<p>cecil, congrats to you, your son and…his superb prep school!</p>
<p>Again… The teens get into great schools. The schools do not do it for them.</p>
<p>And as an aside, the numbers never mean as much as people want them too. A friend of my son’s at SPS turned down Harvard and accepted Bowdoin because he wanted a college with a real ‘community’. Each year teens decide what they want and need and it is not always the highest “ranked” colleges. Kudos for independent thinking!</p>
<p>Thank you for saying that Winterset. I think it bears repeating. Matriculation is based on lots of factors not in evidence. So the Bowdoin versus Harvard example is perfect.</p>
<p>Very helpful…your posts are a great read!</p>
<p><<social scientists=“” distinguish=“” between=“” what=“” are=“” known=“” as=“” treatment=“” effects=“” and=“” selection=“” effects.=“” the=“” marine=“” corps,=“” for=“” instance,=“” is=“” largely=“” a=“” treatment-effect=“” institution.=“” it=“” doesn’t=“” have=“” an=“” enormous=“” admissions=“” office=“” grading=“” applicants=“” along=“” four=“” separate=“” dimensions=“” of=“” toughness=“” intelligence.=“” it’s=“” confident=“” that=“” experience=“” undergoing=“” corps=“” basic=“” training=“” will=“” turn=“” you=“” into=“” formidable=“” soldier.=“” modelling=“” agency,=“” by=“” contrast,=“” selection-effect=“” don’t=“” become=“” beautiful=“” signing=“” up=“” with=“” agency.=“” get=“” signed=“” agency=“” because=“” you’re=“” beautiful.=“”>> </social></p>
<p>Read more: [Getting</a> In : The New Yorker](<a href=“Getting In | The New Yorker”>Getting In | The New Yorker)</p>
<p>cldwellmom - the two things that I worry about the most in deciding to bail early from boarding school are:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Often the “sense of self” does not really blossom until sophomore or junior year, at which time the student cares less about the behavior of a small number of jerky kids and has developed his or her own solid set of friendships. This is a hugely empowering life transition. Happiness sets in. There is almost no lesson more important at boarding school than learning how to be happy and self-confident in a community that contains both friend and foe.</p></li>
<li><p>While there are occasionally valid reasons for a child to leave boarding school, an exit based on a general sense of unhappiness after freshman (or maybe even sophomore year) usually results in a lifelong memory of failure. It may fade as you get older, but the adult will still carry around a level of discomfort that when the going got a bit rough on the first big commitment, he or she bailed and went back home.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>NYCParent1, thanks for posting the link.</p>
<p>toombs61, I could not agree with you more.</p>
<p>NYCParent1, very interesting article, thanks. I do suspect that highly selective boarding schools are more like modeling agencies—they take the top students, who would end up at good schools regardless—but with some boot camp thrown in that helps bring out their potential.</p>
<p>My son who plays a winter sport at a top BS must have called me ten times in his first two years adamantly asking that we seek a transfer out of his present school . THe school wasnt popular for his sport and there was lots of losing and injury to boot. However in his third year his angst turned to affinity for his school teammates ,teachers and classmates.
He could have transferred to a top school in his sport but decided to stick it out and it has paid huge dividends. He is a smart kid but know he is a great student ,offers and likely letters from HYP Columbia Penn. In speaking with with admin at some of the top schools in the country I can tell that the High School does matter especially if you are an athlete. If the local day school ranks its class it could be a major deterrent to getting into a top school.
Now I am starting the process all over again for my next S who enters the 8th grade in Sept. My the main criteria is to get the best eduction that is available, it pays. Son# 1 decided on Vandy for a full Scholarship+. THere was no way he was going to get offers from the Ivies or a scholly from Vandy from our local day school, public or private.</p>
<p>Gosh I wish that were true. And it is sort of. My daughter asked to go to boarding school (that’s the difference between her choosing and my making her go). </p>
<p>Good students are going to get into IVY’s no matter where they go. Look at IVY’s and then look at the percentage of kids who come from public schools versus private schools.</p>
<p>Why are we choosing boarding school? Because my daughter needs smaller classes and wants to work ahead. However, if she stayed behind, given her current resume, her grades and her scores, she’d still be a good IVY candidate out of public school.</p>
<p>Go to BS because the education is more focused, your child can work to his or her potential, and there is a common “language” around college.</p>
<p>But note - even the best schools don’t send 100% of their kids to top 50’s. So - if your kid is not an IVY candidate prior to going to BS - no amount of magic dust is going to turn them into one afterwards. Make sure you’re going for the right reason. BS is not a college insurance policy. Only a way of enhancing what the student already has.</p>
<p>(take that from an interviewer who sometimes finds motivate public school students to be infinitely more interesting than students who assume their BS pedigree is a guarantee.)</p>
<p>The class rank from a local PS is a major obstacle for athletes getting into Ivies I know Very good students(97 avg) that could not get into an Ivy they where recruited by because of class rank. Where on the other hand NFMH has several athletes a year go to the Ivies. One of the teams will send three kids to Harvard this year alone.
