<p>.. i think that's what they want you to think.</p>
<p>my parents are from morrocco and israel, respectively. they both went to the best medical school in israel, and my father went to a boarding school in israel. now my father is the department head of his division specialty and my mother is a real estate agent (used to be a nurse) will this help me or hurt me????</p>
<p>IMHO it will have no impact on the decision. If your parents were very, very wealthy then that might help - following the need to keep growing the endowment.</p>
<p>hmm, thats what i felt about groton too. imean, if the school can offer languages like greek, latin, german, why cant they offer chinese? >.<</p>
<p>just my two cents. ;)</p>
<p>well honestly, I really think they just want to know who and what kind of family you are from. I mean, if your truly an outstanding candidate, i think it will surpass that by alot. But I know if they don't like you parents, that can stop you.</p>
<p>The headmaster @ my school told me many students who schools liked did not like their parents AT ALL. They were waitlisted.
Depending which school, parents might have a small or large impact.</p>
<p>so writing an essay about something immoral your parents did (and you had no part in it and the point of the essay was to explain a point in your life when you began to mature) would be a bad idea?</p>
<p>I don't think airing that type of dirty laundry would speak well of your discretion, nor of your parents. However, I don't thing that was the point of CLZ's post. </p>
<p>I think CLZ was pointing out that many while there are many great kids who a school would like to take, when they take the kid, they also get the parents as part of the deal and those parents may not be people they want to deal with. </p>
<p>More than likely, they are "high-maintenance" types who will be calling the headmaster everytime Junior gets an A- on a homework assignment to make a slight exaggeration. Helicoptor parents are generally not welcome in the no-fly-zone of most prep schools. The prep schools know what they are doing (and have been doing it for generations) and don't appreciate micro managing parents.</p>
<p>I know that when I talk to my D's instructors/coaches/dorm parents, I do it on a periodic basis (not because of some perceived crisis) and ask broad general questions to get a feel for how she is fitting into THEIR program and what progress they see with regards to that. They are quite accommodating and forthcoming with information postive and stuff that needs work.</p>
<p>I even tread lightly with the hockey coach which (for all of you sport parents who know) is often a difficult task, especially when you do not get to see many of the games. It is my way of showing respect for those who are putting their life work into my D's education.</p>
<p>I've taken this approach from the initial interview, so I hope I've built a good relationship that will be supportive through the years.</p>
<p>I also thought this approach helped with the Admissions/FA situation. Schools don't want management headaches in this area.</p>
<p>Not that any of you students can change the approach of your parents in a short time, but those of you parents who are watching will understand.</p>
<p>I think they probably can offer Chinese, but their Classics program is very important to them. They take quite a bit of pride in it, which is why they have such a strong program. They do seem like traditionalists more than other schools, though.</p>
<p>blairt, about writing that essay: I agree with goaliedad that perhaps that might not be the best thing to do. However, it does depend on how you do it. I wouldn't have what they did as the main point of the essay, but if it was primarily about how you matured and what you gained from it, it might be all right. In my essays where they asked you to write a letter to your advisor, and a few others where I thought it worked well with the essay, I explained a few things about the changes and challenges that have gone on in my family over the past few years. However, I was not terribly specific, nor did I blame my parents. I merely tried to explain how that related to other parts of my life. You should share your family's business with the most descretion and carefullness (I know carefullness is not a word, for the record ;)).</p>
<p>I think other than the obvious (one or both of your parents is an alumnus) parent info. can help two kinds of applicants. Like everything else, these schools to run on money. So if you're dad is a wealthy investment banker, CEO, etc., I think it helps you since he's someone the development office can tap.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if it's clear from the information provided by your parents that you come from a genuinely disadvantaged background, it can make any achievements you've attained on your own that much more impressive.</p>
<p>Only other way I think it might be relevant is if it's clear from your parents schools that they have a prep background and went to top colleges, I think it may help a little. A prep background lets them know that both the parents and the kid know have an idea what to expect from prep school and are thereforoe more likely to fit in/be happy. Top college is significant because if one of your parents went to a top college it increases your chances for being accepted, which in turn enhances the schools college placement record. A little cynical, but true. WSJ did an interesting story about this a few years ago - looking at college placement results for Groton I believe. Turns out many Groton kids who end up going to Harvard/Yale either had an alumni connection or a famous parent.</p>
<p>what if my father is george bush?</p>
<p>if your father's george bush, you go to andover</p>
<p>Bearcats, you get it. I think?!?</p>