My dream college is Stanford University - do you think my chance of getting accepted will be higher if I go to Top Boarding School like Exeter/Andover (where I have heard that the % of acceptance to Stanford is higher) or to a second tier high schools (where I can be the top of the class). I have heard contrasting views - going to Top School but because there is so much competition and top student there, your chance may be lower indeed even their stats are better…
Any thoughts?
Your best chance of getting into Stanford is to be exceptional. The school you go to is no guarantee of anything. And between those two schools, that’s like asking if it’s better to go to Harvard or Yale. To improve your chances, move to North Dakota. Really. It seems you are in middle school. Too early to be worrying about this. Oh, and please let go of the idea of a dream college. The most disappointed students I see on this forum invariably never get into their dream school. By the time you are ready to apply, Soka may be the hot new place to go. For now, just focus on getting good grades and doing activities you enjoy.
Well done (again) @Lindagaf!
@lander01, read these blogs- they will give you a road map for getting into super-selective universities.
http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/there_is_no_formula
http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways
And when you get to probability in math class, pay attention: get a good understanding of what a 5% success rate means!
@Lindagaf, @collegemom3717, thanks both for your advice and additional information - I will research on the 2 links 
There are a ton of threads on this topic in the prep school admissions forum…
Going to expensive private school will not increase your chance. Having a dream school is fine but know it’s a reach for all students. Just have a good list of backup schools.
Having gone to a high school that’s better than both of those, I will say yes, it will improve your chances not only of getting in to a top school but also of doing well once you are there.
Overall, attending an elite BS and performing in the top 10 - 20% will get you further ahead in elite college admisisons, esp if you have a hook. Stanford? not per se, but elite colleges overall. I think you’ll be disappointed if you try to attend a top BS with only the intention of it getting you into Stanford. No BS can guarantee that. Better to have a parent on faculty there.
Those top boarding schools were once the pipeline feeder schools to Ivy League institutions. They still are to a significant extent, enough to improve your chances, but as colleges have emphasized geographical, racial, economic diversity in admissions over past decades, they’ve lost that advantage they used to enjoy. I do agree with @iwannabe_Brown that those top boarding schools do prepare you well once you get to college.
@Tiggerdad, of course they don’t have the boost they once did, but they still provide an advantage over [insert random public school here] http://www.browndailyherald.com/2011/04/27/top-high-schools-find-admissions-success/
and yes, like @preppedparent says, certainly can’t bank anything on any one particular schools (e.g. Stanford) but I’m kind of assuming that OP isn’t going to say “Oh, you mean it will improve my chances at HYP but not Stanford? Guess I’ll just stick with public school.”
It’s harder to be among top students at these schools, but if you are, undoubtedly yes. I qualify my answer this way.
And even if you’re not, still yes. No one outside the top 20% of [insert random public school here] get into an ivy+ like you see at these schools.
The real question is: is it worth bankrupting your family before you even set foot on a college campus? Probably not.
I don’t think it’s worth to go to these schools just to get into top schools. But if your parents can afford to send you to one of these schools, more power to you. I would never send my kid to one of these schools even when I can afford it mainly because I don’t have to. Got nothing against these schools though.
People go to BS for the experience they offer over the 4 years, not simply because of the 4 years after that. Colleges know that if you have done well at a top BS, you are extremely well qualified and will do well in college but there are other ways to demonstrate that capability. But there is no guarantee that you will be a standout in that company. Those schools are very selective, so kids who were tOP of the heap in their previous schools may find themselves in the bottom half of the class. Indeed, half will.
For the right kid, BS can provide an amazing high school education and experience, but you go for that, not for the outcome.
It’s the same story as any top private school. Any small advantage gained is outweighed by the fact that you’re competing against a large number of legacies.
That said, the boarding school kids are used to rigor, which gives them a big advantage once they actually matriculate.
The original question is about improving stats, and I’d like to comment on that - in particular the statement above that “no one outside of the top 20% at (random public high school) gets into the top schools” like you see at BS’s. What you’re missing is the nature of the denominator. I made a quick survey of the admissions at Exeter for the last three years: out of roughly 800+ graduates, 185 were headed for Ivies, so about 23%. But what you need to remember is that essentially ALL of the graduates are affluent, high achieving, aspirational types who are gunning for the highest ranked college they can grab. Contrast that with our local very good public high school. The graduating class is about 400 kids. Out of that, 200 do not even go on to a four year college. Another 100 head for state schools or small local colleges. I’d say about 80 top students reach for the stars every year. And out of those, typically 20-25 make it to the Ivies. So…you could say 20 out of 400 for 5%. You could also make a very good argument that it’s really 20 out of 80, or 25%.
It’s my firm belief you are better off shining at a solid public school than dealing with the intense competition at a top private school. And keep in mind, you aren’t just competing with the students, but with parents who are positioning their kids for every advantage from internships at an investment bank to summmer jobs in a lab with a Nobel laureate.
Good luck!
Thanks, everyone. If I am to sum up what the opinions are - it seems like, it is a good personal development to go to BS like Exeter/Andover since they can help prepare high school students well, however, stats wise, like what @riley2 mentioned, unless I am confident that I can still be the top 20% even at the Top BS, otherwise, the chance of getting into top Colleges like Stanford may be higher if I stay at a public high school and be the top 1% at that school
@lander01 you should also consider that a large majority of kids who go to elite boarding schools like Andover or Exeter (non-elite boarding schools can be worse than public school, but that’s a different story) have parents who are alumni or very wealthy (and therefore big donors to the school).
So, once you take out the kids of big donors, alumni, and the athletic recruits, the matriculation stats to top colleges actually slim down to something very similar to that of a competitive public high school.
Also, considering that these elite boarding schools cost similarly or even more than college, are you sure your family can afford 4 years of BS AND College? Something to discuss with your parents, surely.
To be very blunt, your “dream” college right now is very unlikely to be your dream college in the future. Do you know what you want to study? Because that will have an effect on your “dream college.” Most kids in their second year of college haven’t even totally figured that out yet. Heck, a lot of people even change careers in grad school.
Want to study math? Calculus class in High school might make or break you. Biology? you might come to hate working in a lab after doing so in high school. These are just examples.
If you want to study liberal arts or the humanities (languages, history, etc.), a liberal arts college might be better than Stanford.
High school is a time to explore your interests, and dive deeply into what you like to do. As a middle school student you still have little idea of what great changes your high school experience may bring you.
For example, I thought about going to a boarding school while in middle school, and thought that it would be beneficial for college admissions. At the end due to family issues I ended up at a competitive high school in an upper-middle class neighborhood, and I absolutely love my experience here (im a rising senior).
By the end of high school, your world view will probably radically change.
Also, if you are more STEM-oriented, an elite boarding school might not serve your interests well as they are more liberal-arts based (harkness method and all that). I’m involved with my school’s robotics team and I can tell you that the robotics teams from these elite BS are some of the weakest in the league.
Where you go to high school is not going to be significant ten, twenty years down the line. The college you go to might not even matter. There’s a saying: The college doesnt make the student; the student makes the college.
In conclusion, dont go to a BS if you just want higher chances of going to stanford, cause you’re not going to get it. Instead weigh what you value most, and which is a more comfortable environment for you, for the next four years. Also consider finances carefully with your family.
Good luck.