<p>Don’t let Mercersburg know that they are being considered a safety, otherwise the students chance of admission just went to 0%. Has this person done an overnight visit at each school? I would recommend doing that before applying blindly. Again, fit the kid with the school, not the school with the kid.</p>
<p>All boarding schools coming out of the 70’s were having issues, Blair was late to the game and in the early 90’s brought in a new headmaster that was given the green light to “bring Blair back.” This was done with the support of the board, which includes 3 members of the Forbes 400. Since then the headmaster has raised over $75MM and built a new athletic center, dorm, fine arts center and library. Last year the acceptance rate was 29% with a matriculation list that included all the Ivies.</p>
<p>Benley – If your friend is not happy with local options, it would be best to include more than one school that places the applicant in the top 25% of applicants. I’ve been on this board long enough and also seen boarding school results from friends, etc. to know that it can be unpredictable. Strong candidates who are full-pay sometimes do not get into very competitive schools. It’s even more difficult for candidates seeking financial aid who are strong academically, but perhaps lack award-winning athletics, arts, connections, etc. The students and parents who stay on this board have usually had good placements. Those that do not achieve acceptances usually just disappear. </p>
<p>If a school has an average SSAT of 70%, it doesn’t mean that most students there have a 70% SSAT. It usually means that there is a broader range of students. If that school offers honors, AP and other advanced classes, a 99% SSAT should be challenged and has the opportunity to be a top student.</p>
<p>Anyway, that’s my 2 cents.</p>
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<p>That is a very good point, Burb Parent. Except in the case of schools specifically designed for kids with academic issues, it just means that there is a broader range. A very bright kid can still get a very good education. For some kids, it’s a very big draw. They want to be able to still stand out academically. As for my son? He doesn’t care. He just wants to be proud of his grades and learn as much as he can. Whether he’s at the top or the bottom half doesn’t matter nearly as much this. This is why I can honestly say that we have no safety schools. He would have just as hard a time choosing between Exeter and Blair as he would between Exeter and Groton, (which is why a secretly hope he is only admitted to one of the many schools to which he applied! Actually, I’d be thrilled if he were admitted to any of them. 
)</p>
<p>My son is a student at George School and I must say, he is having an outstanding academic experience. Rigor means different things to different people, For me, the notion of academic rigor involves the schools ability to size up a students academic and emotional aptitude and then nudging them, step by step, outside those comfort zones. The Head of School (formerly the Head of School at Milton) places a premium on academic excellence and it is reflected in the academic strategic planning initiatives. For example, the IB program used to be exclusively a degree program but is now broken out so that students can obtain either the degree one or more IB certificates, thereby, stretching their knowledge and interests. IB courses are often taken simultaneously with APs.</p>
<p>In terms of selectivity, GS has a fairly high acceptance rate when compared to other BS. IMO, the reason is twofold: First, the rate has more to do with the perception of a Quakerism (Id argue that Westtown has a similar experience) and what it means to attend a Quaker school than the quality of the institutions. Ive seen parents and students alike summarily dismiss these schools as viable alternatives because there is simply not much knowledge about the Friends schools. Some kids assume they would be required to conform to strict dress requirements (black and white only, like the Quaker oats guy, ha ha). Quite the contrary. To say that GS kids are creative in their personal style is a huge understatement. Quakerism is taught as part of the Faith Tradition curriculum as is Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. GS students are no more required to be Quaker as Notre Dame or St. Johns students are required to be Catholic. An Afghani student recently received praises and accolades from the school for a book she published which preserved traditional Afghani songs and poetry. </p>
<p>In addition, GS offers its Juniors/Seniors a international service trip options to Nicaragua, Vietnam, France, South Africa, Cuba (Cuba???) and a host of other countries. It is not a school with strong global name recognition like many schools commonly discussed. Yet, somehow, students from 34 countries (30% of current student body) have managed to find their way to this 430 acre campus in Newtown, Pa. </p>
