<p>Thanks for your opinions, guys, but like baseball mom said I am only going for the reach schools because my current school is my safety. I feel that it’s on about the same level as schools like Tabor, Kent, Blair, etc.</p>
<p>This is the biggest problem with the whole concept of “reach, match and safety” mindset. Some don’t get sucked into the trap, but others…oy!</p>
<p>A “reach” school is not necessarily a better school. The fact that a school is a safety doesn’t mean it’s not the best possible school for you. In which case, why bother with the reach schools at all?</p>
<p>The concept of just going for “reach” schools here presupposes that they will be superior to the safety. And that’s bull…oney – if you pardon my French.</p>
<p>Jonathan, despite all the sound advice you’re being offered as to other schools that may be better fits, you’re star-struck by the fact that there are these “reach” schools. You’re applying to a Who’s Who list of boarding schools, knowing full well that they are long shots, and under the impression that you should only go for reach schools.</p>
<p>Why not just apply to BETTER schools? Why even factor in that they are “reach” schools?</p>
<p>If you’re going to look at schools as “reach” schools you should do so to understand that you’re likely throwing away $50. And, in your case, you’re doing it many times over. There’s a reason that these schools are “reach” schools and that’s because the admission officers are looking for candidates that will fit well within their communities in every way possible. Well, all schools look to that, but these schools can choose among applicants who are well suited for their school in every possible way, up and down the line.</p>
<p>You ask for advice often and there’s some great advice here for you…and that’s to find a school well-suited to you. That could very well be your current school. In which case, why not just tell people that you’re committing to them instead of telling them that you would prefer to blow them off in order to go to some school you likely haven’t visited yet? Or, if you’re really serious about this, why aren’t you zeroing in on the best suited schools instead of focusing on schools that you’re not likely to get admitted to (which is the definition of “reach”)?</p>
<p>This isn’t limited to you, Jonathan. This view is far more pervasive. Here’s an example of the same “safety is inferior to reach” mentality, from goaliedad who, in my opinion, consistently offers some of the best advice on this board:</p>
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<p>Permalink: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/4598962-post33.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/4598962-post33.html</a></p>
<p>Do you see what happens here? The safety school, which could very well be THE BEST SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY for the child, automatically becomes an interview laboratory simply because it’s not as competitive as other schools that may not be as suitable.</p>
<p>Unless you’re trying to make sure your spending your money judiciously – meaning you’re planning to limit the number of longshots – forget this “safety/match/reach” hierarchy and just go with “like the most, like the next most, and like the third most” hierarchy.</p>
<p>
I would be willing to be, especially at Andover, it had nothing to do with financial aid. There are many factors that go into the decision - and I think the interview and recommendations can not be overlooked. Andover has very generous financial aid and I know a student who got in there and not Deerfield - yet a classmate DID get accepted to Deerfield with “lower stats.” Deerfield has been need blind and WILL accept you without FA, so it wasn’t because of a FA need. </p>
<p>I know that is off the topic here, and I’ll say that it was my topic (the list..how to narrow it down) and we did use that advise and guess what? One of the schools lower on the list - near the beginning of interviews - has become our favorite. So, you really don’t know how that will work out. We have a school that is considered a “safety” but it is first or second choice. </p>
<p>I think the advise given here has been good - find schools you love. They will ALL offer a great education.</p>
<p>Thanks, D’yer. I didn’t mean to come across saying that non-competitive schools are inferior, just that the school is great that I go to now and academics are great, and EC’s are decent. I don’t want my current school to think that I’m telling them they’re inferior. I’m going to ask each of my teachers to not tell anyone I’m applying.</p>
<p>D’yer – great post and exactly the methodology we are using for my son’s list. It will be very interesting to see how admissions turns out for him this March, but we chose the schools based purely on fit (which included FA possiblities and academic challenge, among many other things). </p>
<p>While you do tend to hear about the same top schools over and over again on this board, it was the advice from you and other posters that gave me the confidence to allow him to pick a school based on fit and not on name recognition – and that wasn’t easy.</p>
<p>I can say, though, that so far the process seems to be working well. During interviews and phone calls the schools clearly recognize that he is an excellent fit, they are enthusiastic about his application and follow up with information. The admission’s offices know him by first name when we call with a question and send him notes of encouragement to complete the applications. His classes, activities and interests clearly show him to be a good fit for the schools he has chosen – and in the end, I think he will be very happy at any of the schools on his list. </p>
