<p>I am of the school of thought that you want to find the most ideal "match" of a school for your kid, and not go by statistics, etc. Let's face it, there are brilliant kids at all boarding schools, and all boarding schools have kids that should not have been accepted. With that said, what if you find 1-2 schools that are a good match. What are the odds of getting in?
So do you end up applying to more all different types schools, just to up your chances, and then take what you get in the spring?...</p>
<p>Depending on how selective those schools are, but even with the schools with higher admit rates, applying to 1-2 schools is taking a risk. You should be able to find more schools that are good fit as the two you have idientified, but if you can’t you’d rather just apply to those two instead of applying for a bunch that you know you won’t attend even if they admit you.</p>
<p>Oh, I agree that there are more than 1-2, but I don’t think there are more than 4-5 that are a true match. It’s just that come March every year, I see people have apply to completely different types of schools and are thrilled (as I would be) to get one to two. So…is it a numbers game, or a match game? Has anyone found a sensible balance?</p>
<p>I think a lot of the balance comes from your options. </p>
<p>In my d’s case she applied to 7 schools. Each school would have been a match for her, granted her final decision was truly her first choice and where we thought she would fit perfectly. </p>
<p>All 7 schools were better than any option she had at home (at home it was either home-schooling or college). We didnt have any safety schools. We felt each school had pluses and minuses. The school which she decided on didnt have Japanese, others that accepted her did, but didnt have singles, or sit down meals or formal dress. She would have made a good selection among any of the schools. </p>
<p>I understand that many students have an option of staying home, thus a bs would be nice but just another option.</p>
<p>I think that each student (family) must decide on what it is worth to them. I sometimes thought, after the application deadline, that my d should have applied to 7 more, thus 14. When you realized how many kids apply, and how many actual spaces are out there, and how many qualified kids dont get a spot…we ended up just being fortunate.</p>
<p><<so do=“” you=“” end=“” up=“” applying=“” to=“” more=“” all=“” different=“” types=“” schools,=“” just=“” your=“” chances,=“” and=“” then=“” take=“” what=“” get=“” in=“” the=“” spring?..=“”>></so></p>
<p>In our experience, yes. Cast a wide net. The “matching” process for us began in the Spring, once accepted, but we had only applied to four HADES schools. Next time around, child #2 will apply to more schools, to hopefully have more choices.</p>
<p>The problem may be knowing what, exactly, that elusive match or fit is. For example, when we first looked at schools, we tried to narrow down by fit. We looked for academic rigor, the sports and ec’s my son did well in, and religious tradition/values similar to our own–which seemed valid enough criteria. And then, just out of curiosity, we looked at the website of a school that was missing 2 out of 3 of those criteria (or so it appeared at the time). And yet, something about that website–its content, its crazy organization just shouted my kids’ name. So, despite much grumbling from one parent, it got thrown into the interview pile…and you can guess where he ended up going in the fall.</p>
<p>So, I’d say a certain number of haphazard leaps are probably necessary. And a certain amount of faith that schools know where our kids will fit, maybe better than we do. It’s not a perfect system, of course, and there are bound to be mistakes on both sides. </p>
<p>On a more practical note, students in need of FA should apply to more schools. And sometimes fit is hard to determine before the interview, maybe before revisit days. Still, there’s no sense in applying to schools just to get in…there were clearly some schools out there that could be immediately crossed off my kids’ list.</p>
<p>Classical - sometimes the match is so strong that it happens despite preconceived notions. We had a similar experience to yours.</p>
<p>This was an ordeal our family went through twice. For the first guy only 3 schools and I shook my head all the way to March 10th. The second guy it was only 2 schools! My preference would have been more like five and I would have been much more at ease with the whole process. Acceptances turned out 3/3 and 2/2 but I still shake my head in disagreement. I have to admit they each had some hooks for all the schools to which they applied. Regardless, I would have felt much better with applying to at least 5 schools. My better half is obviously much more perceptive than I and easily saw the fits as did the schools. The feeling was basically had they applied and been accepted to X school we seriously doubt they would be involved in certain activities and definitely would not be playing or had played in the sports they take so seriously. Academics, we don’t believe would have been an issue. Bottom line, the other schools just weren’t the right places for them. Where they both ended up were perfect and thank God the schools saw the fits as well. But I still say 5, at least you’ll sleep better.</p>
