While BS is a wonderful opportunity, don’t go just so you can get away from your parents. Make sure you want to go for the experience.
My mom cried at the first interview. Two years later, after opening her eyes to all the opportunities, she almost cried at the thought of keeping me home.
Get your parents involved and give them Deep valid reasons why you want to go and thank them a ton for letting you apply and say u couldn’t do it without them and say all the pros about it. Worked for me
Show them the application process and let them get involved! I can’t say much else because my parents really don’t care, but you can also show them boarding school success stories!
Yeah, I feel you. I remember when I wanted an Instagram in seventh grade, I had to make a presentation to show why they should let me get Instagram.
That being said, my parents really like to hear facts(and also opinions) and not just "Amy’s parents let her— or “everyone else got to–”. I’ve always wanted to go away for boarding school, the first time I mentioned it to my parents I was eight. They dismissed the idea and said no. Years later, and I was able to convince them about all of the benefits boarding school could offer me. We went to a couple Home talks, discuss where you get invited to a student’s house to discuss the school, and they ended hopping onto my train wagon. 
Just make sure to be serious about why you want to go, how you benefit, and show them some schools nearby your house in case they are weary of you being far away.
It all depends on which private school you go to. If it is barely better than your public school then don’t go, but if its top or the best “fit” for you and the public school has many reasons for why you do not want to go then you can tell your parents about the cons of public vs cons of private, and then pros for both and see why boarding/private school is better.
When I told my parents I wanted to apply for boarding schools, they didn’t really take me serious, so to prove I was dedicated to the idea I picked out a list of schools that I was interested in and asked my parents for their help applying. Once they started to help with the applications, I think they both realized the school I was already at wasn’t as good for me as they thought it was. If you can show that boarding school will provide you with a solid education, a comfortable social environment, and open you up to activities and experiences that will broaden your horizons I think your parents will be willing to let you go.
(Trust me. My dad started crying when I told him I made the final decision to go to Connecticut. Parents will be hurt, but they will want the best for you if you can prove it’s good.)
I agree with @GreekBean. When I first talked to my parents about boarding school - I was in 6th grade - I wasn’t THAT serious about it, so they were able to make me shut up with a simple “High school is too early to live by yourself.”
However, by the end of 7th grade, I was REAALLY attached to the idea and them hating it wasn’t going to make me give up. So, I first talked to my sister, who was a college grad at the time, and asked her to convince my mom. My very eloquent sister was able to convince her to let me go - to a school max. 4 hours from home. Then, I asked my English teacher to recommend me some schools, and every single one of them was >4 hr distance to home. When I talked to her about the situation and showed her all the schools’ websites and PROVED how going to BS would be a wonderful opportunity, she seemed pretty convinced. Now, both of my parents are very excited for me.
Let me say this: don’t expect your parents to change their opinions entirely after an hour of discussing.
But also make sure that you want to go to a BS because of the things it has to offer, not because you want to get away from your parents.
my parents hated the idea at first. I made a bunch of presentations about schools and why they were good. They were super against it because they thought my public school was good (but I hated it). I had to take the reins of the application and also pay for the test, fees, and all that jazz. Finally, we went to visit a few when they realized I was seriously serious and they started to realize it would be a better option for me.
because both my parents are immigrants, i told them that if they can go thousands of miles from their homeland to america for a better life, why cant i go a few hundred miles to a boarding school so i can make my life better?
My parents didn’t want me to go either, but I had to act mature, and they are very on board now
I have some tips:
- Show your parents that you’re dedicated and determined. A good way of doing this would be to stalk the websites of the respective schools that you’re thinking of applying to and compiling a bunch of pro’s of going to private school. Not only will it allow your parents to see that you’re truly determined to get into private school, but it’ll also show them the benefits of you attending private school. If you’re one of the few in your family to go to private school, then your parents probably harbor the stereotype that private school is only composed of rich, snobby kids and that it’s a waste of money. This is your time to prove them wrong!
- Channel your inner debater. Sit down with your parents and discuss with them what their fears or concerns are about you going to private school, then proceed to knock down their arguments. If you’ve done sufficient enough research, you should be able to do just fine with reassuring their worries.
- Work hard on the SSAT’s and your application. If your parents agree to let you go, but you start taking the application process not-so-seriously, then they might reconsider. Study hard, work hard, and do your best!
- Show them CC! There’s plenty of great comments and stories that prep school students/alumni have written here that might not only ease your parents’ fears, but help them get totally on board with the prep school idea!
Good luck! I hope this was helpful to you.
Maybe convincing them to let you go to a BS summer program would get them on board… for me, it definitely not only helped my parents get excited about it, but it let me have a much better perception of what I would be getting myself into.
@snapchat That’s actually a great argument…why didn’t I think about that #-o
@randomfloridian I consider myself a natural convincer 
What I did, was to begin to apply without my father’s permission. Then, when it came time for my dad to sign me up for the SSAT I made the argument that I have already worked very hard to apply (studying, writing essays, etc.) and that it would be devastating if he wouldn’t let me.
I think my parents would just get mad if I did that. @Cristian007
MODERATOR’S NOTE: This is a very old thread, so I am closing it.