<p>Interestingly enough, his list is almost the opposite of the the selectivity rankings. His favorite schools are the least selective, the schools he is most ambivilent about attending are the most selective.</p>
<p>stef, what schools is your son applying to? Did he take the SSAT?</p>
<p>There are many thoughtful and caring people on this site! For some kids, the biggest and most shiny objects will always attract. This is where a good guide takes the child’s hand and shows him it is great to have a big dream and it will require being best where you are now to get there. The whole grow where you’re planted thing has been a root of Asian cultures forever.</p>
<p>Jonathan, it seems you went to a new school this year already planning to leave. You do not want to become a person who is never happy because he always believes there is something better. One relative I have had a habit of leaving companies in Silicon Valley just before they scored big because he always searched for the better company. His peers who stayed put all became wealthy which had been his goal.</p>
<p>Some people learn better through experience better than advice. In March you will most probably learn that these caring peope are correct. You say your safety is your current school, but a 5 minute look shows me you have been on this site for years saying you wish to go to boarding school. You’ve already showed your current school you’re just not that into it. Consider all of this with your parents in creating your final list. Good luck!</p>
<p>I must also say that Jonathan has drive that if shown well will be most attractive to the right school.</p>
<p>Thanks, ceebrown, but I feel that I’ve been fully invested in my school since the beginning of the year. I’ve joined many clubs, made a lot of new friends, and I was on the tennis team in the beginning of the year. The only thing I regret is not trying hard enough with my grades. My GPA was a 3.0 for the first quarter, but I managed to bring it up to around a 3.7 for the second quarter. I’m really happy that I can go back to school tomorrow and start fresh! Hopefully I will have to time to send my third quarter grades in to some schools and they can see that I’ve brought up my grades.</p>
<p>Jonathan, I swore I wasn’t going to post anymore about this topic. You obviously don’t want to listen to any advice except when it coincides with your own desires. However, I take issue with your statement
You may believe you’re fully invested, but your school may have a different opinion. Considering you have only been there for 4 months, and you said they offered you a generous financial aid package, they may feel you have not done due diligence in committing to the school. </p>
<p>Just my opinion..of course.</p>
<p>Jonathan, are your parents involved?</p>
<p>In your head Jonathan, why will a school that rejects recruited athletes with under 75% accept you and give you rare money? What do you bring that will defy all those odds and how did you show it?</p>
<p>From what I have been told by many, the whole family not visiting is very negative. They see these families as not invested. Is your family invested Jonathan? Your list shows you summered at Andover yet didn’t bother to visit nearby schools. If your family can afford that program they can afford to visit and probably pay unless you had a scholarship.</p>
<p>I like that you think big, but you’re being defensive and immature here. Get your parents more involved.</p>
<p>Jonathan, I will join the chorus of parents. If your current school is on the same level as “Tabor, Kent, Blair, etc.,” then you should stay there. The marginal increase in prestige of one of the most competitive schools is not worth the gamble, and could arguably make it harder for you when it is time to apply to colleges.</p>
<p>You need to focus on college. Now is the time to put your full effort into your academic courses, and to set your sights upon becoming a leader at your school by senior year.</p>
<p>You are drawn to the most prestigious schools for high school. I believe that you will be drawn to the most prestigious colleges. To have a shot at a competitive college, a student needs to be a leader at his school, earn excellent grades, and produce competitive test scores. The SSAT is supposed to be a good predictor of SAT scores, and in this realm, your reported SSAT verbal scores worry me.</p>
<p>You can raise these scores, I believe, but it will take a serious, multi-year effort on your part. Not through test prep courses, but by changing your reading habits. Leave College Confidential now; come back in your senior year. Read. Read novels, read nonfiction, read biographies, read magazines, short stories, poetry. Write a page a day on any topic you choose. SparkNotes has a whole series of books which have good topics for writing, in the Daily Spark series. No course taught at any school can produce better results than a diligent self-directed effort.</p>
<p>If you can put yourself in the top 10% of your current grade, and impress your teachers and peers with your attitude and work habits, you will have a great shot at college.</p>
<p>Periwinkle speaks words of wisdom.</p>
<p>i can’t do this anymore
i try to help and everyone ignores my wisdom
ahhhh</p>
<p>but, you go perwiwinkle!</p>
<p>So true, you can tell an 800CR anywhere, they always have a book in hand.</p>
<p>Pull the plug now, Jonathan…</p>
<p>…before you throw away hundreds of dollars on application fees to schools that are not obligated to (and won’t) consider your application because you haven’t interviewed there.</p>
<p>…and tell your current school now – before you come back to them with nowhere else to turn – that you are committed to the school and investing in it.</p>
