<p>Hi there, we are new at this. We have a 13 year old girl and we live on the West Coast. She scored 99% on HSPT/SSAT and 28 composite on ACT (without preparation). Nationally ranked youth rock climber, lego robotics team winner and volunteers building recycled computers. </p>
<p>Noone from our family has gone to private or boarding school. We have been advised to check out college prep boarding school. We will need FA.</p>
<p>I've only been reading for a week and I'm currently interested in Thacher. Would you be able to tell me a couple of other coed schools to check out and visit? We are looking for schools where the philosophy emphasizes character and academics. I like that Thacher has an Honor Code.</p>
<p>Cate sounds like a good choice for you. It’s in southern California and from what I’ve heard they emphasize on character and have great academics. Most schools have Honor Codes as well.</p>
If you do want consider East Coast schools, you need to factor in the cost of flying cross-country multiple times per you for your child to come home for breaks and for the parents to visit during parent weeks. School breaks tends to during peak airfare times and parent weekends will be during peak hotel occupancy times. </p>
<p>Some co-ed West Coast schools schools of note:</p>
<p>Webb in Claremont, CA (has the highest SAT scores of the WCoast boarding schools)
Stevenson on Pebble Beach in Monterey (wow!)
Thacher you already know about
Cate </p>
<p>Thacher and Cate are nearly impossible to get into after 9th grade. If your daughter will be applying for 10th grade, consider applying as a “repeat” 9th grader to hugely improve her odds.</p>
<p>All schools will have an Honor Code, so this issue is really moot.</p>
<p>Cate, Concord, SAS, SPS, Exeter, Webb, Stevenson. I will shortlist and then have our daughter contact the AOs. Thacher parent, thanks for the PM.</p>
<p>SevenDad: I have scanned a few parent and student handbooks. Reviewing past posts also gave me the impression that some places are full of ;lsts of possible infringements. I’m looking for an institution/community that is framed more towards character rather than a list of growing rules. Our daughter has no conduct nor behavior issues. Our family emphasizes values and has few rules. Thank you for asking. </p>
<p>GMTPlus7: good advice about a repeat grade 9. If our daughter agrees to that then she is committed. Thx for pointing out East Coast costs. I think that many places talk about character but the “unproctored exams” at Thacher impresses me. the only other school I’ve read about this is Caltech. Any other schools do “unproctored exams?”</p>
<p>@lookandsee: Thanks for clarifying. IMO, BS in general have plenty of rules…though some may preach “freedom with responsibility”…best to check with current/recent students and parents once you narrow the list down some.</p>
<p>Best of luck. ThacherParent is the greatest, btw…as is the lovely school in Ojai he ably advocates for here.</p>
<p>Just a thought… If she’s a nationally ranked rock climber (and isn’t into ice climbing), you DO realize we’ve just gone through what seems like world’s longest winter out here on the East coast, right? Not much rock climbing here here yet-- and it’s April!</p>
<p>@daykidmom: We do have plenty of rock gyms, though…I would look at SPS (St. Paul’s School in Concord NH), for sure. They have a fairly big rock wall in their field house…and I’m sure would love an experienced climber to have at it. And a quick visit to their site to reacquaint myself shows that they do have honor code and “no lights-out rules at SPS or formal study hall. Within certain evening hours, girls and boys are allowed to visit each other’s rooms.”</p>
<p>I would add St. Mark’s School in Southborough to the list, with the interest in robotics and computers, and perhaps Berkshire and Proctor for winter sports.</p>
<p>However, I think you have some homework to do. (sorry!)</p>
<p>First, is this a mildly curious inquiry, or are you dead set on finding a school for the fall of 2015?<br>
If you are serious about the effort, how far away are you willing to send your daughter?
Are there any areas of the country which are no-go areas? (New England, Mid-Atlantic, the South.)<br>
Would she be comfortable playing team sports rather than rock climbing?
Would she be comfortable attending a single sex school?</p>
<p>Not to put a damper on things, but high-scoring girls who need financial aid are well represented in the applicant pool. The further you are willing to send your child, the more attractive she may become to admissions officers, but there are no guarantees. As a family, you should decide the boundaries you can accept on your search.</p>
<p>Mercersburg has an excellent outdoor education program that counts as an afternoon sport, so she could do it every afternoon instead of field hockey or whatever. Rock climbing is high on the list of activities they do. There’s an indoor wall and they take many climbing trips. But they also do crazy stuff like go camping in the dead of winter and kayaking and stuff. It is called MOE or Mercersburg Outdoor Education. Do a Google search as well as checking out the info on the school website. I think they have their own website. </p>
<p>Mercersburg is not what i would call low on rules, though. Not at all. There is a zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol, for instance. </p>
<p>My d was a 99er and has no trouble being challenged. So i wouldnt worry about the academics. I really think peopls think that the high scorers can only be challenged and happy at the hardest schools to get into. When really, most schools can kick your butt academically if you give them the chance.</p>
<p>Hi Periwinkle and neatoburrito, thanks for helping. I appreciate your thoughts about challenging schools and the suggestions of places. </p>
<p>We do have a lot of work ahead. Falling in love with Thacher is a shortcut but probably not wise to stop there. </p>
<p>Interest- We are at 40% interest but we have good alternatives to BS for Fall 2014 or 2015.
Distance- We are open to anywhere in the US. Though for junior/senior years we will consider UWC.
No go areas-I don’t know. I will think about this. Yes, I must remember the geographic diversity.
Team sports-Yes, she has consistently been chosen for the varsity b-ball feeder team. But she is not tall so we expect she will go JV basketball and do varsity track in high school. She could also do softball. I am not comfortable with her doing lacrosse.
Single sex- my initial take is co-ed but I am also open to Miss Porters.</p>
<p>(Oops. “Low on rules” is my crude shorthand to say I am looking for a school that will regularly take time for a “thoughtful” approach to controlling and molding behaviour through discussion rather than the “efficiency” of handing out a list of 100 rules which many kids/people might use their creativity to nitpick and work around. Does that help? That said our family does have rules for our child. For example: no drugs, no alcohol, no disrespect, no exceptions.)</p>
<p>@mathman1201! I called Thacher admissions today and we are going to go in May for a preliminary visit. If our daughter is not hot on Thacher then I will do my homework on everyone’s kind suggestions. </p>
<p>It was a great conversation with Admissions and I look forward to some camping and she can do some climbing. I’m leaning towards using the college funds to buy 4 fantastic BS high school years… very important developmental years, IMHO.</p>
<p>Thank you to members who PMed me: ispy42, chemchimney, sevendad and thacherparent who also managed to fit in a phone call. </p>