<p>Recently I saw posts on facebook and other places of students leaving the top BSs midway through the academic year. The top BSs admit the top students from all over. But once they come in, they all cant be at the top. Does this cause unnecessary stress and burnout? What are the attrition rates like at the top schools? What are the primary reasons students leave BS: stress, discipline problems, D&A issues? Do you consider the attrition rates of the schools as a factor in choosing your schools? Any students and parents with good knowledge of this situation at your schools, please respond.</p>
<p>I don’t think most schools publish this information. At the school I’m familiar with (Concord), the only hard numbers are the number of new juniors each year; they’re admitted to cover attrition from the sophomore class. In the past 5 years, this has varied between 0 and 3 (0% - 3%). This covers students who left midway as well as at the end of the year. The reasons include health issues, emotional issues, and disciplinary issues.</p>
<p>We asked about freshman class attrition rate at all our interviews. The answer at each school was always no more than a few percent. We did not ask about the reasons for leaving.</p>
<p>This is a good question for revisit days.</p>
<p>At our revisit days a few years ago, I asked about “the whys of kids leaving” more than the number of kids who leave.</p>
<p>At my son’s school last year there were about 3 that he knew of. One at the beginning of the year, one right before the student was about to graduate, and one where the student transferred out to a HADES school. He did not know the reason for the other two.</p>
<p>The schools do not publically report attrition rates. From hearing anecdotes at DS’s school, my impression is that the number one reason for leaving is academic dishonesty stemming from incredibly intense pressure to succeed. To save face, students caught cheating/plagerizing are often allowed to quietly resign rather than be expelled, but everyone at school knows what really happened. Academic dishonesty is the most serious offense, as it affects the reputation of a diploma from the school. And a college preparatory school is nothing without is its reputation for academic integrity.</p>
<p>This brings me back to the topic of fit. Too many “chance me” kids on CC asking if they can get admitted into Andover w 66% test scores. Do you really want to enter any ultra-competitive arena on weak footing from the get go? The objective is not to simply get in, but to succeed.</p>
<p>Another significant reason for leaving is eating disorder. BS is NOT the cause of it, but an environment like BS where kids have to be independent is problematic for dealing with it.</p>
<p>I asked about this at my Andover interview and the interviewer said it was “less than 2%”</p>
<p>I think the reasons for leaving are kind of a mixed bag, about 8-10 a year. Most don’t leave on their own but some do (and the ones who do are all new students).
Honor code violations seem to be the main reason for returning students’ attrition–drinking, drugs, plagiarism, vandalism, dishonesty, bullying, that sort of thing.</p>
<p>Also not all schools allow students to save face and leave quietly if there is a violation. Dismissals are discussed in front of the entire school at assembly.</p>