<p>My son needs to add some schools that are not so impossible to get into. He is a FA candidate, intensely academic but "normal." (read - not a super geek), high test scores, advanced courses in English and math, into music and humanities, debate. Really, he likes everything. He is not a competitive athlete.</p>
<p>We are seeking BS is so that he can be with other kids who share is passion for learning, but also, so that he can be somewhat "average" acadmically, if that makes sense.</p>
<p>What are some of the more academically intense schools that aren't such a crap shoot? I hate to use the term "safety" school because he would be honored to gain admittance to any of the schools that he's looked at. But realistically, he needs to add a few schools so that he can have a choice come March 10. We have no local options. He will run through the public curriculum by the end of 10th grade here.</p>
<p>We have the usual suspects: Groton (waitlisted for 8th grade), SPS, Andover, Taft, Kent, Hotchkiss, and probably St Andrews - De. We've condsidered SMS and MX, but they're also very competitive. We'll visit NMH as well, but he has the idea that it's a "hippy school" and I've given up trying to convince him otherwise. He'll have to see it for himself. He is likewise put off (for some inexplicable reason) by Deerfield and Exeter, though we may swing by Exeter during our time in the area. He loved the viewbook. But adding Exeter to the list does not help anything at all!!!</p>
<p>Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Edit: Having a large boarding population is important. (Number of students boarding as opposed to percentage)</p>
<p>Pomfret never gets mentioned but I met a couple of students last weekend that were bright and very polite. One was a senior headed to an extraordinarily prestigious university. Your question just prompted me to look at the school’s website and profile. Their campus in NE Connecticut looks nice. Although it’s a mid-sized school (350 or so students) most are boarders so it would probably provide a sufficient weekend community. Their matriculation stats also looked pretty good. I didn’t look very closely at their academic programs but I’d encourage you to do so.</p>
<p>It just goes to show there are a number of excellent schools beyond the limited number constantly cited here.</p>
<p>Maybe Hockey mom 3 means Governors Academy… it was once called Governor Dummer Academy (GDA).</p>
<p>Governor’s is a pretty school - very close to seacoast. Absolutely gorgeous hockey rink with a fireplace area.</p>
<p>We really disliked Brooks on every level. Was not a good fit for either our academic/uber athlete son #1 or artistically inclined Daughter. Nearly all students that spoke at spring open house were day students. Girls dorms were really run down.</p>
<p>Salisbury School, St. George’s School, Episcopal School, and Cate School.</p>
<p>We didn’t look at any of these schools, as we limited our search to ~3 hours from home, and we reached our limit of schools to seriously investigate rather quickly. In theory, though, if a student’s boarding, the entire country is open to him–and if FA is an issue, going farther from home may help. Cate seems to have generous financial aid, and there are parents on this board who really love it.</p>
<p>From visiting the web and reading various other sources, I found that Berkshire seems to be located in a beautiful part of NE and seems to have a solid list of courses and teachers, although I have never visited the school.</p>
<p>Well, he will see for himself that NMH is most definitely not a “hippie” school at all. Neither of my sons would have gone if it were. Both are quite conservative. I think it is also very close to the more well-known schools in terms of academic rigor and the overall prep school experience. I think admission was in the mid 40-percent this year and it has been downward-trending (don’t know how economics will affect this), so it is easier to get into, but of course not a safety.</p>
<p>Deerfield is lovely as well, but definitely a crap-shoot.</p>
<p>Choate and Lawrenceville (a bit on the more difficult to get into), are two of the more selective schools, and Peddie and Blair (in NJ as is Lawrenceville) are slightly less selective, although they are still selective schools. Another less mentioned school, which you may want to look into is Mercersberg in PA. The problem with most of the “ten” schools (and a list that is concentrated in these schools) is that they can take very few of the people who apply, and many really special kids don’t get in. I know it is alot of work to sift through the catalogues and go on the visits, but including a least a couple of schools with higher acceptance rates is probably a good idea.</p>
<p>Your original list plus (or replace a couple with) Choate and Peddie, you are good to go. Your son sounds like a strong candidate, no worries. If you apply to these 7ish schools as you are planning to, he will have a choice coming March 10.</p>
<p>In response (and again, thanks to all), my son is very easy. When I suggest a school, he generally says that it sounds wonderful and that all of the schools I have shown him would be a dream. I know he means it. We are not a family that is worried about college matriculation or “prestige” so to speak. He really needs the academic stimulation to be happy and there are obviously schools that he really thinks he loves more than others. </p>
<p>We will visit many schools, I’m sure, and limit the ones he applies to to 8 max. Luckily, we are within 4 hours of dozens of the country’s best schools. </p>
<p>Keylyme - I asked him at dinner what the deal was with NMH and him thinking it was a “hippie” school. He was confusing it with Putney!</p>
<p>I’m nervous because it is just so important that he find a place. I don’t want him spending his teen years in front of the computer doing online courses through CTY or EPGY. Other than his academic abilities and odd areas of expertise, he’s just a normal 13yo boy who likes to hang out with his friends, daydream about girls, and play his bass. But when he’s learning, he’s absolutely giddy.</p>
<p>Choate is not a “safety” school by any means. Last year the school accepted only 24 percent of their applicants and had a 65 percent yield (according to the spring parent newsletter) It doesn’t as much air time on this web site, but that might be a good thing.</p>
<p>I agree that Choate is not a safety to most people, but I feel that OP’s son is a competitive applicant and may not need more safties. By adding Choate in the mix, he’ll have bigger, medium, small, highly selective, moderately selective and less selective schools to apply to. His chance of getting in at least one of them with a good FA package will be enhanced, IMO.</p>
<p>It’s currently a list of wonderful schools–but admissions are competitive at all of them. In the wake of the financial meltdown, competition for financial aid will be even more intense.</p>
<p>I feel that being “intensely academic” with high test scores plus well defined interests is a big hook. This alone may not work with ivy colleges, but in BS admission where only a self selected group of students are applying, being academically OUTSTANDING can put one on top. He does need to apply to more schools because he needs significant FA. That’s just my perspective. Of course in this economy, things are diferent, maybe MUCH different.</p>