<p>agreed!! (10 char)</p>
<p>My Lexus is better than your Beamer but my 18 year old Toyota station wagon is my favorite, more practical and still going strong and will probably outlive both the beamer and lexus.
For a bunch of smart kids some of you just don’t get it.</p>
<p>I am like a moth to a flame here. My son goes to a school that is rarely mentioned here on cc. He is a jr this year. Next winter he will be going with his school to study in France for a trimester. He will live with a family and be immersed in the language. His school has great foreign study programs and the majority of students go away at some point during their tenure at the school. It is part of the tuition, so we’ll only pay for spending money. He is also in the process of becoming certified as a medical “First Responder” through his wilderness medicine courses. He is doing well in school, was athlete of the week this week, and at least 1 division I school would like him to verbal for lacrosse? So, in my opinion, his school is the best.</p>
<p>But wait, my daughter is going to a different school (Mercersburg) in the fall. She is an all around athlete (more of a team player than a standout) and can’t wait to join the teams. She also dances and loves acting. Mercersburg shines in these areas. She wanted diversity–Mercersburg currently has students from 38 nations. This school has everything my daughter hoped to find. Clearly it is the best school.</p>
<p>Final note: I am a realtor. I am basically prohibited from ever telling someone I think a school is tops. I can say objective things, like they have xx # of AP courses, but what is great for one person could be all wrong for someone else. Some people look for public schools with strong music depts, or marching bands. Others might want cheerleading and someone with a child with special needs will put how a school handles special needs as first. The point is there is no one fit. The best school has a million different criteria.
zp</p>
<p>You named em whiz kid!</p>
<p>It is the SHE GLAD MCM</p>
<p>zuzu, what school does your son go to?</p>
<p>exeter
andover
lawrenceville
deerfield
hotchkiss
choate
taft
st. andrews school
milton</p>
<p>the first three are considered the best</p>
<p>The first three are not considered the best. Point well taken, Zuzu, but other schools may shine more in those areas.</p>
<p>The best are considered to be, and I’d say they are all equal:</p>
<p>Andover
Exeter
Deerfield
St. Paul’s</p>
<p>Then:</p>
<p>Hotchkiss
Choate
Lawrenceville
Milton
Groton</p>
<p>middlesex. and i’m not just saying that becuase i’m going there. middlesex is (and it KILLS me to say this) almost exactly like Groton. except it was founded (and still is) as a non-denominational school AND WE CAN WALK THROUGH OUR CIRCLE.</p>
<p>Forgot about Middlesex. I have heard a lot about it. Thank goodness about that!</p>
<p>The best are considered to be, and I’d say they are all equal:</p>
<p>Andover
Exeter
Deerfield
St. Paul’s</p>
<p>Then:</p>
<p>Hotchkiss
Choate
Lawrenceville
Milton
Groton
Middlesex</p>
<p>I always had the impression that l’Ville was up there with A/E but on this forum, it’s much less discussed… hmm. I wonder why?</p>
<p>Well most people base there opinions off of matriculation/Sat scores etc. L’ville not really jumping off the paper in major areas. Not saying it’s not a good school, I’m sure it is. But there’s generally reasons behind why people think a certain group of schools are “better” than another group of school.</p>
<p>zuzu’spetals: Your post nailed it on the head! My younger son was going to a great school but wanted to changed to another school because of the high talk we had heard. He was accepted and changed. He stayed one year and switched back…while the school had a great reputation, especially for athletics, it was not a good fit for him. Each school has its strengths, you have to figure out if they fit your child well. My advice to parents and students is use these lists as a simple guideline but look beyond to find the school that will work for you.</p>
<p>This is a very different perspective. I am currently enrolled in a public high school and came from a small town. This whole boarding school thing is very new to me.</p>
<p>Regardless of which “secondary” school you go to-you can still go to an Ivy League. Its my senior year and I have been offered an expense paid trip to Stanford, Amherst, Williams, Wellesley, Princeton, and Yale.</p>
<p>Also I was invited to apply for a 4yr full ride to one of these schools. If I went to an elite boarding school I would have definitely not made it this far. </p>
<p>It seems like the elite schools value a student who has built their own tools they need for success rather then have all the tools given to them from the start. However boarding schools seem pretty sweet; I wish I could’ve gone to one.</p>
<p>When I was at Stanford the admissions officer told me it all comes down to the personal statement. Standardized test scores and transcripts are merely a qualification check. What you have overcome seems more important now a days then what you have been given. =)</p>
<p>I am not trying to undermine your achievements, however I disagree with you fundamentally. Boarding school certainly doesn’t “give your tools” for you. You have to work harder at the top ones than any public school in the country. What you made of what you had is a different story. Stating that boarding school gives kids an easy way out is wrong. By the way, did I mention you have to get in with acceptance rates around that of certain Ivies?</p>
<p>I am also curious… You were offered “to apply” for a full ride. All top schools allow people to apply for financial aid, and at most top schools you are guaranteed a full ride if you financially qualify. It in no certain terms means you would get in, moreover with a full ride. </p>
<p>Depending on who you are a boarding school can catalyze your experience and your outcome in unimaginable ways.</p>
<p>Again, not trying to undermine your achievements. Good luck with your college application.</p>
<p>“It seems like the elite schools value a student who has built their own tools they need for success rather then have all the tools given to them from the start.”</p>
<p>That is an interesting statement Fay. More interesting to me because you are an objective participant here.</p>
<p>When you say elite schools (talking about tools) did you mean college or BS. My reaction was directed at if you meant college.</p>
<p>Depending on your budget, location and future goal, it’s hard to say which one is the best. If you need entrance scholarship, you may check <a href=“http://www.cic-totalcare.com/en/UniversityEntranceScholarships.php[/url]”>http://www.cic-totalcare.com/en/UniversityEntranceScholarships.php</a>.</p>
<p>With all due respect, Prestige, it seems as though you do not know what you are talking about when it comes to private boarding schools in New England. Middlesex and Milton were intentionally made to be small, and in fact having a small number of students is how New England Private Boarding schools are SUPPOSED to be. Having over 600 students is not how they are supposed to be. St. Mark’s, actually, is one of the top schools as well. Please, get your facts straight before you put them our for everyone to see.</p>
<p>exeter
choate
st.paul
and le rosey</p>
<p>Why did you revive the thread ?</p>