<p>What else do you like about blair personally, and what does your son like?</p>
<p>I'll pm you tomorrow with more specific information. School visits are very important. We all just liked it when we visited, and he felt very comfortable there.</p>
<p>Okay, thank you very much!</p>
<p>Does anyone have any other suggestions for schools that they beleive I could get into (you can say saftey match reach) and that having rolling admissions or accept late aplications?</p>
<p>Honors Phyiscs- B
Colorguard (fine art and PE)- A+
Honors french- A
Latin- B+
Honors English- B+
Algerbra II- B </p>
<p>(I'm one of the few freshmen in algerbra 2)</p>
<p>I too the Sat
Math- 600
Writting- 570, 8 essay
Reading- 510</p>
<p>This is my third year on the varsity colorguard, I am a member of my academic decathlon team.</p>
<p>It is very important for your parents to support you in this. And speaking as a parent, it is a major decision because it is so expensive and because you would leave home.</p>
<p>In addition to getting your parents' support, you should register for the next SSAT test. I don't think schools will accept your application without this test. </p>
<p>You should research schools and start to narrow down what you are looking for in a school. In general, the larger schools can offer more courses but are not as closely knit. Some schools have a formal dress code, others are more relaxed. Coed or single sex? Some have a religious affiliation. Some have Saturday half-day classes. Blair does this, and we like it. The vacations are longer because of the extra class time. There are many factors you want to consider when selecting a school. Also, there are many great schools, but it's a matter of finding the one that is great for you.</p>
<p>What I suggest you do is visit a boarding school or 2 within driving distance of your home. Visit when school is in session. Then you and your parents can get an idea of whether or not boarding schools in general would be right for you. It will also help you narrow your list of what you are looking for in a school.</p>
<p>In general, what you will find in a boarding school that is different from a public school is a much smaller class size and closer faculty/student ties. You are joining a community as an important member. As a boarder, you will be with other boarders 24/7, and you will form close friendships with these students and some faculty.</p>
<p>As for Blair, it was a good fit for our criteria so it was added to the list for a visit. When we visited, we were all very impressed. It is a beautiful campus with strong academics but also time for fun. It is a good fit for him, but might not be right for you. You need to figure out what is right for you. </p>
<p>BTW, did you take the SAT in 7th or 8th grade for CTY? You might want to clarify that when you discuss your stats. Also, I am not aware of any boarding schools offering colorguard. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Some excellent advice from Burb Parent about visiting a nearby boarding school just to get the feel. Even if it isn't the type you are considering, it will give you a baseline for when you visit other schools.</p>
<p>About Culver Academies... They have rolling admissions (it is not too late to apply for next fall, but don't wait). I think the best way to describe Culver that I've heard on the boys side (the girls side is different) is "military light". They are not (and state that) a place to prep for a military academy. I would characterize the military part of it as being a little more rigorous than ROTC at your high school.</p>
<p>I've visited (and toured) the facility and it is impressive even by eastern boarding school standards. Although it is rather remote, they do an excellent job of bring quality cultural opportunities to the students (or taking them to Chicago for stuff).</p>
<p>Besides the obvious improvement in college placement (BTW - UCLA is not a bad school), what do YOU want from a boarding school? Are you looking for structured or informal? Urban, suburban, or rural? Are athletics or arts more important than other interests? It sounds from your posts like you have underachieved a bit (academically) and are looking for that hard push (probably more structured) that gets you going. </p>
<p>If you've got good recommendations (I believe Culver weights them more than grades or test scores), you should be able to get into Culver with your bio. They are big on leadership and discipline. Colorgard is probably a good fit in this situation.</p>
<p>Okay, so I am having a little trouble getting my parents to like the idea of boarding school, any tips?</p>
<p>I know from a friend's brother that he hates Culver, but that's just his opinion.</p>
<p>Don't even start the process until you have full buy in on the part of your parents. Schools want commitment from all involved. There are a surprising number of kids who pass through this site who don't have parent support. In the end, it doesn't work.</p>
<p>Only you know your parents. For many it's a money issue, and that's probably impossible to overcome. If it's not money, ask them to visit some schools, many get it when the actually see the schools. Good luck!</p>
<p>Not that it mattered, but as a parent I also had trouble convincing my mom that boarding school wasn't a form of child abuse.</p>
<p>It's still important to get even extended family to understand the decision...if only to alleviate tension and misgivings and ill-will over child-rearing decisions. I wasn't in the position of having to be convinced (at least not by my son) as it occurred to all of us that boarding school was the smart choice (albeit a difficult one for us as parents). But, just as parents have to deal with grandparents over eating habits, bedtimes, corporal punishment, courtesies and manners, discipline, and so on -- it's important to get on the same page when it comes to the boarding school choice. Life would be difficult if my mom (or my in-laws) were convinced that we were abandoning our child, shirking our parental obligations, steering him to a life of alcohol and drug abuse with no moral compass, etc.</p>
<p>In the end, all it took was bringing her along on some of the tours. We hit Lawrenceville and Kent and Hotchkiss and Taft. She had sent me to a private school...but she had no idea what she was in store for when she walked onto these campuses and got a first-hand sense of what it's like. PLUS, when she saw the enthusiasm of my son, which was infectious if nothing else, there was no argument. Wait. Not only was there no argument, she's on pins and needles waiting for decisions.</p>
