<p>My kids know very well that we have no money. 
It is quite remarkable to me that this opportunity can even be considered by those of us who cannot pay the tuition. I’m pretty sure that was not the case when I was growing up. </p>
<p>The schools we applied to (with the exception of one), while they’re all a great fit for my son, they aren’t the HADES or even the almost HADES and the selectivity is on a different level. I have no doubt he would get if we full pay. We really sought out the niche schools for him that personify exactly why were looking for boarding schools in the first place. His averages are well above the schools’ too as far as SSAT. Maybe GPA too but I’m not sure. It’s so relative in middle school. </p>
<p>Except one of the more selective school we applied too that happens to be in the midwest where we are located. Ironically this is the school that has contacted me, not once, but twice since last week for additional information. I honestly have no idea what to think, but he must have at least moved past an initial round or something?</p>
<p>He knows rejections from the other 3 schools will be based on FA most likely and he’s okay with that. The nearby school he’s slightly below the SSAT average and same with grades, I’m sure. </p>
<p>Moosieboy is well above the school applicants’ averages for SSAT and grades, is an URM, and very specifically but well-involved in EC (meaning he’s not an “all over the place” kid with his EC, but has many ECs within the same two or three areas). So if he doesn’t get in, it’ll basically be because of FA. The school has about 35% students on some form of FA, but I don’t know how that translates in actuality. I mean, if they already have 35% kids on FA from the incoming class, does that mean they won’t be able to take ANY FA kids? I guess we won’t know for sure until we get that letter…</p>
<p>Well the graduation seniors would be providing the available FA I imagine. They’ll want each class to have diversity, including students on FA.</p>
<p>At Exeter, and I’d imagine most prep schools, they try to balance the classes so that each class has approximately the same percentage of students on FA. </p>
<p>@ItsNotHogwarts, @classicalmama - The school Moosieboy applied to is the same way - they try to balance each class having the same percentage of students on FA. My main concern is if there are more FA kids staying on than leaving from the incoming group of kids from 8th grade. The piece I never thought about until just yesterday was the fact that there could be more FA students staying on from the current 8th grade class than are moving out to acronym schools. It’s just another factor that I hadn’t thought about. If for some reason more FA kids stay on, and most of the ones moving onto other schools are FP, it would really affect Moosieboy’s chances of getting in on a full financial aid award. Just one more depressing fact to factor into the already insurmountable amount of odds against the poor kid. Thankfully, he’s got a great attitude about it, and even though he <em>LOVES</em> the school and would be highly disappointed if he doesn’t get in, I think we’ve done a good job of preparing him and having an exciting “contingency plan” in case he doesn’t get in. And truth be told, we could try again next year and “cast a wider net” by exploring other options in our area. We are truly blessed with some amazing prep schools around us, though not all would be as great a match as this one we have chosen. Even the acronym schools within driving distance from us just didn’t seem as good a match as this lesser known school. But truth is, we didn’t really explore as much, since we fell in love with this one from the get-go :)</p>
<p>I should add, he has absolutely NO interest in boarding, so anything we choose would have to be within driving distance, as he is not willing to be away from his family and friends here at home. So that does close some major doors for us. But again, we have over 10 great prep schools within 45 to 50 minutes from home, so there isn’t a lack of choices for us, were we to try this again next year. I doubt we will, but the opportunity is there for us to do so if he wants to endure this torture again! LOL!</p>
<p>We have zero non-religious private high schools within 45 minutes unfortunately. There are a couple of schools up through 8th grade and then a Catholic and a Christian high school. </p>
<p>@ItsNotHogwarts - We’re really blessed to be in the heart of the New England area, so it’s a boarding/prep school smorgasbord here! There are just SO many options, if we had simply been looking to send Moosieboy to boarding or day school in general, we would’ve easily run out of time to apply before we ran out of places to apply. But as it was, because of our proximity and knowing day students who go to quite a number of the schools, we were able to learn enough about the schools closest to us to decide to only apply to one. We think Moosieboy could’ve easily been accepted to other schools, but the one school he fell in love with (and us as well) was the only one we chose to have him apply to. We really are very satisfied with where we are now, so the way we look at it, the only reason we would change what we’re doing is if he got into his “dream” school. If not, he said he would rather just stay where he is. Which is really good, since his chances are slim to get in, especially if there’s a particularly strong showing of URM applicants, which based on Visit day, it might be so this year…</p>
<p>My family was exiled to a financial aid waitlist at more than one school. In my experience, it is validating to have the WL status, which means the student was deemed acceptable and would be accepted if able to pay in full. </p>
<p>I am also extremely puzzled at how a family who “needs” aid can suddenly do an about-face and pay full tuition. Do the poor dears have to cut their summer in Europe down to a mere month? Sell the yacht? I am not trying to pick on anyone, but for us, if the well is dry, we really do go thirsty. </p>
<p>@Rellielou well, I’m an author and I currently have two proposals out to publisher so I guess, in theory, something amazing could come of these projects and 2014 could prove to be a much better year than I planned. If it can happen to Stephenie Meyer…</p>
<p>But I’m not holding out too much hope for that outcome, just aiming for steady sales and constant forward progress, even if it’s baby steps. </p>
<p>@ItsNotHogwarts Aim to be better than Stephanie Meyer! </p>