<p>This is my first post at CC, but I've been poking around a bit for quite some time now. I'm considering applying to Exeter/Andover for the coming school year (06-07). My question is: for those of you who did NOT have parents that were ecstatic about sending you to boarding school, what did you say to them to convince them that it would be a good idea?</p>
<p>(Don't worry - I am seriously considering applying - and certainly attending if accepted - and as such I have ideas of things that I'm going to say, but I'm always looking for outside advice and insight! :-)</p>
<p>Last question - My dad went to Exeter, does legacy status have any bearing on prep school admissions if your relative didn't donate a building? </p>
<p>my mom wanted me 2 go 2 an all-girls boarding scool but then i showed her wut fantastic scools exeter and andover are, and she was so impressed she didnt care about all-girls anymore. </p>
<p>wow them with the whole hyp feeder thing. i mean, prep schools dont really send half of their kids to HYP anymore but an impressive number of kids there still do.</p>
<p>get info from andover and exeter and show ur parents the stuff. talk bout how u really want 2 go and if its a fanancial problem, the prep schools have fanancial aid. </p>
<p>yeah, i do think that they'd be interested 2 kno that ur dad was an exeter alumni, even if he didnt donate anything</p>
<p>Legacy helps. If your dad went, he should be aware that it's hard to find this kind of experience anywhere else. </p>
<p>Everyone also needs to keep in mind that Andover and Exeter are not the only top schools. When we play Deerfield and St. Paul's I'm always sorry I didn't look harder. Everyone knows each other at those schools and there is an incredible feeling of community.</p>
<p>But all of you note I'm just punting right now. It's past midnight and I'm maybe halfway through my homework!!!!</p>
<p>As a parent, I'd be impressed if you'd done the research (online) yourself and could say what you feel you'd get at a b.s. that you won't get at your local school. I think you really need to move on this quickly if you want this to happen for next year. You need to take the SSAT (<a href="http://www.ssat.org%5B/url%5D">www.ssat.org</a>) and most schools, I think, require interviews. </p>
<p>Reasons your parents might be ambivalent or against the idea: if your dad went to Exeter, he knows more about the setting and that must color his view (pro or con); parents love their kids and it's hard to see them go; if you have siblings, you're not only leaving your parents but your sibs and it affects the whole family dynamic; or it could be a financial consideration ('we can barely afford college tuition at today's prices, we can't possibly afford b.s. tuition, too').</p>
<p>Bottom line: do your research (you'll learn things in the process, too) and talk to your parents. See if they'll support you or why they maybe can't. You might think that going to a b.s. is the only way to get the education you need, but there might be other ways (like summer programs). Here's a thought: if your parents are hesitant about you applying for next school year, why not apply to attend a summer program? Many b.s. hold these and you could see what it was like to live at school and what the academics might be like.</p>
<p>I am a parent and I was won over on the visit. If you can get your parents to the campuses, they will be sold. On my first bs visit (with D to Interlochen), all my concerns were addressed- i.e. "what if she gets sick?", "what if she needs someone to talk to?", "will I still feel a part of her high school life?" I realized the opportunity for her was so amazing that it was worth it.