I know my S was not HYP ,material when he started at MDX. He bought into the culture of hard work, preparedness,and desire to make himself a better student. Most schools have a formula for their success I dont know if its called “magic pixie dust” in my S case it worked.</p>
<p>Exie is spot on. I would add that while there are great students in PS and BS, small class sizes and work that allows the student to move ahead often make the transition to college easier. It’s about more than acceptance rates, it’s also about preparedness and ability to thrive.</p>
<p>^^Agree, agree, agree! Even for non-athletes, it really does make a difference. Our local public may send one kid to an Ivy each year (out of 300 students). There are many excellent students who would definitely have had a shot at an Ivy had that they been at a more highly regarded school. My son’s best friend is one of them. She wanted to apply to Brown…she has huge (non-athletic) EC’s, will be either Val or Sal at graduation…all ap’s and honors, minority hook…however, the guidance office at our lovely public told her that it was way too long of a shot, citing the fact that less than 1% of the students from this school ever get into an Ivy. For parents who aren’t in the know and rely on the guidance office, they pretty much advise each kids to apply to three schools (reach, match, safety) and use mostly the local schools and state U.</p>
<p>Guidance at a public school is not as invested in your child, nor has the established relationships with colleges, that select boarding schools have. </p>
<p>The same thing is true at private so called “feeder schools” to select boarding schools. </p>
<p>When all else is equal, hooks count. Nevertheless, I would send my kid to the best school where I felt he/she would be Happiest. In the long run, that is what counts most.</p>
<p>KEYLYME
You hit upon one of the huge advantages of private schools vs public and that is the college counselor. They really care about getting all the kids into the best schools. Public schools have too many to really help. However, there are private counselors that are as good as the private schools. I really think all top students should use one (not the “Ill guarantee admission type”)</p>
<p>I’d say that it depends on what your local public is like. In our case, I can say with confidence that my children’s chances of getting into a selective college are much more likely coming from a good private. This is because there is absolutely NO way for a child at our school to distinguish himself academically. Captain of the debate team? Nope. There is no debate team. Lead in the drama? Nope. The only thing they’ll consider producing is a musical once a year and that’s only when they can find someone outside of the school to direct it because none of the teachers are willing to do it. Quiz bowl? Nope. National Latin Exam? Nope. Latin’s not offered. Award winning chorus? Nope. The chorus doesn’t participate in festivals. There are three performances a year and it doesn’t look like there will even BE a chorus next year at all. Orchestra? Nope. Only band. History Day? Nope. Newpaper? Nope. Robotics? Math Team? Nope and nope.</p>
<p>There are a handful of APs but the average score is less than 3. Kids routinely have an average in the high 90s in their AP classes and get a 1 or 2 on the exam. No honors classes but if it takes you two years to handle geometry, there is a program for that.</p>
<p>There are the more common sports, with track and cross country being the ones that help kids in their college apps mainly because it’s easy to tell how good they are from their times. Being captain of an undefeated soccer team doesn’t carry a lot of weight in class C.</p>
<p>If you intend to go into agriculture, it’s a great place and I am sincerely thankful for that.</p>
<p>Half of our top ten seniors last year are currently at community college.</p>
<p>Neatoburrito- I am now pretty convinced that we live in the same town LOL. In Southern New England, right?</p>
<p>Princess’Dad,
I agree with you about the advantages of a bs college counselor. They are so helpful. Do you where to find a private counselor? Thanks.</p>
<p>"If you intend to go into agriculture, it’s a great place and I am sincerely thankful for that.</p>
<p>Half of our top ten seniors last year are currently at community college. "
hahaha, last two sentences made me laugh so hard…</p>
<p>my school got rid of 3 APs due to budget cuts, now there’s only 2: AP calc AB and AP French… hmm. everyone takes APs outside of school anyways, so…</p>