<p>GS and Westtown are arguably two of the most liberal, progressive schools with keen focuses on social justice matters and global equality. And therein lies the second part of the acceptance rate double whammy: For many parents, its difficult to reconcile the emphasis on this value system within an elite educational context (esp. @ $45K p.a.). And thats quite alright; thats the beauty of the BS search. There are as many school cultures as there are schools, which is why the concept of fit is vital. Families who apply for and chose to enroll as GS and Westtown are a highly self-selected group who actively seeki
this type of educational experience, understand its benefits and know what an egalitarian concept such as Quakerism entails. </p>
<p>In terms of college matriculation, some graduates attend Ives+ colleges, some don’t. This metric was never a concern for my family. We are highly confident that if S maintains his academic record and remains actively involved in the school community, he will undoubtedly receive the big, fat envelopes of his choice in the spring of 2013, for reasons best discussed offline.</p>
<p>This thread contains NewYorker22’s brief assessment of GS. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/682863-george-school-pa.html?highlight=george+school[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/682863-george-school-pa.html?highlight=george+school</a></p>
<p>Thanks all. Your valuabe insights are greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>My daughter was accepted at George School, Westtown and St Andrew’s. You can PM me for details, but as the parent of a Sophomore I strongly believe in having a school within an easy drive. I can’t imagine why the OP’s friend needs to go outside of the Mid-Atlantic for Boarding options, because the schools here are fabulous.</p>
<p>Great summary of these schools that get little headlights on this forum. Thanks!</p>
<p>Just remembered one more thing that I remember about St. Andrew’s. I was at a swim meet there last year and my mother was conversing with a father in the stands. He was asking about my school and talking about boarding schools, etc. He said he and his wife had recently been divorced so they sent their daughter to SAS to get her out of the mess. He said he felt most kids at St. Andrew’s were there either because they had significant family problems or that the school was a tradition in their family. Again, not trying to bash St. Andrew’s, just trying to offer up some info on the culture of the school.</p>
<p>I can’t believe that sort of generalization. I do know that the majority of students are Episcopalian. We are not and I did worry about how our daughter would fit in. Same for George School - most families are Friends and we are not.</p>
<p>
Grejuni, did you observe the same thing when you looked into St. Andrews?</p>
<p>Not at all, and what’s more I think it’s a weird thing to say. Most schools including St Andrew’s are NOT looking for kids who are having problems, quite the reverse - they are happy to send them home when they do have problems. St Andrew’s will release a kid if they believe there are significant enough problems to impact the community.</p>
<p>Like with many schools, St Andrew’s draws regionally, so sure some families have a tradition of attending. But from what I gather on this forum, there is much more of that kind of thing in New England than here in the Mid-Atlantic. The people I know who chose Boarding School did with their particular child in mind, not a family tradition.</p>
<p>Which reminds me - Delaware is very under-represented in major boarding schools maybe because of the availability of day school options or the “lack of tradition”. In any case, to many locals, it may appear “weird” to attend a boarding school, so the efforts to explain why St. Andrews families choose a different path than theirs might’ve led to misconception/misinformation as such.</p>
<p>Grejuni- great points…</p>
<p>It’s important to remember to assess the “information” obtained on this forum critically. The post which contains the quote #31 reveals that a student, heard from his mother, who heard from a random father in the stands of a swim meet, who opined on the collective motivation for MOST SAS families.We all learned in 4th grade during the ever-popular game of Telephone, that “information” gets woefully skewed and hopelessly tainted as it moves up/down the supply chain.</p>
<p>There is a terrific new video on the St. Andrew’s School website.</p>
<p>Benley, for your friend looking for mid-Atlantic schools in the top tier with SADGE: Lawrenceville and St Andrew’s.</p>
<p>In the next tier, your friend might also consider these great schools:</p>
<p>Peddie
Episcopal
Blair
Hill
Mercersburg
Woodberry (for boys)</p>
<p>You mention that your friend is worried that St. Andrew’s small size may make it harder for her child to get in. I’d say it’s more a function of acceptance rate. St. Andrew’s acceptance rate is around 30%, significantly higher, for example, than Lawrenceville.</p>
<p>Thanks, Tristan2. By Episcopal, are you referring to Episcopal Academy, which is a day school?</p>
<p>Benley- Episcopal High School</p>
<p>Oh that’s the one in VA. I don’t think they are going to look in the south but thanks.</p>
<p>Episcopal is in Alexandria Virginia just outside DC. I think DC and usually Virginia are considered mid-Atlantic, but I hear ya.</p>
<p>By the way, Episcopal is one of just a few schools that are 100% boarding. Others: St Paul’s, St. Andrew’s, Woodberry, and UWC USA. As a former boarder, I think 100% boarding is a good thing.</p>