<p>I have asked some questions before about these two schools but we are so torn that I am looking for more guidance. We are trying to decide between St Marks and Middlesex. Our son is a very strong student, very athletic and entering as a juniour. He loved both schools but for different reasons and he -and us- are having a tough time deciding. They are both small schools with great teachers... The cost at Middlesex is more.<br>
People keep mentioning college matriculation but if you have a bunch of legacies, wont the matric be better just from that?
Any advice??? April 10th is around the corner.</p>
<p>Middlesex! I’m going to Middlesex! GO TO MIDDLESEX! :)</p>
<p>If your son was injured and couldn’t participate in athletics, does that change which school he would choose? That is something they recommend you consider – since it does happen.</p>
<p>Go to middlesex! Please!</p>
<p>^How much of a difference does it make for you, IB? hehe. Is the financial delta significant, if so I would go SMS. While it is true that Middlesex is generally better than St. Marks, your son/daughter will do just as well at St. Marks.</p>
<p>because NO ONE on CC is going and I NEED someone to talk to!</p>
<p>Late apply to Milton (though my interviewer said they have super little to no spots left for lates)… 
Or Andover, or Exeter, idk…</p>
<p>FA, plus it was the only school I got accepted at (wl @ SPS, but I’m not holding out for that).
in any case: Which does HE like better?</p>
<p>Middlesex is better than St. Marks these days. I am a parent, I don’t think you got an answer from any other parents except HSMOM.</p>
<p>Thx Sarum…better how? What makes you say that? Reputation? Someone you know?</p>
<p>Well I personally know middlesex has a better reputation…but not sure how much that matters to you.</p>
<p>OK, im not staying quiet any longer…we had/have the same decision.
I actually took the art class that CDNM was in too.</p>
<p>S is going with SMS. Yes, MX may be better according to some but really not much.
We looked at numerous rankings and some said MX was above SM and others said the way around. If you look at college acceptances they are similar too.
So at that point its up to the child. S loved SM, liked MX. Loved the energy at SM. Felt connected to kids, he said they were more like his type of kids he hangs out with.</p>
<p>I know this is a cliche but its really what a child puts into his/her education that determines the outcome, not the other way around.
D (senior) currently goes to a small Catholic HS school with no bells and whistles and got accepted at a top 25 LAC. Many kids in he class have also gotten accepted at great colleges.</p>
<p>So CDNM, let your son decide where he wants to go as he is the one who will be living the life so to speak. MY DH was torn until S told him all the things he liked about SMS. DH was all hung up on the whole prestige aspect of BS. I pointed out to him that S was the one going to school and if he didnt care, why should DH.</p>
<p>MX does have a better reputation than SMS and is a prettier campus. Having said that, go with the gut, and the money. If money is not a huge difference, and theres no pull in the gut for either school, check out their athletic schedule. Im not certain, but believe that SMS does not play any of the NE schools, but is more in the Southern Conference, together with Lawrenceville, but going down south the seaboard. If you plan on attending games, etc, whats more convenient? For that matter, whats more convenient for you to visit, generally? And actually, that will be the most striking difference at the schools – the geography of where the bulk of the students will be from.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone who has offered their point of view. HMO3, thank you so much for sharing your personal experience with us. My son mentioned many of the same points your son did but he is as undecided as we are, because both schools have their wonderful points, far beyond “prestige”. As we come from Canada, hardly anyone has heard of either, so it is not a deciding factor for us. Did SMS provide you with their college matric? We did not get it and I would definitely be interested.</p>
<p>Yes, we got the mat. rate list. It was on a table with a bunch of other data.
I am sure if you call the school they would be able to tell you more but we were impressed with the schools the kids got into.
I will not bad mouth other schools but I am a bit taken aback by some of the comments made on this thread. Many opinions are just that, opinions. Prettier campus? Thats not a reason to pick a school.
Both schools are very good schools, I do think you got my point about your son making his up mind because he is the one going away.
If he is undecided, thats sort of a great place to be because he would be happy at either. So, then go down the list and pick the next most important thing for your family.
Maybe $ ?
Distance, but for you its still far!
Class size
amt of student body
particular classes
Dare I say hockey…MX wins in that one but from what I saw and S heard, SMS is heavily recruiting.</p>
<p>If you want to IM me, feel free…</p>
<p>Prettier campus -</p>
<p>For kids who are very sensitive to beauty, this actually could be a tipping point - other things being near equal.</p>
<p>You must have a girl :0)</p>
<p>Hi Cdnhockeymom! Good luck with your choice.</p>
<p>Our kid’s a St. Marker now! We also attended the revisit day yesterday, and found the faculty and students wonderful. We loved the energy and spirit of the all school meeting. Our child felt a great fit with the other students, both current St. Markers and other accepted students. They were nice, funny, and welcoming. My husband and I noticed many students with the “awake” look of really smart thinkers.</p>
<p>For us, it’s a great fit for our musical and artistic child, who has a gift for languages. I thought the description of accepted applicants as students who are smart, and care for other people, to be a very good description of our kid. I also appreciated the advice to parents, that your child who enters with one interest, may find new interests while he matures. For us, that rings true.</p>
<p>We’re not a “sports family,” so I have no way to compare the athletic programs. St. Mark’s is a member of the Independent School League, though, as is Middlesex. How to compare the two schools? Well, in the '90s, Deirdre Ling transformed Middlesex. I think John Warren has started to do the same thing for St. Mark’s. In looking at the booklet on next year’s staff, I noticed that the new hires have great backgrounds, particularly in English. Master’s or M.F.A.s from the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury, or the University of Iowa, for example. As my child loves creative writing, those are the “right schools” to see on young faculty. We were also very impressed by the Director of Studies. </p>
<p>Reputation is built up over years, and can lag behind the current state of affairs. For example, my father considers Deerfield to be a second-tier school, because that was the perception of Deerfield in the early '50s. That perception doesn’t match the Deerfield of today, of course!</p>
<p>I think it comes down to “fit,” which is subjective. The fit is right for us. Feel free to PM me, if you’d like.</p>
<p>Dear friends, for many of the same reasons articulated by Periwinkle, our daughter has also made the decision for SMS. Some great schools now have one more slot open – and with a significant (>50%) chunk of financial aid. Cheers!</p>
<p>Did your son really feel more comfortable at one of the revisits than the other?
If it’s really close and you can’t decided- go for the less expensive school which I believe would be SMS!</p>