OK I’ll be the Berkshire nay-sayer… We ended up not applying, so not everyone on this board is competing for those spots @CTMom21 
I would be so curious to see application #s by school, over the past few years. I know that many schools report those stats at the end of the application cycle, but it would be great to have them all in one place (so I could add it to my geeky school stats spreadsheet).
We didn’t apply there either, although it was tempting.
Speaking of stats (trying to distract myself with visions of spreadsheets!) I would also love to know the % of students who live within a 2-hour-ish drive for each school. I find that the in-state vs. out-of-state info doesn’t really tell you much and some schools definitely felt more “local” to me. Not that that’s a bad thing necessarily, but the Berkshire & Middlesex #s got me thinking about where they are seeing these application increases from. Somebody earlier said international, but I’m not sure about that. What do you all think?
I thought I was handling this all pretty well until I saw that the official 2017 decisions and stats threads had been created. This is really happening. Eek!
@GMC2918
Many applicants say their reasons for applying to BS is to get a better academic experience and opportunities because its not available in their area… So most of them would probably be out of state…
@GMC2918 we are not even remotely close to any of the BS’s that DD applied to. I think the closest is a 22 hour drive away. If we could just move those Great Lakes out of the way it wouldn’t be so bad!
That said, if BS doesn’t happen DD’s only option is the LPS, because that is literally all we have here.
We are in that 1.5 hour (or so) radius of all the schools where DS applied. We have some LDS options, but none that completely fit the bill for him. At the same time, he didn’t want to go too far away.
For schools that accept the SAO or Gateway, ease of applying to additional schools may contribute to numbers. We know families who were adding on schools at the last minute just because they could. However, I guess this wouldn’t apply as much to schools that have a lot of school-specific requirements, or where the application was required before scheduling an interview.
No Berkshire app here either B-) Sounded really nice but I don’t think had the sport we were looking for.
@makp715 we are in the same boat. We are 36+ hours away from all schools my DS applied to. And there really is no plan B to be had for this coming school year. Fingers crossed–he did all he could!
Closest school is a 22 hour drive.
@Atria what you’re saying makes sense, but I don’t think that’s the reality necessarily. I grew up in MA, and there are many excellent school options, yet lots of kids go to boarding school in MA. Same situation in CT, as @CTMom21 alluded to when she said that they applied to schools within that magic 2-hour drive. I just think it would be interesting to know.
Best Wishes everyone! Ive been a ghost follower for several weeks now. 
Glad to have a space to chat with people going through the exact same thing. M10 cannot get here fast enough!!!
@GMC2918
Of course its not a prerequisite… just wanted to add another dimension
Though I am not an international applicant… I am currently living internationally…
So definitely an out of state applicant for all the schools :))
I don’t think anyone will dispute that there are way, way more applications than there are spots at all these schools and that getting into any of them is very difficult. I don’t know what the convention is for BS, but colleges count any application that is started or partially submitted as an applicant. So the kid who decides not to write the supplemental essays or the one who completes the basic info but decides not to have grades sent after visiting – they’re considered to have “applied”. If BS do something similar, many of those 1100 applicants are simply not viable or VERY weak. Of course, that still means that for every kid accepted, there were probably at least 2 who were equally good candidates, and those are the ones that ended up “on the cutting room floor”.
When a school shares these stats, they are preparing LOTS of people for rejections – some who had no chance and some who were simply unfortunate – and also setting the stage for those who are accepted to feel very excited. Preparing folks in both camps is helpful to them.
So just saying that yes, while this is really stressful and these schools are crazy selective, it may not be quite as terrible as the numbers would make it seem.
Thank you @gardenstategal ! That was pretty much the basis for my question.
To put the question of selectivity in some context. Last year as well Berkshire had 1200 +/- applicants. The III form is 60 kids. There were 114 in Form IV which suggests another 54 kids are accepted after Form III. Then there are also PGs (that year 7). So we can approximate that the 1200 applications are for about 120 spots. Berkshire posts an acceptance rate of 24%. So–again making some assumptions, maybe 288 or so acceptances went out to fill those 120 spots.
So as everyone is stressing about M10, I wanted to share two thoughts with you. Years ago, before we began this process in earnest, we went to an open house at George School at the suggestion of a friend. DS was probably in only 6th or 7th grade, so we were not in interview or tour mode – in fact, we weren’t yet even committed to private over LPS. Yet the day was memorable…
The Head welcomed everyone and began “To all of the students here today, I hope you all realize how incredibly lucky you are that you have someone in your life who cares enough about you and your education to take a Sunday afternoon to come visit a school with you.” This is the first thought that I wanted to share. Your kids are SO very lucky to have you – crazy as you may feel right now about this process – because you are invested in their education and well-being. Regardless of what happens on M10, your kids are far ahead of the game because they have parents who are involved, knowledgeable, and supportive. I suspect that most of them know how much you care about them and they know that wherever they end up, you’ll be wanting the best for them and helping them get it. If you end up with Plan C or D, whatever that means to you, it’ll still be a good one because you’ll make it a good one.
The Head then went on to say something to the effect of “Of course, we hope that you enjoy your visit and leave feeling like this could be a great place for you. But if you don’t, that’s okay too. This process is about figuring out what you like, what you don’t, and why. It’s about thinking about who you are and who you want to be and what kind of place is going to be right for you, both now and as you grow. Learning about yourself is important, and you can use today for that.” And that’s the second thought – while the end of the wait can make you wonder whether this journey was even worth it, the answer is – absolutely! You and your children have had the chance to reflect on who they want to be, what their dreams and aspirations are, and how to achieve them. It’s easy to simply just meander from middle school to high school, but visiting schools, interviewing, writing essays, and really thinking about what they want high school to be has made the transition to ANY high school much more intentional. Kids – and their parents – aren’t afforded a lot of opportunities to be reflective, both alone and with each other, but you’ve had that. If you can, take a few minutes away from thinking about what may happen on M10 and focus on what this path has already given you.
I’m hoping everyone here is happy with their outcomes this year and I’m pulling for all of you!
Wow @gardenstategal very well said! Thank you for the grounding moment. It’s true…this process has taught me things about my son, myself and our relationship that are priceless. And all of the angst I’ve been feeling, the countless hours filling forms, driving (even the SSAT was over 300 miles away), interviews and nights in hotels were worth every second because they helped shape the man he is to become. No matter what M10 brings, we are both better for it. Thank you for this epiphany! Good luck to all!
ONE WEEK!!! So my son wants to wait to check for decisions until after school and after he goes out with his friends. He’s afraid that if he doesn’t get in, it will ruin his day. But - I will be home and will (hopefully) see at least one package arrive. I also see his emails as they come to my phone (his choice)…I’m not sure that I will be able to resist reading anything I see - or celebrating if I get the package. It’s going to be a tough - but exciting - day!!
Yes, thank you @gardenstategal. I think we are fortunate that our current school placement director has always posed the secondary school choice issue as not one of any “best” schools, but the best school for each kid and the best fit for each kid, whether it be BS, private, public or parochial school. DS’s classmates will be attending all of those. And, yes, in looking back over this long process, we have all learned a lot, and my son has certainly blossomed. I am hoping that he gets into at least one school as a result of all his hard work, but he’s a great kid, regardless of result. (Sniff, sniff)