Is this a good list?

<p>Face it, the kid will NEVER apply to a boarding school that is not A/E, Deerfield, etc. Just give up.</p>

<p>If Milton is over 25% day students, which I believe it is (maybe 50%), I would strongly recommend not applying as a boarding student. The boarding environment and your overall experience will be much, much better is the ratio is at least 70% boarding. Trust me on this one.</p>

<p>Momofwildchild, did your son graduate this year? If so I hope all is well with him for next year.</p>

<p>creasemonkey, It sounds like your son had a great year at Loomis-Chaffee, he's off to PharD school, is that correct? Here is Texas they are hiring PharmD while still in school. I hear Cali is the same.</p>

<p>MomofaWildChild, I was thinking the same thing. Only 50% board at Milton. I guess I won't apply there.</p>

<p>There's still SPS, Andover, Deerfield, Exeter, and Lawrenceville (maybe)</p>

<p>Don't cross off one of the best schools in the country on that basis. Take a look at Milton, talk to some boarders, get a feel for the place. There are lots of kids who board and love it there.</p>

<p>I absolutely would stay away from boarding with less than 70% boarders. It is simply not the same environment for boarders.
Yes, Prepparent- my son graduated and will be going to Penn.</p>

<p>are you serious!!?? crossing off milton because it is only about 50% boarding is crazy. it is a great school and it is a great time to be there whether you are staying there or going home every night.</p>

<p>I don't think it's crazy.</p>

<p>Personally, I'd like a strong boarding community.</p>

<p>remember the admission process is often unpredictable. i met this guy who was white, lived in mass didnt have any connections, and had solid, boring stats, short and uninteresting, including interviews, yet he got into a bunch of great schools. its a little vain of me, but i thought i had better stats when compared to him, and you can imagine that when he got into one school (forgot which one was it) and i got waitlisted, i was rather huffy about the whole thing</p>

<p>I agree with ggspin21. Milton could be the perfect match for you. I may not be, but with crossing it off your list, you would never know. Don't let what some people say in here fully impact your decisions. Milton, along with many others, is a great school. Don't let a few people's comments discourage you from looking into a school of interest.</p>

<p>I think you should change your mind about Milton. It's a great school. It was ranked the number one prep school last year. 50% is fine. Gosh.</p>

<p>JK, in September I will be a boarder at Milton. I will PM you after about a month of school and let you know if the 50% day student thing is really THAT big of a deal. Personally, I don't think it will have a big impact on how much I like it. I will let you know if you want. Let me know.</p>

<p>That'd be great. Thanks.</p>

<p>I agree with MomofWildChild - it is far better to have 70% or more boarders, but the day students and their parents offer a lot of support to the schools that boarding parents cannot. The evening and weekend "community" within the school is special if there are lots of boarders and it seems as though the boarding faculty really get into interacting with the kids.</p>

<p>Prepparent - Loomis was definitely a great choice for our son. Even though he's chosen PharmD at Northeastern, his year at Loomis opened many great opportunities for him in CA (Davis, Irvine, Cal Poly, etc.) and academic scholarships because the college guidance office offered so much direction and support. He just loves Boston and wanted the PharmD program more than coming back to CA or going to any other school.</p>

<p>If the number of boarders v. day students was really that big of a deal, more schools woud change their percentages. Milton is one of the top countries in the nation, or even the world, (according to a post i read on CC; dont remember where, sorry) Most people would not attend the school if it was such a big thing.</p>

<p>Just my thoughts.</p>

<p>Thanks. But like I said before, my list is pretty big. And of that list, I only have one school that has an acceptance rate of 40%+. (Stevenson) So I need some safeties...</p>

<p>I don't want to create another thread, so I'll just ask here.</p>

<p>I just noticed how far schools like Deerfield and Choate are away from any large cities. Is this a problem for students who have to go to an airport to fly home? Are there things to do in these small towns? </p>

<p>I'm starting to think that being so far away from a large city wouldn't be the best for me. I would feel better being at a school like Andover, Exeter, or St. Paul's that are closer to Boston.</p>

<p>I'd hate to cross off two schools on my list just because they are far away from big cities, but is this a huge nuisance to students?</p>

<p>The schools usually have shuttles (sometimes there is a charge) that take kids to the airport for the major school breaks/holidays.</p>

<p>For Deerfield, they use Bradley International Airport, which is outside Hartford, Connecticut, 55 miles south of the school. There is a drive involved and as MomofWildChild said, most schools have shuttles to get kids there.</p>

<p>Try the websites. They may be helpful.</p>

<p>What about just going to Boston or New York for the weekend with a friend? Do they let you do that? Is it easy to get there?</p>

<p>I want to get a good education in high school, but I also want to have fun, you know?</p>