Help! We have a strong student who got blindsided by 3 waitlists and 1 last minute application which was accepted at a smaller local boarding school. Two of the three waitlists are already closed, and we have not heard back yet about FA at her one acceptance. The LPS is not an option and we prefer boarding over day. Does anyone know of any decent BS that may have openings and still be able to offer her FA? Please advise; we never imagined this would happen!
maybe Fredrick Gunn. They have openings: not sure about FA.
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Maybe this link can help: https://www.boardingschoolreview.com/openings-rolling-admissions-boarding-schools
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My cousin lives right next door to that school; it’s a gorgeous little town. We’ll call them Monday. Thanks 
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definitely use the link hopefulkid provided. I have heard of several people doing the same and getting good results (they did not need FA, though).
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Millbrook and Canterbury are on the list too. While not HADES schools they are pretty high profile.
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Gunn seems to have a FA waitlist… we’ll try calling them on Monday to verify. Also will call Canterbury and Millbrook (although it’s a little far)
Cranbrook. Michigan, but rolling and fantastic school.
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Millbrook is about 40 minutes from Gunn.
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Thank you. I think Michigan is too far. We prefer to have her within driving distance of family so either New England or Florida.
Check out Westover, Miss Halls (both are all girls) and Canterbury. Not sure if they’ll still have FA, but worth a look.
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what about these?
Monteverde Academy (FL)
Windmere Prep (FL)
Amerigo Schools
Canterbury(CT)
Cheshire Academy(CT)
Cushing Academy(MA)
Holderness (NH)
Kimball Union(NH)
Lyndon Institute(VT)
Portsmouth Abbey(RI)
New Hampton(NH)
St. Johnsbury (VT)
Wilbraham and Monson Academy(MA)
Pomfret School (CT)
Frederick Gunn (CT)
Westover(CT)
Or she could do a year at JBS:
Indian Mountain(CT)
Applewild (MA)
Rectory(CT)
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I think at this point it’ll be tough to find schools with FA available unfortunately. It isn’t impossible but it will be a big hurdle. Gunn does have a FA waitlist and I doubt that they have any FA left but definitely check with them anyway.
There is some very good schools on the list that @lilyesh posted above. Maybe take a look at single-gender schools if your family is open to that option.
Best of luck!
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It is also possible to do 9th grade at Junior Boarding. They will help her apply for 10th or a 9th repeat year. They have excellent resources. So I think it’s worth looking at.
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If staying local is not an option, lilyesh is correct. This is a great option and applying from said schools is a completely different thing. Think of it as college counseling - they are in the business of helping you find the the right school AND getting you in. While they can’t perform magic, GC from JBS (and K-8 LDS) will often meet with AOs in person before M10 and advocate for each student. There are several in NE beyond what she listed.
If FL is an option have you looked at BS in that area? It is not as competitive a world as NE.
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Yes. We really wish the head of our current school had advised us to apply to more schools; we had no idea that we needed a bigger range of options. We late applied to one in Florida that we know is a great school and are in, but waiting on aid.
I have seen it work out! What type of school are you currently in? Our K8 LDS does a decent job with helping with apps and advocating for the kids. My one complaint is that I don’t think they are as honest as they should be with the families about the impact FA may have on an otherwise strong application. The first time we went through this process, a friend who was also the Dean at a top school told us that FA and FP applicants do not compete with each other. It is effectively two separate piles, and the reality is that the FA one is much larger, especially in a year like this one.
I know that our school’s first priority was to meet the need of currently enrolled students, many of whom were financially impacted by the pandemic. I can only guess this squeezed financial aid budgets even further.
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We’re in a smallish, progressive, K-8 independent school. I have taught at other independent schools and seen much better placement work than what we’re getting, sadly.
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Chatham hall and Madeira and Westover are all in that open spots list, if you are open to girls schools. We just did revisits at all three and can answer questions. All amazing options where I would have been delighted to send my daughter! DM if you have specific questions!
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Is the goal a school with a similar educational philosophy, or something else?
Absent any idea of what your child is like, I think the only real advice is to look through the list in the link @hopefulkid123 posted.
Who knows, maybe you’ll take a shine to some unheard of place like Chapel Hill Chauncey Hall Can’t imagine with their tiny endowment that they offer much FA.