<p>I've read about many wonderful schools on this board and have toured at many popular New England schools searching for the best fit for my children. There are, however, other schools that do not seem to get the attention that they deserve. For example, Mercersburg Academy for one. Many think that it is not on the level of many of the New England schools, but I think that Mercersburg is perhaps not given a fair chance. Having gone to visit there, I can honestly say that in my humble opinion, it is an INCREDIBLY beautiful school with the most gorgeous campus and absolutely excellent academics and facilities. It is a very down to earth place with very caring faculty and students who excel in all areas. What a hidden gem! The Bergen Center for the Arts is unbelieveable! A dream! And their Ourdoor Education Program (complete with bird banding of hawks and owls, etc., kayaking, mountain climbing, too) is a dream for any budding biologist. Our kids love it and I'm sure at least one of them will apply in the future. Someone on this board said it earlier, that if this school were in New England, it would be impossible to get into. While it has become very competitive lately, very good students who perhaps didn't make it into Deerfield, etc., might find it an excellent match. There are MANY AP courses offered and the writing and mathematics programs are top notch. They have produced many olympic swimmers and have a phenominal new squash center. Their dorms are newly renovated and secure and their dining hall is just beautiful and complete with white tablecloths for their sitdown meals with faculty. As a parent, the sheer beauty, warmth, challenging academics, and faculty support system make it an extremely appealing school. It has a southern gentility that cannot be duplicated. Truly this is a gem of a school that seems to foster a love of learning along with a deep sense of pride in the character of the students that are accepted there. I'd urge you to take a look at this incredible place. As the old song goes, "You can't always get what you want, but sometimes, you just might find that you get what you need". Search for what "fits" you. Good Luck!</p>
<p>Yeah...i've seen alot of kids on this forum just post schools from the Ten Schools ...yeah i agree...kids have to look beyond N.E. boarding schools such as Thacher, Hill, Mercersburg</p>
<p>Last year when we looking, we included many of the usual suspects given much play on this board. My son's requirements of no coat & tie, no weekly religious service, and a school larger than 375 made our search a little more challenging, especially because I preferred no more than a 2 hour drive and a school that wasn't very large. (As a side note, we didn't realize his preference for a larger school until we visited a few smaller ones.) We included Blair Academy in NJ close to the PA border on our visit list, and I am very so glad we did. After the visit, he moved it to his top choice because it felt right to him. The campus is beautiful, and compares favorably with several New England schools we saw. Like Mercersburg, if Blair were in New England, it would be very competitive. </p>
<p>Mercersburg was on our initial list. It met all our criteria, but was just a little too far from home. Last fall, on a drive down to Virginia, we drove through Mercersburg. We were very impressed with what we saw. A plus for Mercersburg and Blair is that they are both part of the Mid Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) that includes the Hill, Lawrenceville, Peddie, the Hun School of Princeton and of course Blair and Mercersburg. This allows for athletic rivalries among these prep schools.</p>
<p>Anyway, like liv&learn, I encourage those of you applying for next year to look beyond the usual list. There are many wonderful schools out there. If a school has an average ssat of 70%, and your ssat is 95%, it doesn't usually mean that you will be at a school filled with 70% ssat students. What it generally means is that you will be in a school with a range of abilities that will include high ability students like yourself. It also means that if you apply yourself, you can be in the top 10-20% of your class -- a very good place to be. The boarding life is a unique experience that is life-changing for many students, and the top boarding schools do not own a monopoly on a great boarding life and quality academics. </p>
<p>When you follow this board, you will hear about the students who gained acceptance to well-known schools. You don't hear very much from students who did not gain acceptance. Just keep this in mind.</p>
<p>Amen.</p>
<p>To that I'll add that it took my son to scold me about not drowning myself in the numbers on BSR and Peterson's when looking for a fit. (I had this 45kb Excel spreadsheet that I used to keep tabs on schools! Oy!) In my defense, the numbers are what I had to go by. The "this place feels right" part was largely out of my province.</p>
<p>live & learn, you are absolutely correct in what you're saying. Not knowing a thing about bs three years ago and not having any preconceived notion of what was a good/bad boarding school, I found many schools to be excellent that I found out later, were not the usual suspects. It really is so true that if you can come from a place of getting a good education, you're gonna find some very very nice schools outside the NE. imo schools every bit as good as the "brand name" schools.</p>
<p>Thanks Prepparent -- the sky is the limit at some of these other schools. Great things can happen to great students who happen to not choose the regular top ten.</p>