<p>…and focus on academics, friendships, and being a significant part of your current school community without the distraction and ambivalence that even one pending application will foster.</p>
<p>…and follow what seems to be a consensus among the adults here, many of whom have followed your travails for over a year, some over two years, and take the advice that you’ve sought, instead of turning all your inquiries into rhetorical wind by ignoring this well-considered and possibly unanimous recommendation.</p>
<p>This isn’t even about chances. I don’t “do” chances. I think all of us are saying that even if you were accepted at one or more of the schools, with the FA you need, you’d have to turn your back on what you contend is an excellent high school for an experience that’s fraught with unknowns, warning signals, and sought out with apparently very little direct adult counsel. Please don’t do that to yourself.</p>
<p>You’ve done great work, finding your current school and persuading your parents to support you in that effort. You are a success story here on CC. You’re a monument to tenacity. You’ve grabbed the brass ring that so many kids here aim for…and you shouldn’t feel any need to unravel all that nor should you feel reluctant to walk away from these other schools now in order to stick with the fruits of your efforts from a year ago! Be proud of what you’ve done and remain driven to exploit the opportunities that you’ve created with your present school.</p>
<p>Private schools, as my brother found out years ago, do not have to be as generous with aid to those they are not anxious to keep. In my brother’s case he was an outspoken liberal at a conservative school on full scholarship in HS. The second year they unfortunately ran out of money.</p>
<p>Jonathan, heed the above advice. You went to a school that was generous to you and showed them you wanted to leave right away. How engaged can you be at school and be on CC so much time?</p>
<p>Use the rest of the year to prove your commitment.</p>
<p>You guys don’t understand. Teachers know I’m invested in my school through everything I do. My teachers are fine with writing me recs and I asked them not to tell anyone about it. It’s not a big deal. I love my new friends, my school, my sports, and my school as a whole, and by asking a few teachers to write a recommendation won’t mess that up, and even if it does, I’m not sure that I will even need financial aid for next year, and if worst comes to worst and I don’t get any, I can ask some relatives and I’m sure they would gladly help me out. I’m just going to retake the SSAT, apply to a few schools and see what happens! All I’m losing is a couple hundred dollars in application fees, which came out of my Christmas money…</p>
<p>We understand perfectly. </p>
<p>I’m not sure you understand that exactly ZERO schools where you haven’t interviewed will actually glance at your application and the ones where you interviewed that do glance at it will stop when they see the 50% or lower SSAT score…</p>
<p>…and I don’t think you understand that, despite your protestations, you’re not fully invested in your school if you’re buying a half dozen $50 lottery tickets in hopes that you’ll get out of there…to places you haven’t even VISITED!</p>
<p>You’re rationalizing and deluding yourself. You think not? Consider this: You’re ON financial aid. You’re REQUESTING financial aid. And now you’re telling us that “I’m not sure that I will even need financial aid for next year, and if worst comes to worst and I don’t get any, I can ask some relatives and I’m sure they would gladly help me out.” </p>
<p>You’re just making up fantasies now to justify an unwise decision. </p>
<p>Even if your weren’t deceiving yourself about financial aid and your prospects for admission weren’t bleak, the bottom line advice you’re getting here would be the same and just as sound: you need to buckle down and FOCUS on your education at your current school instead of creating a distraction.</p>
<p>Re-read Periwinkle’s post. Follow that advice before you screw yourself over…or find some knowledgeable adults who think Periwinkle’s wrong.</p>
<p>D’yer, I know what I am talking about regarding FA. I fill out the forms! I do everything when it comes to admissions whether it’s GH, boarding schools, Andover Summer Session, Summer@Brown, etc. I’m not making up fantasies. I know what’s going on and I think you, as a middle-aged adult, should stop talking to me the way you are. I know you’re trying to offer advice, but you’ve already given it several pages ago. I’m applying to boarding school and it’s not the end of the world if I don’t get in. </p>
<p>And I know SEVERAL people who haven’t visited prep schools and have gotten in. I think this whole board is a little naive for believing what only one or two people have to say about admissions. From my own experience, I know for a fact that several students, applying for FA, non-URN kids have gotten accepted to the most competitive schools in the country.</p>
<p>Honestly Jonathan, lottery tickets would be the better investment.</p>
<p>I think at this point I’m not writing to Jonathan but to the children who want honest advice. If you are a non athlete, non URM, non legacy with under an 80 SSAT, to get a second glance from this list of schools you need something that really makes you a star. That’s if you can pay.</p>
<p>I also see several kids on here saying they are applying for aid and are from upper middle class families. These schools’ “need blind” policies yield them athletes and diversity. A white or Asian kid is unlikely to be that diversity. That kid needs very high stats.</p>