<p>On March 10th, I was really disappointed with the results of my admissions. And then, about a week ago, I learned that I was off one waiting list for FA and then I got OFF a waiting list with FA. Which is great, but my problem is that the two schools I was accepted to, I'm not sure if I like them all that much. They're both good schools, but the kids didn't seem to be that engaged in their classes, which is one of the reasons I applied to prep schools in the first place. My local ps is awesome, and I'd be taking all honors and one AP as a freshmen, so I'm left with the idea of applying to more schools as an incoming sophmore. But that involves taking the risk of being left with no options (or FA) next year.</p>
<p>As a lurker on these boards, I was wondering if any of you could help me.</p>
<p>What schools were you accepted to? If you are not sold on them I would stick to your PS and apply again next year, to schools that offer you what you need/want. Don’t take a FA package that ties you to a school that disappoints. It hardly seems worth going away for</p>
<p>thinker, I am confused as to why you bothered applying to prep schools that did not interest you. If they are not discernibly better than your local ps, why bother trying to get in? Even if these were your safety schools, I’d expect you to see them as a better fit for you than what you already had access to at home. </p>
<p>Sorry if this sounds harsh- that isn’t my intention. I’m genuinely curious.</p>
<p>There must have been a reason why you applied to these schools. If the reason you are uncertain about them is that you are still comparing them to the schools that did not accept you, that is an error. You need to compare them to your local options. Remind yourself why you applied to them.<br>
There were reasons why you did not want to attend your public school. The boarding life is very different from the public school life. Please consider these differences.
Good luck with your decision!</p>
<p>@thinker: Have you taken a good look at the schools’ course catalogues?</p>
<p>An additional option is to contact the junior boarding schools to see if they have any available spots for 9th grade. You would then apply for 10th grade as a seasoned boarder. Our family has had great success with junior boarding schools, so PM me if you’d like more info.</p>
<p>You are by no means the only one to comment as well that the BS students didn’t seem as engaged as you would have liked when you revisited. I think this is a tricky one to judge; I won’t tell you your observations are wrong, but I think the revisit process is, of necessity, as stilted one, so what you see on that one given day isn’t exactly what you’ll get the other days of the x years you’d be attending. Today DC was put in a French 2 class (he’s studies only Latin to this point) that was conducted entirely en francais. Not sure why the school would consider this a useful exercise, but I’m still not entirely dissuaded from the school based on that one glitch. Try to look a little deeper (rather quickly, now!) to make sure you don’t pass up on something quite special. Yes, the academics are the primary aspect of BS life, but they are only one part, there are many other elements of growth that are quite specific to BS life. Also…no situation is entirely perfect. Even if you wait a year, reapply are ARE accepted to your dream school(s)…you’ll come to find they have warts, too. Life isn’t perfect, and that includes its venerated institutions of learning. Sometimes I think too many of us expect Hogwarts these days…it’s fiction(al), folks, that’s why it’s so popular!</p>
<p>@Prep: I’m glad you noted that a few people have mentioned a perceived lack of engagement on revisits. What’s up with that?!?</p>
<p>While you are correct that one class isn’t very representative of an entire school, I would hope that the kids in the classes all of us have visited realized that there were guests present and perhaps the current students should have been as sharp as possible. It may be only theater at that point, but I mean, at least pretend you’re listening to the teacher.</p>
<p>I think the myth of BS, and the reality are somewhat at odds–these are highly motivated, smart kids, but they are still teens. They still care about normal teenage stuff, including needing more sleep, get bored in school, don’t always want to participate, etc. As an example, even at a top BS, we’ve been surprised that our D is still shy and hesitant about appearing too smart, because she and her friends believe it turns off the boys.</p>
<p>7Dad…first, congrats to 7daughter. As for classes…you’ll be amazed at how disengaged the college students at high quality, expensive colleges can be when you start that process. I know, I teach’em. :(</p>
<p>erlanger is 100% right that there’s a myth that boarding schools are magical institutions where every kid is engaged every minute of every class. I’ve been a prep school teacher (boarding and day) for most of my career, and even at highly selective schools, kids are kids; even the smartest, most engaged students don’t always pay rapt attention and they don’t universally love all their classes. You might be seeing a self-proclaimed math kid who checks out in history sometimes because it doesn’t come easily to her. It doesn’t mean it’s a second-rate school, that the teachers are bad or that the kids don’t care about their classes. Of course, if the vast majority of kids are completely bored, then it’s a bad sign. But a revisit day only gives a brief glimpse at a class. Speaking as one who has spent a decade in the trenches, different days bring out different sides of kids–even ones who are bright, engaged and generally happy to be there.</p>
<p>(@SevenDad, I’ve always reminded my kids about revisit days, and they happily indulged in ‘revist theater,’ which caused them to place their energy into the <em>performance</em> of looking like perfect students, rather than actually <em>being</em> students. But we had fun.)</p>
<p>The school that took my off their waiting list said they would allow me to revisit them next week, so my decision will probably be based off of that. I really liked to two schools I got into, I was just a bit let down by one at a revisit day. </p>
<p>I really don’t want to go to my local ps, it’s just too big and it’s more focused on math, science, and sports, whereas I’m more interested in theater and the humanaties. But, the academics are very good, so we’ll see I suppose… I’m just worried about being stuck at my local school for four years if I take a risk, and don’t get in next year and giving up two perfectly good schools.</p>