<p>I have been a lurker on this site for years and it seems the mentality of most is HADES or bust. In your OPINION what are your top 5 BS outside of these schools. I'm striking L'Ville and Choate from the list also... Why? Because it's my list :-)</p>
<p>Okay, I’ll give this a shot!</p>
<p>Keep in mind that I have a very limited and superficial knowledge of the various boarding schools (the only non HADES schools I applied to were Choate and Taft…Choate buddies!)</p>
<ol>
<li>Taft</li>
<li>Emma Willard</li>
<li>Mrs. Porter’s School</li>
<li>Dana Hall</li>
<li>Blair Academy</li>
</ol>
<p>The only reason the HADES schools are lumped together is that their first initials make a clever acronym. The acronym was coined only several years ago, and it’s not a formal or historical association like the Ivy League.</p>
<p>There are other schools with better stats than some in the acronym. Two names that come immediately to mind are Thacher & Groton. Just try making a catchy acronym w a “G”…</p>
<p>maybe Milton</p>
<p>UWC, Harrow School, and Eton College. Look 'em up.</p>
<p>I’d say (no order)</p>
<p>milton
choate
lawrenceville
blair
groton -middlesex</p>
<p>no order:
Milton
Choate
Lville
Groton
Middlesex
St. Andrew’s Delaware</p>
<p>It’s not clear what defines “best”. But for what it’s worth, here are some numbers. </p>
<p>The columns are:
- average SSAT percentile
- average SAT score
- acceptance rate
- school name</p>
<p>HADES
87% 2013 18% H–otchkiss
94% 2076 14% A–ndover
87% 2000 13% D–eerfield
94% 2097 17% E–xeter
89% 2014 18% S–t. Paul’s</p>
<p>Other great schools
90% 1962 13% Thacher
90% 2065 24% Milton
90% 2080 15% Groton
88% 2080 22% Middlesex
85% 1928 26% St. Andrew’s
85% 2018 19% Choate
84% 1928 23% Taft
84% 1940 29% St. Mark’s
84% 2050 32% Concord
84% 2061 23% Lawrenceville</p>
<p>how can some of you put Blair up there? Its SSAT average is around 70% — 75%, academically it is a 2nd or 3rd class school, with good basketball team</p>
<p>A 75% percentile SSAT score is top quartile. Very respectable…</p>
<p>Ok here’s mine .
1.Groton
2. Thatcher
3.Milton
4.Middlesex
5.St. Marks</p>
<p>Nice line up GMTplus7</p>
<p>@GMT: Just a side note–I wouldn’t trust those Lville stats on BSR because the last time the school page was updated was 2 years ago. The admission director isn’t even Gregg Malobert anymore. </p>
<p>St Andrews DE
Taft, Avon
Old Farms School
Peddie</p>
<p>Thacher
Hun
Emma Willard</p>
<p>Asheville
Concord
Randolph-Macon Academy
Oldfields School
Northfield Mount Hermon School, Trinit-
-Y- Pawling School
Mercersburg
St Marks</p>
<p>Hill is worth looking at</p>
<p>What’s so bad about Blair? A school is not merely defined by its numbers; on the contrary, it is the sense of community and the students that make the school have a certain identity. And the vibe that is emitting form Blair just so happens to be one I like.</p>
<p>GoldenRatio, maybe that’s why mom8dad used the word “academically.”</p>
<p>Please pardon me-I didn’t see that in mom8dad’s post. :P</p>
<p>@MBV I’m not so sure about Trinity Pawling. @Confused I agree on Hill. Also from my first post We were supposed to exclude L’ville and Choate. Any opinions on Loomis? Should we let them in the group?</p>
<p>Oh man everyone misses the point of my post.</p>
<p>I don’t like Loomis because my Dad forced me to apply there and I didn’t want to so I didn’t and he was really mad.</p>
<p>I do not profess to know everything about every boarding school but with two sons considering BS, my research has led me to believe that outside of HADES, the top schools may include:</p>
<p>THACHER
TAFT
GROTON
MIDDLESEX
NMH
HILL
WESTERN RESERVE
ST ANDREWS (Delaware)</p>
<p>I am sure I am missing some great schools and I did not include single sex schools but it is just my opinion for what it is worth.</p>