Of the top prep schools are most students accepted already attending prep Middle schools? Are acceptance rates for students from public schools lower?
I think it depends on the school. I read that PEA is about 50/50
That’s higher (in terms of public school students) than I expected.
@Nomad001 Short answer: yes, but it’s hard to get the full picture from the numbers alone.
You have to consider that a student in a middle school prep program probably comes from a family with the means to pay tuition and that the the middle school acts as a talent filter (i.e., solid academic and ec potential).
A lot of schools are now saying ability to pay is not a factor in acceptances. I’m just wondering if Middle school prep students are better prepared for performing better in interviews. I’ve no doubt there are very smart kids in public middle schools but there’s little emphasis on personal development in these schools.
“A lot of schools are now saying ability to pay is not a factor in acceptances.”
Don’t believe that for even a minute.
I think many private schools do a better job of "packaging " their students for this process. They know how to write good recommendations, are supportive of time off to visit schools, and often provide good counsel on schools that would be good fits. In many cases, there may be a relationship with admissions at prep schools. They often help the kids with essays and help manage the application timeline. Public schools, by their very nature, are not going to build the infrastructure for their students to leave the system before 12th grade.
The numbers alone, though, are deceiving. Most kids from private middle schools give private high schools serious consideration. Most kids in public schools will stay in public schools. While some from each will switch to the other, I don’t know that any prep school has a preference for private school kids over public. If your child is a strong student and engaged outside the classroom, I doubt that coming from a public school will be a problem. You are just going to have to work a little (a lot) harder to make it happen.
Of the boarding schools, only Andover continues to tout itself as need blind. All others are need aware, and many will indicate in the rejection letter that need was the reason the student was not accepted; not enough FA dollars to accommodate every qualified applicant who applied for aid. Or, an applicant may be admitted with insufficient aid, and the family will have to decide if they can make it work somehow.
@SatchelSF is correct.
My son came from a public school. And he did fine when it came time to apply for boarding spots grade 9.
Boarding schools look for a wide variety of student types: geography, sports, academic interests, arts, etc. So the type of school that a kid is coming from is not the biggest factor.
Paying full freight however makes a considerable difference, if all other things are equal.