<p>I personally believe one can find a good match in a group of schools that share some common traits instead of just one or two. Maybe I am just too easy. OP, you might feel that someone is applying to “all different types of schools” (e.g. in size, location, etc.) while in fact these schools may share some commonalities that make the applicant feel all of them are good matches.</p>
<p>When we started this process, I was thinking my daughter would apply to 3 schools (all of which we had visited in the summer) and have her K-12 day school as a back up. On the advice of parents of current BS students here, we opened up our search and visited 8 in total with an eye toward applying to up to 5 schools.</p>
<p>In the end, it looks like we’re going to fall somewhere between 3 and 5.</p>
<p>I should add that of the original 3 we thought she’d apply to, only one remains in contention.</p>
<p>wow! SevenDad, that’s pretty significant. Can you say more about what about the original 3 looked good on paper, that in real-life caused a change of heart? Not naming the schools per se, but what about them up close and personal changed your mind?</p>
<p>@RBGG: Sure, but I ask that people don’t publicly speculate on which school each one is. If you can figure them out, please keep it to yourself. </p>
<p>The original 3 were:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>SCHOOL A: One of the most selective larger BS in the country. A name everyone knows and is impressed by. Two friends from college (with whom I remain very close…each is a godfather of one of my daughters) had gone there and speak highly of it in terms of its importance in their lives. They are also two of the most intelligent and successful people I know, so I thought “If it worked for them, maybe it could work for her.” </p></li>
<li><p>SCHOOL B: One of the premier single-sex BS in the country. My kids currently attend an all-girls school, and this approach is very appealing to our family. Another name everyone knows and is impressed by.</p></li>
<li><p>SCHOOL C: A mid-sized and fairly well-known BS perhaps just shy of “first tier” status. My brother had gone to a summer program there decades ago, and it was my first real exposure to the world of elite NE schools. This is the only one of the original three that remains on the apply-to list. And oddly enough, it only cemented its place after a second visit not so long ago.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Here’s why the other schools were eliminated from further consideration:</p>
<p>SCHOOL A: While the facilities were impressive, we did not like the in-town feeling of the campus. Additionally, we value warmth, humor, and a bit of charm/quirkiness in people and did not feel any of these qualities from our tour guide or our AO. Given the school’s reputation and my friends’ experience, we had very high hopes – perhaps that’s what truly dropped this school from our list. Our expectations were too high and we drove away disappointed.</p>
<p>SCHOOL B: We liked it enough at the Spring event they hosted for 7th graders. But on our second visit in late summer, there was zero chemistry for my D. Even I could see that it wouldn’t be a good fit. That said, it will probably be on the list for our younger daughter when her time comes.</p>
<hr>
<p>SCHOOL C was one of the most forthcoming in terms of granting access to students. The students we encountered were among the warmest, funniest, and most charming we’ve met. They also seemed a bit more “real” and down to earth. I could see my daughter hanging out with them, and I think she could, too.</p>
<p>I think the experiences I describe above underscore the importance of in-person/on campus visits whenever possible. Believe me, it was a hardship to make time/spend money for all of these trips (mostly overnights by car)…but in the end, I think it was worth it in terms of getting to an “apply to” list that works better for our daughter (who is a 99th percentile student with good ECs). I can say that the input of other parents here has certainly broadened our horizons and degree of insight into the pros/cons of many different schools — and I’m extremely thankful for their input (whether direct or indirect).</p>