By the time S needed to go to a boarding school, I knew how wonderful the whole experience would be.</p>
<p>I'm applying for 11th grade (I'm a sophomore now), and I'm taking the PSAT on Saturday! I'll probably register for the SSAT as well, :-) I'm planning to discuss applying with my parents again tonight. eI'm researching on my own, and I just recieved the application for Exeter! With the actual app, it will be much easier to get a jump on things. Unfortunatly, I havn't had time to ask my dad about it yet - He's been in Turkey for a glass-blowing class-and as my mom said, the decision to apply for boarding school is not exactly "a good thing to talk about over the phone." Wish me luck tonight! :-) Thanks for all your help.</p>
<p>Oh, also - I know both schools accept a few new Juniors (Uppers :-D) each year, but how difficult is it to get accepted? Are there a large number of people applying for the few spots, or is the acceptance percentage still around 20-30%?</p>
<p>As a parent, my reluctance comes from liking my son's company and not wanting him to be away for no good reason. The good reason that I see that might justify boarding school attendance (and that CERTAINLY justifies boarding school application) is that there appear to be educational resources at those schools that are hard for us to find in-state. We are shopping for local schools (public or private), out-of-state boarding schools, and further joint activities of our very active gifted homeschooling support group. What our son does for '06-'07 will depend on what he finds out about the tradeoffs of each possibility for next year. </p>
<p>May I ask, how did you get the idea to apply to Red and Blue? What do you think of your current school?</p>
<p>Exeter is in the town of Exeter, New Hampshire, in the southeast corner of that state not far from the Atlantic Ocean and reasonably close to Boston, Massachusetts. </p>
<p>see, that's the thing...."The good reason that I see that might justify boarding school attendance (and that CERTAINLY justifies boarding school application) is that there appear to be educational resources at those schools that are hard for us to find in-state."</p>
<p>My current school is excellent - it's one of the top 100 public schools in the nation, albeit one of the lower-ranked ones. I am extremely fortunate to live in one of California's excellent school districts, in Palo Alto. I adore my school, but I do honestly think that there is more oppertunity for me in terms of classes and extra curricular activities at Andover and Exeter. Also, one of the more important issues for me is to be in school with people who really truly want to be there. I want an oppertunity to be in class with people that are not only smart, but people who try, and who are willing to work hard. I thrive on classroom discussion, which is one of the main reasons Exeter and its Harkness table appeal to me-discussion and debate within a small group of people who has done its research would be educational nirvana. This coupled with the small class size, gorgeous facilities, and the oppertunity to not only be educated at one of the premier schools in the country (though I am NOT interested in applying because I think it will get me into the Ivy League; nor because I think it will look good on a transcript - although it may be impressive, that's not within my core reasoning!) but to LIVE amongst people who are engaged and interested in learning would be a godsend. I attended a summer Jazz workshop at the University of the Pacific this summer and was amazed at how much I improved - yes, it was a large amount of concentrated practice time and focused instructors, but I also believe that my success was partially due to the fact that I was immersed in an environment where you could walk into somebody's dormroom - even someone who you had never seen before in your life - and they would be interested in playing with you. </p>
<p>I want that kind of experiance for my regular schooling as well. I want to be able to continue classroom conversations out of the classroom. Currently, I do this with my teachers - I am often fonud after an interesting class discussing with my teacher for a few minutes about the why or how - not that I don't have friends - I just like to go further into topics that interest me than what I see many people here doing.</p>
<p>All that aside, however, I go to an excellent school - don't get me wrong, I do love it here!</p>
<p>Our daughter began her journey this fall to Exeter. All summer long, we thought we would be prepared for the separation but it doesnt hit you till you return home and park the car in the garage, turn around and see just one child instead of two in the backseat. It was one of the hardest decisions we made but were not prepared for her almost immediate and sustained happiness. I'm talking true joy, laughter, and a better sense of herself. We speak with D mostly by "aim" or emailing and an occasional phone call. Although we were also won over during our spring revisit, there was some small parental hesitations. On moving in day in September, she was surrounded by countless girls who each reminded me of some part of her. She found what she was looking for- fitting in.<br>
Lastly, I just want to say that yes, each day is hard missing her presence at home, our car-talks afterschool, and even her messy room, but, I know she is where she will thrive and blossom and giggle like a little girl and tell bad jokes, and not be afraid to sit anywhere in the cafeteria, and all that stuff she craves...All in all-- no regrets...</p>
<p>thanks to all who replied (forgive my possible bad grammar/spelling/lack of capitalization tonight, i just got back from a cross country meet and i'm rather exhausted, to say the least :-P) I was still wondering if anybody here was accepted as a new Upper (Junior, to all of us non-prep-school people), and if it is a difficult year to get into. Would it be more reasonable to apply for another year of 10th grade? And if I did get in as an Upper, would it be a major transitional problem?</p>
<p>Your chances of acceptance as a repeat 10th grader are much, much higher than for 11th. I am not sure you want to go through a transition such as this during the all important junior year. Also. what if you really love the school. As soon as you would get comfortable, you would be on your way out. Remember also there is no way you could exhaust the offerings at these schools even if you went there for 6 years! good luck</p>
<p>Very nice......Two sons whose lives will be forever enriched by their experiences at St. Paul's and Deerfield. You said very well what all of us feel who don't have our high school children with us. They are happy and we are happy for them...but it is still very hard not having them here.</p>
<p>Since I'm applying for 11th grade, I know that I can take the PSAT and use my score on it instead of taking the SSAT - so what is a reasonable PSAT score to submit? Most people I've seen here have between a 90th and 99th percentile SSAT...what kind of PSAT should I be aiming for?</p>