being on a ski team, search the web sites. I remember my son was asked at NMH if he would like to be on the ski team , although he's a recreational skier and prefers lax, soccer and basketball but we were intrigued that this was raised so you may want to check it out. Vermont and New Hampshire have better skiing than Massachusetts, but Colorado and Utah are hard to beat. For a traditional school, I would check out Exeter and St Pauls since they seem to be closer to steep mountains. If you like a liberal atmosphere, Putney is an option.</p>

<p>burb parent--why can't you do a sport and a production?
shore--it is right now :D
keylime--i do both and most prep schools dont have a boarding team, which i am ok with but i would like one with a ski team if possible, altho im not sure if andover, my current top choice has one :)
nerves--no instrument, i do not mind a dress code</p>

<p>thanks for all the advice guys. i now have some more schools on my list ;)</p>

<p>taft is the best school on your list for sure.</p>

<p>and you're cute ^^V</p>

<p>You can't really start on writing anything because the applications are not available yet (they come out in the early fall, I <em>think</em>, though I may be wrong.)</p>

<p>You can't really visit now either, since school is out of sessiion soon.</p>

<p>I guess you could prepare for the SSAT but honestly, aside from taking a practice test, studying for that test would be best done by reading, reading, reading, (and some math).</p>

<p>My advice is read some great books this summer - ones that really make you think about plot, character, Big Questions. Ask your teacher or parents for suggestions, or ask someone in the bookstore or the librarian at the library. When the interviews come, you can discuss these books (or your favorite among them). My daughter was asked in many of her interviews what she liked to read, etc. I am not sure if that is a standard question or whether she just presented herself as an avid reader (which she is) and then the questions went along from there....</p>

<p>You might be able to set up some interviews for the early fall. Where is your bubble? (Ooops just read that you are in the south.....). Maybe you can schedule interviews and help your parents figure out plane reservations and hotel accomodations, etc. The travel arrangements and scheduling etc can be a little tricky if you are coming from a distance.</p>

<p>Anyway, enjoy your summer.</p>

<p>Exeter is actually quite a ways from any ski mountains. St. Pauls most likely uses Pat's Peak in Henniker for downhill which is probably about 20 minutes away. NMH travels to Vermont (I think about an hour). I guess that's where Deerfield would go as well (don't know if they have a downhill team). I don't know about skiing at Andover...they are also a ways from any downhill areas and their nordic team was quite weak. There are schools which "specialize" in downhill skiing....I think Holderness, also Vermont as I said earlier, and Stratton Mtn. School (don't know how the academics are, though).</p>

<p>My guess is the nearest mountain to Exeter is Gunstock in Gilford, NH. About 1+ hours away. It is hardly considered a difficult or challenging place to ski, it attracts mostly families. My son still enjoys it if he is with a bunch of kids - but he is not a competitive skiiier. (sic?)</p>

<p>A friend's 2 children attend(ed) Gould Academy, next to Sunday River ski resort in Maine. They have ski patrol certification program and a really competitive team. I know next to nothing else about the school, however. We ski at Sunday River fairly often, though, and it is pretty good for a New England mountain -nothing compared to out west, of course.</p>

<p>My cousin's children were national level skiers and they attended public school in Portland, ME during the fall and spring, but in the winter they attended Gould for the ski program. The academics must be good because that is important in their family. Daughter went to Tufts, son is at Babson playing baseball.</p>

<p>I heard Proctor is really into skiing and winter sports.</p>

<p>thanks for all the ski locarions you guys :P academics are also vvery important, probably the most important. does anyone have recomemndations for books to read? momtoanundecided?</p>

<p>Add St. Marks' school as I said in the email. SMS has a ski club and they travel to NH in the weekend. You are going to have a good sponsee if you come to SMS.</p>

<p>for me, it was really bad enough writing essays for three schools and filling in all the forms and stuff. it took ages and I didn't seem to be able to actually find any time to do anything, so I ended up writing all my essays during the winter break.
I started my process in the beginning of eighth grade after deciding that I wanted to attend after going to Choate's awesome summer program. The schools I applied to were chosen because of how I knew them from people I knew going there and stuff, and one of the schools I only kind of chose to look at because it was close to the other two schools I was going to apply to (so the interviews would be easier to take :P).</p>

<p>Although I chose the schools I was going to look at for such superficial reasons, as I was going through the pamphlets and talking to people who went to the school, that had a huge impact on me and I ended up really being glad that I'd chosen the schools that I did.
Okay it hit me now that none of this is actually useful advice. Sorry. :P</p>

<p>Well anyway, about the SSATs, I personally thought they weren't that hard. I just got one book to study for them and maybe studied for them a few hours one day, but it was all generally pretty easy, excpet that I kind of panicked about the essay. :P Math was really easy. :)</p>

<p>i really feel that you have to visit to decide on a top choice.
of course, you still have oodles of time since you're in gr 7 (btw kudos to you, i'm going to deerfield as a sophomore and i started the application process in NOVEMBER! so late...so stressful!)
but still, i thought that ____ was my top choice from the website and everything before i visited campus. you really have to see where you feel the "fit".</p>

<p>Same as ilovedeerfield. I started in January and finished the forms at 4 in the morning of when they were due! My short answers for the schools would have been quite poor, lol. Don't do that, it kills you.</p>

<p>Do schools give you an "extra boost" if you've attended their summer program?</p>

<p>You can go to the following site and select the schools you want to compare.</p>

<p>You can compare the schools side by side up to three schools at a time.</p>

<p>Compare Boarding Schools - Boarding School Review</p>

<p>same process for my sister. My plan is for me to go to post-grad, while she's in gr 9. There is a stronger chance of admission for siblings right?</p>

<p>You can go to the following site and select the schools you want to compare.</p>

<p>You can compare the schools side by side up to three schools at a time.</p>

<p>Compare</a> Boarding Schools - Boarding School Review</p>

<p>hey, do legacies REALLY help? </p>

<p>and what about geography?</p>