<p>No family earning less than 40,000 a year will be expected to contribute one cent or take on a loan so long as assets and unearned income are in line. You can apply to any school , any financial aid granting school, with confidence in my words. Colleges will be even more generous. St. Paul"s School and St. Andrew"s school Have the warmest hearts.</p>
<p>SPSstudent -- thanks for the info on loans. That would be an issue, so it is something I will research with each school. It would be an issue. We would consider any money in loans to just be more of the expected parent contribution and what we could pay would be limited. Unfortunately, our idea of "not too much" and others idea can drastically vary.</p>
<p>can you afford 2,000 a year for tuition?</p>
<p>Peddie School in New Jersey is run by former St. Paul"s administrators as is Culver Academies in Indiana. Both are quite generous to deserving,talented and motivated students. Mercersburg Academy in Penna. deserves a medal for their generosity! These are outstanding schools that accept students with less than Ivy stats.</p>
<p>peddie is a nice school.. but it doesn't seem to be a fit.</p>
<p>Some boarding schools grant, not loan, full tuition and fees, room and board, airfare-even for family members, give a spending allowance actually buy sneakers and extre books and supplies for deserving kids. SPS is the leader in this. St. Andrew"s School. Peddie recently got a huge donation and they are using it wisely.</p>
<p>Garrity -- thanks, the positive words help. I attend school now and will graduate in a year or year and a half and will get a job teaching -- so our income will go up after that. However, after reading CC for so long and the importance that we place on education, we are fully willing to pay our fair share for school. Still -- we are never going to be able to pay tons of money. Once I start working (which is after the first year of boarding school) our AGI will most likely be just under $60,000. Of course, my older son will be attending college at that time -- so again, FA is still going to be a major issue.</p>
<p>It is good to know that SPS and St. Andrew's would be good for FA. I know that Conserve and Scattergoods would also be. </p>
<p>Does anyone know if any of the schools on my list are going to be difficult with FA (lots of loans, small amount of aid, etc)?</p>
<p>One good thing about hanging out here at CC -- my son knows how to present himself well (both paper and in person). He has great EC's (Eagle Scout, national winner of space day, regional winner of history day, plus lots of leadership and other clubs/activties), a ton of community service (200+ hours) and the classes he takes are tough (IB) with good grades. His application will look good and realistic. A kid who has worked hard, is motivated and bright, wants more out of life than he can find locally, and who has overcome some tough circumstances (we have moved repeatedly, spent 9 months homeless and he goes to school in an urban school with drug and weapons problems). He is hoping that if he communicated his personality, circumstances and desires well -- he will get in somewhere he likes with good aid.</p>
<p>Whether or not Peddie is a fit, it is an example of the quiet generosity of the wealthy boarding schools.</p>
<p>Garrity, have you ever known anyone white and not from NH with that deal?</p>
<p>I think it's like college, the best aid is at schools most people can't get into. The poor non URMs seem to be at they very top of the class. Top 10% would be my best guess.</p>
<p>Don't mean to be negative but let's get real. Diversity at these schools is someone who is visibly bringing diversity. Blacks, latinos, kids from countries not well represented at boarding schools.</p>
<p>yes -- we could do $2,000 a year for tuition. We would expect that we could afford about $4,000 total for costs (that would include personal expenses, flights there and home, extra costs, plus tuition and r & B). It would be tough -- but doable.</p>
<p>I could list more than a dozen boarding schools off the top of my head that will enable your son, if qualified, to attend. Western Reserve, Culver Academies, any Quaker (George School ) or Episcopalian School.Many more. I do not know all of the schools on your list. Have faith because things usually work out for the better.</p>
<p>SPS has specific scholarships for kids into Latin. can your son start taking it?</p>
<p>SPS Student: Yes!</p>
<p>SPS is also quite generous with respect to New Hampshire students. But St. Paul"s, as we all know, is ultra selective re: admissions. The Ivy League schools, such as Harvard and Princeton, are leading the way.</p>
<p>Many well known publications actually rate the generosity of colleges and universities. The Chronicle of Higher Education has discussed the growing trend of economic diversity for years now. Many believe that U. S. Supreme Court decisions have fostered this by making ethnic quotas illegal. Prep schools are fewer, but no different than colleges.</p>
<p>...except school still take into account minority status, even though it was ruled illiegal. same with colleges.. its so unfair! kids with 1800 sat's and a/b averages and average ec's get into the ivy's while kids with 2400 sat's and science research ec's don't get in.. allll the time.</p>
<p>Right now his list is:</p>
<p>Conserve School
Deerfield Academy
Episcopal High
Fountain Valley School
Hotchkiss School
Mercersburg Academy
New Hampton School
Peddie School
Scattergood Friends
St. Andrew's School, DE (there are several -- he is looking at the one in delaware)
St. Paul's School
Thacher School
Midland School</p>
<p>many of these schools is generous with FA (you guys mentioned Peddie, SPS, St. Andrew's and I know that Scattergoods and Conserve is).</p>
<p>as far as Latin -- I will ask him if he wants to take it. He took two years at a private school and with a tutor in elementary school (4th and 5th grade) but his school doesn't offer it. He really enjoyed it -- but availability is an issue for him. I also don't want him to take it just for the chance at applying for a scholarship -- my guess is that if his interest was not sincere, he would not get the scholarship.</p>
<p>blairt -- as our family has learned the hard way "life isn't fair". That applies to the opportunities that middle class white kids are offered as well as the opportunities that are offered to URM.</p>
<p>Once your son receives his SSAT scores you will be able to adjust your list of schools. SSAT scores, while not all deciding, must be adequate to get one into the ballpark.</p>
<p>SPS student -- I did some checking on the Latin scholarship and my son would not be competitive. only one is awarded and requires proficiency in either Latin or Greek. </p>
<p>"The Classical Honors Scholarship
This scholarship provides up to $10,000 toward tuition at St. Paul's School. It is awarded annually to one student on the basis of his or her application and a competitive examination in Latin. Scholars should demonstrate a sincere interest in the study of Latin and Greek, as well as a proficiency in at least one of these languages"</p>
<p>Garrity -- yep, those SSAT scores will really make a difference in the list. Because of the cost of the SSAT test and the fact that he is a year away from applying, we are going to wait to have him take it. My plan is to have him take it in time to get scores back by late July/early August. Then we can eliminate some schools from the list and plan some visits.</p>