Best Boarding Schools

<p>most of the schools have scores around 92-94, but sps, considered by many on this board to be one of the top schools, has an average of around 88 i believe. they don't have athletic recruits (or so they say), but they do have a lot of legacies (20-30%... that's huge).</p>

<p>Actually the Varsity soccer coach is the head of the state ODP (olympic development program) soccer program in NH and my son, as well as other boys we know, were invited/encouraged to apply.</p>

<p>from the sps website - 16% of new students are alumni related this year</p>

<p>hmm all those scandals are from years ago
i personally love SPS
=)</p>

<p>Not really, #2 is about 6 years ago and 3 and 4 w/in the last two or three.</p>

<p>i go to andover and my sister to sps, but i'd have to say andover and exeter are one and two, in that order. maybe i'm biased.</p>

<p>i don't think the scandals devastated groton/sps, but the counselors at my middle school somewhat actively urged me not to apply to groton, so perhaps its reputation is somewhat diminished within the educational community (on account of the rape, and the board of trustees being indicted, and what not).</p>

<p>If you are the kind of person who can go to a school with a tarnished reputation for multiple scandals and not be embarrassed by constant comments and joking, then by all means apply to whatever school out there you would like to. However, if you want to go to a school that is known exclusively for its fine reputation, then you may want to weigh these things in your decision-making when choosing a school to apply to. The people who attend a school with a tarnished reputation have pride in their school just like a student going to a school with a great reputation and no scandals. People tend to be loyal to the school they attend. I just personally don't think I would want to constantly, for many years to come, have people commenting on the scandals and worry for my safety. I think it would get really annoying. </p>

<p>I also wonder when parents know what has gone on at certain schools and then still encourage their sons/daughters to apply to them. But then again, there are many parents out there who have such staunch loyalty to a religion or a school that they overlook and many times do not believe the truth in what may be happening at the schools and with the leaders of the schools. It is very telling in the reverse when the alumni of one of the schools mentioned in this thread refused to support the fundraising until the school started showing that they were going to take real steps in cleaning up how the school was run.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/12/10/st_pauls_school_apologizes_for_faculty_abuse_of_students/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/12/10/st_pauls_school_apologizes_for_faculty_abuse_of_students/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.dispatchesfromthevanishingworld.com/dispatch32/d32_1.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.dispatchesfromthevanishingworld.com/dispatch32/d32_1.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>i think this is what #1 on fun is fun's list. it also happened at groton, but after a while, they came out and admitted it (and i think officials got in serious trouble, but idk). i'm not sure if sps officials have admitted it. there was also a similar scandal at milton, allegedly statutory gang rape by a hockey team and a sophomore girl. the groton one was about one boy in particular who was repeatedly molested, but then more alumni admitted they had been abused as well out after his story went national. what made everyone angry about this one was that 1) it repeatedly happen without anyone stopping it, and 2) the molesters weren't disciplined or kicked out of the school, and 3) after coming out with his story, the entire school alienated and mocked him, and 4) that the school denied he had been abused and called him a liar, and 5) that the officials deliberately covered it up and failed to report it to law enforcement.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.heart7.net/news/accusations-sexabuse-boardingschool.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.heart7.net/news/accusations-sexabuse-boardingschool.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>i just remembered something.. what school was it that one kid tried to make a mail-order pornography business, operating out of his dorm and the school PO box? where officials had to raid it? was that SPS? i know it was one that was covered up very well, and that it never reached national headlines like the others. i can't remember and it's driving me crazy.</p>

<p>hpflrent, What school would that be that is "known exclusively for its fine reputation"?</p>

<p>I don't think that an accidental drowning or a previously overpaid headmaster should discourage anyone from applying to St. Paul's if they feel that it's the right fit for them. It's a great school, and focusing only on these two instances while ignoring the rest of the school's history is a mistake.</p>

<p>Many schools have had scandals - here's one about Exeter </p>

<p><a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n17_v44/ai_12666349%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n17_v44/ai_12666349&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>^^Exactly. Find me a high school in this country that has never had something like what's been mentioned in this thread happen.</p>

<p>Elite Northeast U.S. Boarding Schools Ranked by College Placement Success:
1. St. Paul's School 97 (max rating 100)
2. Phillips Academy 95
3. Deerfield Academy 94
4. Groton School 94
5. Milton Academy 93
6. The Hotchkiss School 92
7. The Lawrenceville School 91
8. Middlesex School 91
9. Choate Rosemary Hall 90
10. Phillips Exeter Academy 86</p>

<p>*this study was based on publically available information regarding college matriculation from 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007</p>

<p>tommeister, I must say you always seem to make positive contributions to cc and have a maturity beyond your years. Watch out co-eds!</p>

<p>And here's the Groton story:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/the_boy_who_cried_rape%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/the_boy_who_cried_rape&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Of course, public schools have scandals as well - they're just not as much fun for the press to write about as a scandal at exclusive "insert name here" school. Heck, they even happen in church! ;)</p>

<p>Go in with your eyes wide open, prepare your children (as I would hope you would anyway no matter where they attend school).</p>

<p>Hey, thanks catg. :)</p>

<p>Additional notes regarding post # 93:</p>

<pre><code>* St. George's School tied for 10th place, alongside Phillips Exeter Academy, with a college matriculation success rating of 86.

  • All 11 boarding schools referenced in post # 93 and in this post are well into the top 1% of all US high schools with respect to college placement success. </code></pre>

<p>Icy9ff8, where are you getting your college placement success rankings from and according to your information, what is success? Ivy League admits? Admission to students' first choices, ed admits etc? thanks!</p>

<p>The complete report, with methodology, rates and ranks 25 schools. Got it from <a href="mailto:frantzconsulting@yahoo.com">frantzconsulting@yahoo.com</a>. They still need 2006 and 2007 college matriculation info. for The Taft School. Can anyone help?</p>

<p>*The complete report, with methodology, rates and ranks 25 schools. Got it from <a href="mailto:frantzconsulting@yahoo.com">frantzconsulting@yahoo.com</a>. *
Is there a web site to go along with that email address?
I'm curious to see what methodolgy they used and if it is simply the standard Ivy+ that was used (looks like it based on the results). To me, that in no way ranks a school in anything other than THAT specific thing. May or may not make it better than other schools. It's simply one indicator. Now certainly, the schools on the list are the usual suspects when most people name the "top schools." However, as I have stated before, it's all a matter of perspective and what's best for each student.</p>