<p>I meant what schools I should visit to make up an application list. I was being very closed minded when I made my first list. I only chose schools with around 500 kids. Now I’m also considering Exeter, Choate, Blair, Loomis, and maybe SPS. I can probably only visit around six schools and there’s no way I can go to the revisit days because of location.</p>
<p>Well if you’re looking for non-denominational schools, I wouldn’t really consider SPS</p>
<p>Is it true that just because they are affiliated with a religion doesn’t mean you can’t practice other religions? I was told they are open to all religious backgrounds. I am Christian, just not Episcopalian.</p>
<p>why dont you sort your schools by their academics first, and then by size. You have schools for “superstars” lumped together with schools for kids with “issues” just because they are the same size. You need to do your own homework before asking cc opinion.</p>
<p>I am Christian also, but not Episcopalian. You can be affiliated with any religion and be apart of SPS, or be apart of no religion and be apart of SPS. Doesn’t matter, this seems to be a common misconception about schools that aren’t non-denominational. </p>
<p>“St. Paul’s School admits qualified students of any race, color, disability, religious affiliation, national and ethnic origin, and sexual orientation to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at our school.”</p>
<p>mhmm: which schools do you think are schools for kids with issues?</p>
<p>Thanks for clearing up the religion issue for me mpicz.</p>
<p>My new list of schools is
Deerfield
Hotchkiss
Exeter
SPS (maybe)
Loomis Chaffee
Middlesex
Blair
Choate
Peddie
Taft
Tabor
I will probably apply to Kimball Union and Pomfret as back up schools, but I will not visit them.</p>
<p>If you have any questions about Blair, please feel free to ask here or send me a private message. It’s a wonderful school with a very strong community. Almost all the faculty live on campus which adds to the community feeling. </p>
<p>Please be aware that they have an affiliation with the Presbyterian church. There is absolutely no agenda to convert you into a Presbyterian, and people of all faiths or no faith or welcome and comfortable. There is a weekly chapel talk which is more of a discussion of moral issues, or a second school meeting [Blair</a> Academy - About Blair](<a href=“http://www.blair.edu/About_Blair/ab_spiritual_life.shtm]Blair”>http://www.blair.edu/About_Blair/ab_spiritual_life.shtm). Some boarding schools require a weekly religious service, but Blair does not. To graduate, you need to take a course that is a survey of different religions, and to study them with a philosophical bent. </p>
<p>If you are flying, go into New York City and leave from Boston. From NYC, see Peddie first and then go to Blair. From Blair, Hotchkiss is probably the closest. Anyway, once you decide on your schools, you can do a Google map to figure out the drive. You might be able to drive through Kimball Union and Pomfret if your route allows it.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>If you are visiting Deerfield, you might as well visit NMH too. It is 20 minutes up the road and is a wonderful school. Enrollment is 625, campus is gorgeous, academics rigorous, extremely caring and welcoming staff, top arts/music/athletics.</p>
<p>Now my list of schools is up to 15. I might be able to beg my mom to let me visit eight, but I’m sure that’s the most. Would it be a good idea to tour the more prestigious/selective schools and just get phone interviews for the others? Or should I visit a couple different ones from each group? Or the ones I’m unsure about? Or the ones I like the best? Help please I can’t decide! Will anyone who went through the interview process this year or the year before explain there experiences at the schools. You may PM me if you would like.</p>
<p>I think a couple from each group would be the smartest thing to do. Just because a school is prestigious does not mean you will like it…also it is quite a reach (really a crap shoot) even for the very best candidates to get into the most prestigious schools.</p>
<p>Since you’ve got time, I’d suggest really sitting down and doing your homework. Figure out what you absolutely can’t live without in a school (a location, an extracurricular, a strong department in your favorite subject, a course you’ve been dying to take). Then go through a list of schools (boardingschoolreview.com has a good one) and compile a list of schools that have these characteristics. Once you’ve got a preliminary list, come up a new list of characteristics that you’d like in a school but could do without. Repeat the process, grouping your initial list by how many of these extra characteristics they have. Keep pruning your list down to six or so and make sure your top grouping has at least a safety school or two. If you’re having trouble cutting it down, surfing the schools’ websites is always smart and BSR has student reviews that are good for little insights into the school. I won’t lie, this will take awhile and it will be incredibly tedious. After awhile you could be handed any school’s website and you’ll know exactly where to go to find what you’re looking for. But only you know what you want in a school. College Confidential isn’t going to be much help on this one. We can spit out a list of schools at you, but you’re going to have to cut it down.</p>