<p>Not as much of a sense of community I guess 
@KimberlyLaila What schools would you recommend? @ChoatieMom I’m still a little new to this applying to boarding schools process even though I’ve been searching schools so much these past few months </p>
<p>SPS was more selective than Andover or Exeter this season. SPS had a 10% admit rate this year…to spell that out, only 1 out of 10 students who applied were accepted. Probably 70-80% of the students who applied were ‘admissible’ meaning they were realistic applicants. Groton probably had an even smaller admit rate. They reject many students with 99% SSAT scores. Even if you are a fantastic student who is academically and otherwise admissible, your chances are probably 1 out of 7 at such a school. If you are a superstar even by the Exeter/Andover/Groton/SPS standards (you already know if you really are), your chances go up to what? Maybe 1 out of 3?</p>
<p>Don’t fall in love with the top 5 most selective/famous boarding schools or at least not those exclusively. Are there one or two among those you like better? Find some other schools similar to those two but that are not as Herculean a feat to gain admission.</p>
<p>
Actually, no they did not; they had a 12% admit rate,
<a href=“http://www.groton.org/podium/default.aspx?t=204&nid=704322&sdb=1&bl=/now.aspx”>http://www.groton.org/podium/default.aspx?t=204&nid=704322&sdb=1&bl=/now.aspx</a></p>
<p>SPS was also artificially low because they were overenrolled the prior year. The point that one needs to cast a very wide net if one is looking to attend a boarding school, however, is very valid.</p>
<p>I think all of these schools you cite are tough academically – high standards, high expectations, excellent teachers, great classmates. The only difference among them is Exeter’s Harkness Table teaching method, which others attempt to emulate, in bits and pieces, fitfully, but is only authentic to Exeter. The method forces a lot more resonsibility for their education on to the students themselves, with the benefit that the students become very very good at thinking for themselves and becoming confident in their own opinions and analyses.</p>
<p>I have read so much about the Harkness “teaching method” over the years and I guess that I just don’t buy into the idea that it confers an advantage over other excellent classroom learning styles. Just my opinion, of course. I realize that Exeter kids/parents feel strongly that it does, but to my mind a great classroom, Harkness style or not, will teach the students to think for themselves well and confidently. Among the top 25 boarding schools, Harkness would not be a determining factor for me.</p>
<p>Thank you for all your suggestions! @jjs123 @skieurope @makennacompton @Parlabane About the idea of casting a wide net, I am also looking at Loomis Chaffee. I am not sure if that would be considered “widening my net” though. I have considered Blair, Peddie, and Mercersburg but I feel as if Blair and Peddie do not have a strong arts program and Mercersburg is little remote. Does anyone have any suggestions?</p>
<p>Our family’s impression was that the “top 20” or so schools are fabulous at academics across the board. A hard working student simply can’t go wrong at any of them. Where they do differ is the character and location.<br>
- Character - is athletics an important focus? How diverse a student body? How many day students (if most students clear out on weekends and you don’t it can be an issue, also the day student parties can get complicated), How many internationals, legacies, teachers with advanced degrees? Is there a depth of coursework in the area you are advanced in? For the “feel” of a school it is essential to visit. We visited 14 (way too many but they all looked great on the web). A few we literally ran away from once we visited, mainly because the students we spoke with (including the tour guides) were so unhappy.
