Asking for a friend (not that she even asked me to ask, but I was uncertain I was giving her correct advice).
Kid is relatively high scoring, good grades, sporty caucasian girl who needs substantial FA. Relatively unhooked. Not a geographic diversity candidate. Young for her school year.
My advice was to apply to 7-9 schools, perhaps more if 3 or more of the 9 are “HADES” type schools and to consider repeating 9th grade. Family is very interested in kid going to BS vs. local public/private options.
Was my advice sound? Any additional or contrary advice? Our own BS search/app processes have been more anomalous than most (with kids applying to just 3 and 4 schools respectively), so I wanted to crowdsource some wisdom.
Yes, I know there are existing threads out there on the topic, but I wanted to provide some rough stats in applicant.
At many of the K-8s in my area, they are told to look at 8 or so, and then narrow the list down to 5-6. However, they must have a backup/safety school on the list. This is without the need for FA, which then requires a broader list. A friend with a DD with similar stats, (including the FA part) looked at 10 schools and applied to 9: 3 reach, 3 match, 3 safety. She did very well, but certainly had varying levels of success with FA offers.
We applied to 7 and it was a huge time commitment with all the open houses and interviews. My DD missed a lot of school for it. I can’t imagine adding more than that, just schedule-wise, but can see why someone would want to for FA options and to improve their chances.
Consider the option of a 9 to 9, if she is significantly young for her grade. Maturity can make a Big Difference in placement outcomes. The application process is stressful, too. It is hardest on the very young.
As a rule of thumb, I’d say look at 9-10, apply to 6. However, that 9-10 should not be only the very tippy-top, most selective schools.
As to geographic diversity, the further you’re willing to go, the more interesting you will be to schools.
MODERATOR’S NOTE
Closing thread. “Asking for a friend” posts are not allowed. If the friend has a question, she should open an account and ask. Asking for a friend, particularly in a situation like this where she didn’t ask for a question to be posted, just raises too many privacy concerns. At some point, someone will ask a question like “How much can she afford?” and then we would just get into a game of telephone.