<p>Woowoo: Choate, Andover, and… Happy Hill Farm Academy?! This, in a nutshell, is what makes best school lists silly.</p>
<p>P.S.–why do so few post positive links like the one I just shared? I can recollect a couple from SevenDad about SAS crew and a Head’s speech, and maybe one from ops about BS sports, but it’s <em>very</em> rare to see something linked here that was either written in a student publication or school publication. I know we don’t need to hear about every time the planetarium gets an upgrade or the arts center offers a new exhibit, but aren’t these schools supposed to be flagships for the life of the mind? I <em>would like to see</em> interesting initiatives coming out of both the acronyms and hidden gems of the BS world. & Happy Hill, too!</p>
<p>Well, but when we post that kind of stuff, we’re seen as boosting or boasting or whatever the current term is…</p>
<p>@Classicalmama
Honestly we all have an idea of what the top tier schools are, but the ways of defining or listing them is tiresome due to the fact o that so many factors are applied in this process. It is crazy how drastic the difference between some schools among the top in certain categories, like happy hill farm academy. It really irritates me (and probably many others) how it is extremely hard to find a suitable ranking or ranking system. After applying and getting to know these schools everyone has their own thoughts and rankings.no ranking is perfect.</p>
<p>Yet if there is one, let me know :)</p>
<p>@PelicanDad
You should really create a thread about all the POSITIVE news around schools, I’ll definitely check everyday :)</p>
<p>bump 10char</p>
<p>From article by Arthur Ruhl, “Some American Preparatory Schools”:</p>
<p>“The Hill School, at Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and the Lawrenceville School, in the pleasant country near Princeton, differ from each other in many ways, and yet they may be grouped here as schools more exclusive than Andover or Exeter, and yet not quite as ‘tight’ as the fashionable ‘church’ schools of New England.”</p>
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<p>The question I raised is the cost/benefit of a private school. If a student is getting financial aid or the parents are deca-millionaires so $200k for a high-school education is like pocket change, then I can see BS being a better option for most students.</p>
<p>However, for most folks, if they have a strong public HS then the cost/benefit will likely come out against BS. With $200K, you provide a lot of additional resources and experiences for a child. And it’s all after-tax money. Heck - you can give them that after they graduate college and they can start their own business, buy a house,climb Mt. Everest or travel the world!</p>
<p>In terms of the fancy shooting, I suspect it would show a very slight edge for admissions to top-schools for unhooked students. That’s probably why schools won’t release the information.</p>
<p>As posted earlier, this is probably the best resource for evaluating the best prep schools in America. Cuts right to the chase, and right past the hype. Any of the top 10 or 15 in the categories listed are fantastic schools:
[Boarding</a> School Stats : Matriculation Stats](<a href=“http://matriculationstats.org/boarding-school-stats]Boarding”>http://matriculationstats.org/boarding-school-stats)</p>
<p>Cost/benefit–it always makes me shudder—I just want to say-- THEN DON"T GO. TThere are more than enough people who don’t value the world in turns of some pseudo-business school analysis. Why prep school? Because they all try their best to teach as the Exeter and Andover deeds of gift put it-- “goodness and knowledge.” </p>
<p>If secondary school is just a way station on the way to some well paying job (and so will be college and grad school) then please save your money and don’t send your kid to a bs. </p>
<p>Yup, most bs kids stand a better chance of making the Ivies from their public high school-- but hey,a kid stands a better chance of making HLS by attending a great state university than an Ivy or NESCAC college too–and B students earn more than A students (it’s true by all surveys) so make sure your kids don’t get too good a set of grades. After all money-- pay back in moolah is all that matters.</p>
<p>In the end you will have made sure that they have one of the nicest one of the “Little Boxes made of ticky-tacky” about which Malvina Reyonds sang years ago.</p>
<p>In my opinion, there are seven premier prep schools:</p>
<p>Alphabetically…</p>
<p>Andover
Choate
Deerfield
Exeter
Hotchkiss
Lawrenceville
St. Paul’s</p>
<p>I’m curious as to what you base your opinion on. If it’s acceptance rate, Groton wins at 12%. But then again, it’s your opinion. Rock on. :D</p>
<p>Groton is a very small school. Therefore, it does not have many advantages that larger schools have. My list contains the top seven schools in the country based on a variety of categories. Such as, average SAT, ACT, SSAT, and ISEE scores, endowment size, acceptance rate, etc.</p>
<p>^if those 8 were like ivies, Groton would be Dartmouth I think, so it makes no sense to not include it.</p>
<p>Thank you carep, finally something definitive.</p>
<p>@MBVLoveless: Groton is also a very tight knit community; it is very hard to get in if you are not a legacy. It also does not even compete with the other seven schools in categories such as athletics, clubs, and community service opportunities.</p>
<p>@Parlabane: Glad I could help!</p>