- Location - some utterly beautiful schools are in the middle of no-where, and a profitable local occupation is escorting the detainees back and forth to the 2 or 3 hour away airport at 100 or more dollars each. You probably will go home 4 times a year, so factor in the ease of getting home or to a major airport with decent flight schedules. (Sometimes the school shuttle doesn’t leave at a convenient time for all students).</p>
<p>Loomis Chaffee would not be considered ‘widening your net’ by many people, though its admissions rate is slightly higher than the other schools you are considering. Try to find a local day or magnet school that you would have higher chances of attending, or find schools where you are substantially far above the ‘average’ stats, not a little. </p>
<p>Blair and Peddie, in reality, probably have great arts programs. Granted, I didn’t look at their arts programs, but the schools are certainly top-notch. Not a lot can be said for the schools’ websites and whether that would be representative of the program, but, if you liked the schools, I would suggest taking another, closer look with a visit or chat with a director. </p>
<p>Mercersburg is remote, yes, but you’re looking at other remote schools, like SPS, Deerfield, and especially Hotchkiss (which you mentioned but aren’t looking at). Mercersburg is a top school, so don’t throw it out just because it isn’t quite as famous as the others. You have to decide personally whether location in terms of surrounding area is important to you and go from there.</p>
<p>Finally, school suggestions are most easily found on the Boarding School Review website using their processing tools. You can choose acceptance rates, specialized programs, locations, and more. However, on average, Southern schools tend to be a little easier to get into (like Christchurch, Woodberry Forest, Chatham Hall, Baylor, etc.), so those might be worth a look. Single-gender schools might be a good look as well.</p>
<p>@pdl100: Great point about perceived remoteness of various schools.</p>
<p>I’ve heard people say they think SAS is remote…and I’m like “Have you ever been to Deerfield or Hotchkiss?”</p>
<p>And on a recent thread about Lawrenceville, the the truth about how long it actually takes for a student to get to NYC comes out.</p>
<p>Groton, Deerfield, PA, PE and St, Paul’s are very fine schools, but here’s the rub: Once you’re a BS student (or BS parent ) none of this “best” or “top” stuff matters. All Top 30-40 boarding schools have the Wow Factor… and the seas (sadly) don’t part for only a handful of schools or students… </p>
<p>Mix it up and look at every school with an open mind. All the things OP is looking for is a good place to start, but I’ll bet the ranch academic rigor won’t be the thing that seals the deal. All schools are very rigorous and challenging. Come on, People! Boarding Schools rarely mentioned ( here on CC) will kick your little bottom! </p>
<p>So- my advice is to try to find a school you can imagine spending four years of your life at first. Everything a bright young student needs (academics, athletics… etc. ) is already in place. You will know it (and feel it) when you see it. </p>
<p>When you tour and interview at schools this fall- be sure to check out the view. :)</p>
<p>Thank you for your advice @PhotographerMom ! I am planning on visiting most if not all of the schools I am applying to. </p>
<p>Thank you to @pdl100 for your reevaluation of Blair and Peddie also. I looked into both more, and found that Blair has an extracurricular called Blair Academy Dancers. I didn’t find anything dance-related with Peddie. But both Peddie and Blair seem to have their own unique programs; Peddie has their signature programs and Blair has the Society of Skeptics. Both also have sports I’m interested in participating in. Pdl100, do you know anything about towns near the remote places you mentioned? For example, would SPS students be able to go off-campus to the nearby town of Concord? I do know the town Mercersburg is near is relatively small, however.</p>
<p>@SevenDad , would SAS be considered less remote compared to Deerfield and Hotchkiss? I’m actually looking into SAS now. Do you know anything else about this school? What is signature about St. Andrew’s School (correct me if SAS is not St. Andrew’s School).</p>
<p>@awsmyyy: Mapquest puts Deerfield about 2 hours from Boston and Hotchkiss about 2 hours from NYC (and yes, I’m rounding a little here). St. Andrews (SAS) is a little over an hour from Philadephia and 2 about hours from Washington DC.</p>
<p>Why yes, I happen to know quite a bit about St. Andrew’s. ;-P</p>
<p>This thread recaps my older daughter’s BS search/apply/matric process:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/1174214-one-familys-bs-search-and-application-process--start-to-finish-p1.html”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/1174214-one-familys-bs-search-and-application-process--start-to-finish-p1.html</a></p>
<p>She will start her senior year at SAS in the Fall. We are very happy with the school.</p>
<p>Here is the main thread about St. Andrew’s here on CC:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/966356-st-andrew-s-school-delaware-p1.html”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/966356-st-andrew-s-school-delaware-p1.html</a></p>
<p>Your “what is signature about SAS” question is a good one. However, the more you get to know about more schools, the more you see that they have a lot more in common than what their marketing material would have you believe. Many newbs come to the forum thinking that Exeter is the only school that uses the Harkness Method. They are not (though I think they may be the only school that uses it for Math!)</p>
<p>If I had to capture what I think is “signature” or special about SAS, I’d list a few things:
