Long time lurker. New poster. New BS dad.

Prep School Admissions Prep School Parents
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Hi all.

Long time lurker here. Thank you all so much for your guidance, insight and experience as my son and I went through an exhaustive BS search.

We started last July knowing nothing about BS but thinking it might be a good idea (son was less excited than I was, but that quickly changed). Over six months we toured 23 schools, interviewed at 13, applied to 9, accepted to 6, W/L 2, rejected one (Taft. Boo Taft!!) .

We committed to Loomis Chaffee last week. Very excited about the next phase in his (our) journey. Here to help in any way I can.

Thanks again.

Proud Loomis Dad

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Congratulations! ditto Boo Taft! :slight_smile:

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Boo !!!

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@payn4ward You read my mind! :wink:

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Hi ProudLoomisDad… my DD is starting Loomis this fall too! I love it…

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Loomis is an awesome school. Congratulations!

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Another PelicanDad!

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Thanks all. Very excited and grateful (and a bit nervous…).

Dreamcatcher3, that’s fantastic. Look forward to getting to know you.

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Congrats on LC acceptance! My DD was also accepted to Loomis Chaffee and will be attending this fall 2015. We are very excited for her. This is also my first post and I have learned a great deal on this site too - thanks to everyone who has contributed to that learning!

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Congratulations to you both! Look forward to getting to know you.

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Thank you! Yes, it will be great to get to know both of you too! @ProudLoomisDad i am impressed that you searched and applied to so many schools and for your S to be accepted to 6 is such an accomplishment. I am curious as to what it was about Loomis that was the deciding factor for your Decision to go there with so many choices.

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What was the application process like?

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@ touchwood. The things we love about Loomis in no particular order… the low-key culture, the feeling of collaboration vs. competition amongst the students, the amazing arts program, the emphasis on the global perspective, the writing program, great athletics, its warmth, the direction that the headmaster has taken (and continues to take) Loomis in.

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The application process was a bear, as you might imagine. We knew less than zero at the beginning, so i really wanted to dive in and try to learn and see as much as possible. Also, we are FA, so I wanted to cast a wide net. I honestly didn’t have high hopes we would get any acceptances, nevermind to the extent we did. I was just so glad to be able to see my son have his hard work validated and recognized. I say this understanding that many had a lot of heartbreak on March 10, so I hope i don’t sound or appear boastful or hurtful.

We chose Loomis for the same reasons dreamcatcher3 listed above. It was a hard choice, as each of our finalists really has so much to offer, and would have provided a tremendous opportunity for growth in a warm environment. (Trust me, I’ve spent more than a few moments praying it was the right choice…)

As an athlete and a musician loomis will ofer the programs DS needs to be challenged and excel. The proximity to Hartford will allow a pool of talent for advanced lessons if needed down the road. As a student, he will certainly be pushed to develop his talents, and we felt it was the right academic level for him - the kids are very bright, but we didn’t sense any real unhealthy competition. Loomis doesn’t have that kind of reputation. We (parents) love the focus on writing. The facilities are great.

The other deciding factors:

The location is good for us, we have family in the general area (as opposed to mass or nj).

He clicked with the coaches more than at the other schools, and the music director has an enthusiasm that is off the charts.

All of the people we met on interview day remembered us on re-visit, came up and were so happy to see DS. What a great feeling for him (and us). That went a very long way in making us feel like this was “home”. We just get such warmth from everyone.

Among the schools we re-visited, DS felt that this was “the one”. He knew it right away. And honestly, so did we, so we were glad he picked Loomis, but we tried not to steer.

So now we are part of the “rice and beans” contingent. Onward and upward!

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Loomis parent here. My son is a sophomore (going in to junior year). I love that school so much. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

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@ touchwood. What grade will your DD be in?

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Clearly I am not on here often enough. Thanks for all of the replies everyone! My D will be going into 9th grade. Now that her decision has been finalized, we are all so peaceful about it. We know we are making the right decision to send her. She is also incredibly excited which is the result of a full journey for her, as she was really leaning towards our public HS during most of the application process.

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Almost time for shipping out! What the heck am I forgetting now? Lists lists lists …

I guess we will see you all there.