Ski, you are very wise for your years, but I guess I have to ask, if the local option is so good, why bother at all applying to 3 schools? Especially in light of the resultant 10-20% chance of admission success?
Are we applying to “boarding schools”, or “prestigious private schools”? It would seem the latter, with so many distinctive differences between Groton and PA/PEA.
If “boarding school” is actually the goal, highly suggest applying to more than just these 3.