<p>I plan to post a semi-exhaustive review of what our family did to find/apply/(and hopefully) get admitted to a BS sometime after April 10th. I’ve been taking notes the entire time, and perhaps our experience will be helpful to others here at CC/BS.</p>
<p><<i plan=“” to=“” post=“” a=“” semi-exhaustive=“” review=“” of=“” what=“” our=“” family=“” did=“” find=“” apply=“” (and=“” hopefully)=“” get=“” admitted=“” bs=“” sometime=“” after=“” april=“” 10th.=“” i’ve=“” been=“” taking=“” notes=“” the=“” entire=“” time,=“” and=“” perhaps=“” experience=“” will=“” be=“” helpful=“” others=“” here=“” at=“” cc=“” bs.=“”>></i></p><i plan=“” to=“” post=“” a=“” semi-exhaustive=“” review=“” of=“” what=“” our=“” family=“” did=“” find=“” apply=“” (and=“” hopefully)=“” get=“” admitted=“” bs=“” sometime=“” after=“” april=“” 10th.=“” i’ve=“” been=“” taking=“” notes=“” the=“” entire=“” time,=“” and=“” perhaps=“” experience=“” will=“” be=“” helpful=“” others=“” here=“” at=“” cc=“” bs.=“”>
<p>That would be great Seven. Don’t forget us in a fit of jubilation. We are gearing up for child #2 and would appreciate any and all advice as things change over time! Thanks!</p>
</i>
<p>Interesting topic. </p>
<p>My approach was to make a list of a few things that I wanted in a boarding school such as latin classes, crew, less than 3.5 hours away from my house, and co-ed. Using this criteria I found about 20 schools that met my needs. I narrowed this list down to 10 schools based on academic rigor, availability of financial aid, selectivity, science programs, and schools that I felt would suit me the best. I interviewed at all 10 and eliminated one that I felt didn’t fit me. </p>
<p>The 9 schools that are left, are the ones I’m applying to (6 as a boarder, and 3 as a day student). After visiting all of them, I can honestly say that I would be happy at any of them. As I mentioned above, I did take into account the selectivity of the schools and ended up with 3 schools that have an acceptance rate around 40%. </p>
<p>So in the end I guess my main focus was on finding a school that would be the best match for me while being reasonable about my chances and adding a few schools with higher acceptance rates that I would happily attend.</p>
<p>Well done, 2010H. Good approach, good number of schools.</p>
<p>7D, I think you should give school A a chance. Once admitted, you’ll probably never see the AO’s, and there are plenty of peers other than the tour guide your daughter can befriend. What do your friends say? They know your daughter. Do they think she’d fit in?</p>
<p>@DA: My friends’ reaction to our reaction to their alma mater was, in both cases, sort of “Well, that stinks. But I’m not entirely surprised. Sorry it went that way.” They know her (and our family) and did not lobby for keeping their school in the running.</p>
<p>I’ve heard the “Give it a second chance” argument in other threads where I’ve made similar observations about my snap judgements on various schools. That we shouldn’t judge a school based on an encounter with one or two individuals. But here’s my counter to that: Why shouldn’t we? In addition to a viewbook and a website, those personal connections are pretty much all any prospect has to go on unless you have some other connection to the school like a friend or relative who attended. Also, are they going to give my kid a second chance if she flubbed an interview? There are too many good options out there to get hung up on just one school, IMO.</p>
<p>Another thing that I want to add, to address the OP is this: Sometimes things that you thought were important at the start turn out to be not that important the deeper you get. When I really focused on fit/match and block out any prestige factor as well as minimize the “wow” of outlier facilities, different schools came to the fore. And I think our final “apply to” list is better off because of it.</p>
<p>Seven, you said: </p>
<p>“Sometimes things that you thought were important at the start turn out to be not that important the deeper you get. When I really focused on fit/match and block out any prestige factor as well as minimize the “wow” of outlier facilities, different schools came to the fore. And I think our final “apply to” list is better off because of it.”</p>
<p>So true…</p>
<p>7D, you are so sensitive. 
The first time around, we were so “dazzled” and humbled by any and every school we visited that we applied to every one we visited. They did differ in conducting interviews and AO’s come in all shapes and sizes. When comparing notes, sometimes we found we had completely different experience from other families who had been assigned a different AO, a different guide, or visited on a different day (a depressing rainy day or a pleasant sunny day), etc. But I see what you mean. There are many schools out there, no need to force ourselves to like one.</p>