<p>This is my first round and we are anxious. My daughter spent the last two summers in CTY program. Loved the experience and wants BS now. Never thought about it before. Applying for 9th grade at andover, exeter, choate, hotchkiss and deerfield. Took ssat and scores are Verbal 99%, Math 99%, Writing 95%
EC is drama, choir, has great references from current teachers.
She thrives in any environment and I want to expand her horizons. Should I apply more widely?</p>
<p>Look into Taft, Loomis, Lawrencville, Blair</p>
<p>All the schools you have chosen are really top notch and even qualified students may get rejected. Taft is pretty rigorous, moderately prestigious, but not as difficult to get in as Andover,Exeter, Choate, etc. If your daughter is really set on going to boarding school, sort out a safety school just in case.</p>
<p>Does your daughter play any sports?</p>
<p>From what I have read on these boards regarding accepted students, the scores, etc that you post are fine. I assume that the child is basically an A student (or I would have questions as to how well the child will succeed in these very competitive environments.) Sports participation is good as the schools that you list have many teams to fill and need the players. You do not mention any other outstanding factors such as geographic or other diversity, which are desirable by the name schools. A students with great ssats and gpa's were rejected the last cycle...just the facts.</p>
<p>Also you will see many posts else where on the desire of schools to have kids that meet a need of the school. The funniest take on this is the one about the underwater tuba phone player with a tentacle up on the others (search it out). You will get the point if you read them.</p>
<p>The child's own desire for this experience and the interview will be important, as the schools want children that will succeed in the environment. There is another post with an article from the choate school regarding their desire for kids who will thrive in the environment. These are intangibles, and I don't think they can be quantified.</p>
<p>If it is really the boarding experience that is desirable, other schools are mentioned on this board that are not in the ten schools or the most selective tier that have great reputations. NMH has many fans here. The kent school is another, and of course several of the girls schools (if this is at all a possibility.)</p>
<p>Also if what you are looking for is a top notch challenging high school experience, are there day schools is your area that provide this? Some of the day schools are really quite special, although a different experience from boarding.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses. I guess we're a little naïve. No sports but she expects to participate at the beginner level. African-American, she thrives in a multicultural environment. Prefers bs for total experience. Will look into Taft, Loomis, NMH, Lawrenceville and Mercersberg. I guess there is still a lot of work to do. What is a realistic number of schools to apply to?</p>
<p>Don't follow every piece of advice you get. If your daughter is African American, and has good grades as well as decent extracurriculars and good recommendations, you can shoot high. You haven't given us all the information on her scores, but if she scored 2200 or higher, there is no need to spend money to see Loomis, NMH or Mercersberg. Is she going to apply for financial aid? Some schools, like St. Paul's, have a lot more endowment than others and can be very generous.</p>
<p>In addition to her academic, singing and dramatic gifts, does she enjoy the outdoors and is she the self-reliant type? If so, consider Thacher in Ojai, California. A top 10 school, it is incredibly well integrated and has unique attributes that the East Coast schools do not have. In part this is due to location (southern California) and a one-of-a-kind horse program, but mostly it is attitudinal. There is a level of warmth and goodwill that leaves an indelible stamp on the kids. You have to see it to understand.</p>
<p>Our son looked at Choate, Exeter, Groton and St. Marks, all fine institutions. For me, our trip all the way out to Ojai (our last visit) was more a lark than anything else.....until we stepped on the campus and met the kids and faculty. We knew immediately that we had found the perfect School. I can still remember my son telling me on the walk back to our car, "Dad, if they admit me, I want to come here," and my reply "do you think they'd admit me too?"</p>
<p>There was a young lady from Brooklyn who was graduated last year and is now at Bowdoin. She was a singer and a dancer. An incredibly impressive human being. The School works hard for geographical diversity.</p>
<p>Anyway, if you'd like more info on the School, please PM me. Also, check out the little mini-movies on the Admission's portion of the web site. For the right kind of kid, it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.</p>
<p>I gave the wrong numbers earlier. Those were the national % numbers.
SSAT numbers are:
Verbal 800 99%
Math 755 92%
Reading 710 88%
Total 2265</p>
<p>Working to get into a great environment that she'll love.</p>
<p>I think you will find that as an under represented minority, schools will be very interested. However, do pick at least one safety where there is a high admit rate, because you never know how things will turn out.</p>