<p>So, look, here are some of the things you need to address:</p>
<p>1) The unknown: Give them a firsthand encounter.</p>
<p>2) The money: Let them know that BS financial aid has a higher income ceiling than colleges.</p>
<p>3) The fear: Show them you're excited about this...make it infectious and don't give them room for doubts (to the extent it's within your control), so keep up your grades, study for the SSAT on your own, and let them know -- by deeds, more than words -- that BS is the path to making you blossom as a person.</p>
<p>4) The guilt: As one of the Exeter trustees wrote: "You don't send your child to [a top-flight boarding school], you give them up for the experience." Help them get comfortable with this because neighbors, relatives, co-workers are going to be judging them (negatively) and if you can help them get to a "safe" place with their decision, do so. Take them to a Ten Schools information session; send away for information packets that contain DVDs or videos (or find links to admission videos on the web) -- because those things tend to be focused on selling the concept of boarding school and you should get your parents tapped into that.</p>
<p>Good luck. This isn't an exhaustive list...and, as alluded to above, it may not be a list that works for your particular situation. </p>
<p>But judging from your report about their reluctance, I don't see you selling this to them in time for the current application season. You basically are working on a clock that's measuring hours (not days or weeks) to get them to buy in. There's just too much work to be done on too short of a time line. But it's do-able. I forget if you're already looking for an 11th grade admission, but if not...there's a lot of work to be done. So good luck!</p>
<p>D[yer Maker, oh my, convincing 2 generations? That would have been tough in my family. The grandprents just have to trust me! I agree, the OP needs to have his parents firmly on side before proceeding.</p>
<p>D'yer, can you tell us anything about your experience with aid? Was your child at the very top of the schools where he got aid offers? Did you consider the offers generous?</p>
<p>Okay, thanks, I think more then money my parents remian under the impression that boarding school is only a punishment, and that I would never call or see them.</p>
<p>reachyourgoals - </p>
<p>Actually, your situation is good as far as the boarding school is concerned. I think they would rather have kids who have to sell their parents on boarding school than the parents who have to sell a kid on going away.</p>
<p>As to selling your parents, it is not unlike those Army commercials where you see the son trying to start the talk with their parents (who seem to not want their kid to join). This is about you and your opportunities to develop, not the cushy life of the rest of the world. It is a serious challenge, but one you want to take on to prove yourself.</p>
<p>As to not seeing you, it is a significant point. I do miss my D and she is growing up so fast away from me, but this is about letting her take wing. Be strong! If you can show the improved college matriculation and all the other benefits of a school, the argument becomes about grabbing the brass ring.</p>
<p>About Olivia's friend's brother at Culver... Yes, some people find that a military academy is not what they thought it would be. You should definitely ask a lot of questions about that or at any school you consider about their lifestyle. There is a proper balance of discipline and casual environments for every student. You must know what you want and can tolerate before making the committment. Some kids know they need a very structured environment to keep their focus while others chafe under someone else's schedule and fare better setting their own schedule for study. I think Olivia's friend's brother's family probably didn't do very good research on either the kid or the school to end up in an unhappy match. My D's friends at Culver very much enjoy themselves.</p>
<p>What you need from a school environment are things you MUST have down on paper before deciding whether a school is right for YOU. Boarding school is not a romantic fantasy escape from the reality of public school (like running off and joining the circus), but a carefully considered strategic move to tune your life to get the optimum performance.</p>
<p>Olivia's brother doesn't go to Culver, her friend's brother does.</p>
<p>Jonathan, </p>
<p>I believe both references in my post were to Olivia's friend's brother.</p>
<p>Thank you, my parents and I made a deal, I can apply, and see where I get in, however they will not yet promise I can go. What do you guys think of that???</p>
<p>Did they give you criteria by which they will make a final decision after you get in?</p>
<p>I'm trying to dig out what their concern is here. </p>
<p>BTW, schools will want a statement from the parents describing why they want their child to go to X school. Therefore, they should be prepared to be supportive of a school before you finish the application.</p>
<p>ryg...tell them, "No deal!" They need to go back to the drawing board and sharpen their pencils before they can come at you with such weak stuff!</p>
<p>(just kidding.)</p>
<p>I think that's a good step. Now they need to make an informed decision if their commitment to you was made in good faith. And to do that, they need to visit schools, look over viewbooks, watch DVDs, etc. If you're excited about this, let them feed from it as you press forward. If they reach their decision honestly, after touring schools with you and engaging in family dinnertime discussions about BS, then you can't really complain. They're just doing what they believe is best. Involve them in the process so that they're stakeholders and not veto buttons. Good luck.</p>
<p>I am really taken aback at this years' crew having so little support from parents. No visits for some, no parental involvement in research and applications. I would be really suspect that such parents will support your going in the end. </p>
<p>I would ask them to visit at least a couple of schools. I think it's way harder not to support your desires once they've seen the schools.</p>
<p>okay thanks!</p>