- 100% Boarding and relatively small student body (about 300 kids)
- Extremely strong/generous financial aid program
- Breathtaking campus
- Excellent crew facilities and program
- A relatively compact academic/residential/athletic “quad” set on 2000+ acres of land
[To underscore my point above, St. Paul’s is also 100% boarding and has over 2000 acres] - An extremely supportive environment where people are encouraged to try new things and feel that it’s okay if they aren’t great at it
- An inclusive culture that seems to support values like kindness and resilience/grit/hard work while eschewing more “pop” values like prestige/materialism/snarkiness — all within the trappings of a fairly traditional Episcopalian school (chapel, sit down meals, dress code)
- Headmaster Tad Roach and the other adult leaders of the school seem to actively work at fostering the previous two bullet points above.</p>
<p>I could go on, and have (especially in the threads I linked to above)…</p>
<p>Wanted to comment on the posts upthread regarding the “Harkness Method.” I am a huge, huge fan of the Harkness Table as it teaches you how to communicate effectively, which IMO is one of the most valuable skills one can develop. You will start out your freshman year arguing loudly with your classmates and getting emotionally invested in being “right.” As each year passes you will see the benefits of listening as often as you speak and will be amazed at the amount of learning that can be accomplished with collaborative thinking. A good Harkness teacher does not allow one student to dominate the discussion but more importantly, rewards those who successfully argue a point without alienating students with opposing views. It is something that is only perfected with time and practice, but IMO a life skill well worth the effort. </p>
<p>If you attend one of the boarding schools that truly subscribes to teaching at a Harkness Table, I guarantee that you will graduate with the ability to communicate effectively at the highest levels. Take a look at some of the posts beyond the prep/boarding school threads where the subjects of discussion tend to be a bit more controversial. You can clearly see the effective communicators from those that use belligerence and crassness to advance a point of view. The unfortunate part is that when someone communicates in this manner, one tends to discount the point of view because of the delivery. Effective communication is one that encourages others to be receptive rather than repelled. If you are lucky enough to be exposed to this method of teaching on any level, embrace it, it will serve you well.</p>
<p>BUT…I don’t think that the ability to communicate at the highest level, including the ability to listen well, is ONLY found around a Harkness table. Great teaching has always relied on and promoted the students teaching one another with the teacher serving as guide and arbiter. It’s best to sit in on classes at schools that interest you and see for yourself whether, as HarvestMoon1 correctly points out, that a “good teacher - I removed the word “Harkness” before teacher - won’t allow one student to dominate the discussion but more importantly, rewards those who successfully argue a point without alienating students with opposing views. It is something that is only perfected with time and practice, but IMO a life skill well worth the effort.”</p>
<p>You may want to take a look at some all-girl schools like Miss Porter’s and Westover (assuming you’re a girl.) Those two schools have some of the best dance programs and it would ‘broaden your net’ a bit. </p>
<p>Yes @ThatcherPArent and I think I allude to that in my last sentence. Boarding schools in general seem to embrace the concept of collaborative learning which tends to foster the type of classroom discussion utilized in Harkness. I think this is why some of the boarding schools have moved away from adopting a strict AP curriculum, and instead offer college level honors classes where there is less rigidity and more opportunity for students to take a discussion in any direction they choose. I think the difference with the strict Harkness schools is that the students are inevitably exposed to this sort of classroom exchange 4 to 5 hours a day. That can be pretty powerful. But yes certainly the same skills can be learned under the direction of any good teacher who values the development of effective communication skills. </p>
<p>RE: "Exeter is the only school that uses the Harkness Method. " True, and this makes math at Exeter more torturous than it already is. But Exeter has had a few generations of teaching math in this way and its math teams are among the top-ranked not only in the USA but in the world, so something must be going right. For the record, Middlesex is a loud and vocal critic of the Harkness method, but then (to rephrase Lloyd Bentsen), “Middlesex is no Exeter.”</p>
<p>How’s that Humility 101 Course working out at Exeter? </p>
<p>@faiths23 Thanks for your suggestions! I’ve looked at Miss Porter’s School in the past. Though I’m looking for a co-ed boarding school, I was really excited to see that Miss Porter’s School offered badminton as one of the interscholastic sports!</p>
<p>I just have one question: would I need to “widen my net” when applying even if I didn’t mind not being admitted to any of my choices (I would be content to stay at my current school, but of course, going to boarding school would have so many more opportunities)?</p>
<p>@awsmyyy Yes, if your current school is an option, there is no need to apply to 12 boarding schools. I applied to a grand total of 2 schools since my old school was a viable option (for another year or two anyway). That said, you should research various schools that are not commonly mentioned here to see if there are some that also meet your needs.</p>