First Tier Or Bust (what about the others?)

<p>Today is such a fascinating day in so many ways. Lots of emotions (good and bad) as people find out if they've been accepted and where they may be going (remember Mom and Dad need to read--and agree to--all of that contractual/financial mumbo-jumbo you zipped by). </p>

<p>What I find most fascinating is the near total concentration on the first-tier boarding schools. From some posts its obvious that many kids (and/or their parents) applied exclusively to the HADES schools (and to Groton, Middlesex and a few others) as if these were THE ONLY schools to be considered. It sounds as if everyone shot for stars and for the many that missed, they simply won't be going anywhere. </p>

<p>Why aren't people thinking about the next tier of schools? Many of these provide a near equal experience to HADES? Is it worth missing out on the incredible experiences a boarding school provides just because you didn't get in to one of the Top 10 schools? Is it worth missing a year and going through this whole process again to reapply only because you applied to same list of schools that all the smart kids are chasing?</p>

<p>Finally, why don't the people who did get into the Cushings, Gunnerys and Tiltons of the world not post about their wonderful news? There are many people who would like to hear about your good fortune.</p>

<p>Thoughts?</p>

<p>A) Many people can't afford without FA, schools not in that top tier are super stiff on FA.</p>

<p>B) Without that financial diversification and people only from the top socioeconomic class it really hurts the school.</p>

<p>Ya...for me its pretty much financial aid. A great deal of people on here are in desperate need of boarding school and FA. Unfortunately..the big schools have the money.</p>

<p>I got carried away with the question marks in my original post (and how). </p>

<p>The following sentence was meant to be a statement, not a question: "Many of these provide a near equal experience to HADES."</p>

<p>That does not change things. Let's call a spade a spade, the other schools do not have the capacity to accept the top of the top, money is a bigger issue. You are much more likely to get a good group of people if you can accept without limits, the big schools can.</p>

<p>I am not calling any of the schools you mentioned bad, but in the end the money makes a difference. Also, prestige draws some extra benefits.</p>

<p>Ok, so initially it sounds like FA is a driving factor. But the other schools have aid, especially for smart/talented kids. It seems like no one has even thought about applying to 1-2 of the 2nd tier schools just to see what kind of package they get. My point is that everyone is chasing the same ultra-competitive pool of schools. Why not dip a toe into the next tier and see what happens.</p>

<p>Generally speaking, how much aid do you think people need to attend a $40K boarding school? 20K...30K?</p>

<p>(there I go with the question marks again).</p>

<p>Well, you are not going to get the answer you are looking for; at least not from me. I gave you my reason. Look at the endowments compared to that of Exeter or Andover. </p>

<p>There lies my answer. For college it may be a different scene, but for boarding school the better schools are better.</p>

<p>I guess fro the rich people it would have been nice to apply to 1 or 2 2nd tier. My parents weren't going to spend the extra fees...plane tickets for interviews..etc. It wasn't worth it, I was pretty sure I'd get into atleast one of my schools. Maybe i shouldn't have been though..</p>

<p>Well, I only applied to Exeter/Andover/Milton, which was probably stupid of me. But the reason I applied was because I specifically wanted to go to THOSE school- I'm fine with not going to boarding school. Hotchkiss and Choate and Deerfield and all those schools are still aaaamazing, but not enough for me that I'd leave home. It was like all or nothing for me, I guess? Ahahah.</p>

<p>I think it's just that a lot of kids that come onto forums like this are ones that are pushing for the elite, "top tier" schools. They care about the prestige and the rankings, maybe their parents care about the prestige and don't want them to apply anyplace other than the top tier schools because they don't think it's worth it to go to anyplace but a top tier school. </p>

<p>It depends on the kid really, principalviola I really disagree with you on the point that "the better schools are better" maybe the "better" schools are better for some kids, but they're not better for everyone. No place is. It's no different from college. But that's just my opinion, cause I think rankings are stupid. There is no number one.</p>

<p>I just feel I need to add in some input -- maybe it will help those looking for next year.</p>

<p>My son applied to 9 schools last year -- he needed full financial aid, so the list included a mix of schools. Because of his large need for FA, we looked at many of the financial statistics of the schools -- endowment, average grant, whether the school offered loans, % on FA, whether the school had a minimum parent contribution, total grants offered per year. </p>

<p>What we learned is that some schools have a fairly large % of students on FA, but the grant amounts are low. These schools are convincing parents to send their child to that school buy helping them out with $10,000 - $15,000. Some schools reserve FA for superior students that need a ton of FA. But the bottom line was that EVERY school (need-blind or not) uses their FA money to purchase the students that they want in their school. It could be an athletic or musical talent, it could be academic smarts, demographic need, it could be leadership, etc.</p>

<p>The only way to be successful in the application process as an FA candidate is to figure out what schools are a fit for you and what you can offer them -- and cast a wide net.</p>

<p>My son was accepted to 7 schools, 6 with FA. He is currently loving his freshman year at NMH. He did not apply to Exeter or Andover because he just didn't think it was a good fit. For him, ignoring top ten lists and going after fit paid off.</p>

<p>hsmomstef- nice to see your rational/logical posts on this board once again. I can tell you, they've been sorely missed.</p>

<p>I only applied to HADES (and Groton and Middlesex) because to be honest, I'm fine with my school here. If I couldn't go to the best, I didn't want to leave my friends and family.</p>

<p>Hmm... I'm not ashamed to say I got accepted into my first choice school, which basically nobody on here has heard of: The Cambridge School of Weston, just outside of Boston. However, I also applied to Exeter AND to Loomis Chaffee, because I really love both of them as well. I think everybody has their own reasons, and the reason we aren't hearing so much from "second tier" schools today is because the applicants are posting about the schools they are most excited for, and want to attend the most :].</p>

<p>This discussion is repeated several topics higher on the main page, re: Ivy League colleges. Perception is just not as important as you think. My son preferred schools in the 300-600 student range, and SPS was actually weak in his most passionate pursuits. I am very pleased with his decisions thus far and he will likely decide between NMH and Brooks based on revisits. During this process, I've discovered colleagues and acquaintances with prep school backgrounds, and the tiers really aren't important down the road, except perhaps for politicians, who I try not to associate with anyway. ; )</p>

<p>I'd be interested in what tier NMH is supposed to be in, because it is clearly a better fit for my son, although his younger brother might thrive at Exeter in a few years.</p>

<p>NMH is generally a rapididly growing "2nd tier". But ya like someone else said before. I think I'm a fit for lots of places, and if I can't go to the best I didn't want to go. Could be logical reasoning or not, I didn't really care at the time. I don't think you can really blame us or our parents, lots of people think like that.</p>

<p>I just didn't want to go to a top school. Like next year I'm definitely not applying Ivies. I feel like it is not worth it to just apply to schools because they are the best. I want to apply somewhere where I feel comfortable.</p>

<p>I got into cushing, worcester, berkshire, and williston. I'm still waiting on NMH which is the only one I actually want to go to. </p>

<p>@elveedaily
I heard of Cambridge school of weston! I visited but really hated it. I think it is one of those schools that is absolutely wrong for a PG year. (My tour guide had never heard of a PG) I would have loved it for 9th-12th grade.</p>

<p>Ya...Well I felt comfortable at St. Pauls school. I believe it has the whole presige quality( HADES etc.), but is somewhere were people are genuinely happy. So, it really doesn't matter all that much to me about tiers. Well kinda</p>

<p>@apples & bananas--Why did you apply to those schools if you didn't actually want to go?</p>

<p>because I wouldn't just apply to one school. That is just not smart. And I wouldn't mind going there but I don't really want to.</p>