@buuzn03 No, you didn’t say that you had “regrets”. It’s my interpretation of post #31 (maybe by reading too much into the “I wish…”). The way I see how to “cast a wide net” is that the starting point needs to be right, meaning that one needs to as accurately as possible determine their matching schools based on their academic qualifications, ECs, background, hooks etc… Starting from there, include a few reaches and more matches and a few safeties. At the end of the day, the width of the net has a limit. One usually cannot apply to more than 20 schools and still expect to remain sane.
On a flip side, if you are not talking about qualifications, there should be more than one in the top 20 that can meet anyone’s needs. They are boarding schools, like the boarding schools outside top 20. What can you possibly be looking for that makes none of these fine schools is right for you? You need to be very “picky” to be in that position. IMO.
@SatchelSF I think some posters think 10th grade and 11th grade admission is more competitive than 9th grade, so it takes stronger qualifications to be competitive. Personally, I’m not sure SSAT would be that differentiating factor, especially for highly selective schools. And my observation is that 10th grade admission is not necessarily more competitive than 9th, by numbers (spots vs applicants or admit rate) anyway. It’s possible that 10th grade applicants overall have stronger qualifications, which we have no way to know. As for 11th grade, there are just very few spots in every school, so I imagine the fluctuation and variation can be so great from year to year that it becomes more unpredictable what it takes to get in.
@panpacific FA is the key–in all applications but especially after 9th. Applying for 10th or higher is more competitive for FA applicants. The group of admits is going to be smaller at most schools and that admitted cohort with FA needs smaller still. Re-applicants or first-timers who will need FA going for the higher grades have to stand out. A low score or lower grades can be all it takes. There’s usually a bit more flexibility shown in the larger group for 9th grade, depending on the school and the year and all the other bits of the puzzle we talk about here day after day.
On the other hand, a kid who gets dinged for 9th and then brings a monster application for 10th, scores, grades, recs, times, can stand out in a good way.
And as always, being able to write a big check is the cure for many ills in the boarding school world.
@GnarWhail I agree FA can be a major factor. I just don’t have the numbers to back up the increasing difficulty in admission for rising 10th/11th graders with FA needs. One may argue - wouldn’t the 10th/11th graders with FA needs require the school to commit less financial resources to fund than the 9th? But I really don’t know.
Smaller admitted cohorts always work against the kids with the less than stellar application who are also competing in the FA arena. Yes, the numbers may vary–will vary!–depending on the school and the year with some (many) highly irregular factors in play including attrition in the current year, but 9th is the grade to apply for if you need bigtime FA. In my opinion…
Looking back we would have applied to more schools, and maybe not all the what seems to be most popular, thanks for your input…If it was truly about the kids, the schools wouldn’t as such in depth questions regarding FA…Any of that…Why can’t they ask after a student is accepted about ones financials…money has a LOT to do with it!
Well, in fairness to the schools @Fmap66, they do have their own bills to pay. Faculty and staff, salaries and benefits, campus building and maintenance, equipment and books, insurance, program costs, etc. It costs A LOT to run a school like these, way more than a similarly sized public school, both because they have a residential population and because their programs and facilities are much more extensive. Thus they have a limited financial aid budget they can’t exceed and so have to take need into consideration. Actually I believe only Andover claims to be need blind (and it is very generous-nearly half its student body is on FA, and the average grant is 75% of boarding tuition) though Exeter gives out nearly the same amount of aid.
Unfortunately its mostly true that the schools that have the biggest financial aid budgets are also the ones that are hardest to get into. (This is mostly true at the college level too.)
@Fmap66 If there is one thing you should learn, its that adherence to the will of the [school] is demanded. Questioning the [school’s] judgment is frowned upon. Accept the wisdom of the [school] and all will go well. Question the wisdom of the long time [school] patrons and administrators and you will find that it is not appreciated. You may even feel censored. But fear not - [schools] require a diverse class of people with divergent interests and opinions and ways of looking at the world. In certain ways, the schools have it right - it’s the rest of the world that gets it wrong.
I wish you and your daughter the best of luck in the future. Getting into the boarding school of her dreams wouldn’t have defined her - neither should failing to get into the boarding school of her dreams. Kids who are built for success will find it wherever they may land.
@Korab1 When posters seemingly try to defend schools, a lot of times they are not saying that the schools always hold moral high grounds and never make errors. (There are certainly posters who defend THEIR own schools in that spirit) Rather, they want to share their understanding of the system and processes so new comers know how to more effectively with them. Are schools hypocritical and even evil in tricking poor people into applying and then rejecting them just so their admission numbers look good? Are schools using their financial resources as much as possible to level the playing field for the poor? Probably neither is true and the truth lies somewhere in between. Knowing that shouldn’t give us the right to condemn the schools or to give up on the education opportunities you may get from them. They are private business entities and we are consumers of their products.
@panpacific I agree with everything you just said 100%. I think you missed the point of my post entirely, if that’s what you were responding to, but that’s ok. I was being cryptic.
True Story!! The AO says to my kid (lockjaw accent like Thurston Howell III): " So tell me - where do your people Summer?"
DC: " The same place they winter"…
;)!!
@buuzn03 I am sure OP has picked up some of both. But in all fairness, I’ve seen much, much worse just on this forum. At least OP was not right off the bat got scolded for asking wrong questions, was given a lecture and asked to go back to rethink their questions!
I would add that the 70%/4.0 can be several other factors other than grade inflation.
As previously noted, slow test taking is definitely one. There is a category of children that actually test in the gifted range but have an IEP for slow test taking. Under some situations, they are accommodated and will crush an exam that they normally do poorly on.
The school may not be challenge. This can be considered grade inflation but I personally see it as different.
In our house, my son test very high but his grades are slightly above average on a good day. My daughter who is diligent has an extremely high GPA because she works very hard at it. Her test scores are just slightly above average. Being naturally gifted or a great test taker does not translate to a good student.
@laenen I think the most selective schools/colleges are biased in favor of those who have both high GPA and high test scores although they may not be as biased in favor of those who would add the kinds of diversity they are desperately looking for. Fortunately for the non hooked and reasonably well rounded kids who happen to be average test takers, there are good options for them too especially for colleges, some of the fine ones are even test optional.
There is absolutely biased towards having the best of both worlds. When a school have a very selective process, one doesn’t have to dig deep to find the gem. And I understand why they do, they have limited resources to make a decision on an ever growing amount of applications.
That said, there are studies showing that GPA is a better indicator on how one does in the next level of one’s education than test taking results. I am pretty sure my daughter will do better in HS than her older brother
@laenen The issue here is that you know up close your children and their school, but the AOs don’t. Here’s what the Harvard dean of admissions said back in 2009. Given how applications they receive have been increasing year after year, I doubt it is any less relevant.
But in all fairness, I’ve seen much, much worse just on this forum. At least OP was not right off the bat got scolded for asking wrong questions, was given a lecture and asked to go back to rethink their questions!