Are there other private school forums that are more concentrated on day schools and/or less prestigious ones?
thanks
or should I say - concentrated on all the private schools, not just boarding/prep/top of the top
@yuor28 I understand your question, and i haven’t found one. That being said…this is your chance ( and @woodcal03 ) to bring perspective of new schools to the mix. I know @makp715 and I tried to do this with St Timothy’s and a revival of St Mark’s. The lesser known schools definitely deserve exposure!!! And who knows, if you ask about some specifically, you may find many alum or parents from those schools here!
thanks!
I just felt weird asking about mediocre day schools while everybody else’s child is a star applying for best schools :)) And my child is just simply a great kid…but without any extraordinary achievements or 99 SSATs :))
Let’s start a discussion!! I’ve been thinking the same, as our DD applied to only day schools, some with boarding components, but she would be a day student. Are you talking about in Massachusetts?
yes, Massachusetts for us…But I would assume there are others from other states.
Great… really curious about the culture between: BB&N, Nobles and Concord Academy… If anyone has any insight, would love to hear, thanks!
Yes, there are other forums for local day schools. The one with which I am familiar is for the DC area, but it is just a forum on a much larger website dealing with mostly non-educational matters.
Because you are in the Boston area, consider starting a thread here on CC titled “Boston Area Private Day Prep Schools”.
There is still a need for BS threads outside of the CC “norm”…but Day schools are also not spoken of as often. I’ll be honest, I too, am tired of reading about the same schools…and I’d like a different pool to swim in when DD’s application year rolls around!
If I lived in Houston I’d be interested in St. John’s. It looks extremely impressive and I noticed that it is one of the very few schools out there that seems to screen for high intelligence. Anyone with kids there care to comment on the school and what it’s like?
Hi 
I see I got tagged as a parent to a child in a lesser known boarding school. DD has had wonderful support from her school this year, and I am happy to answer any questions I can about our experience with St. Timothy’s
OMG! This is perfect for me … just another chance to shamelessly promote the schools that accepted me!
There are dozens of amazing schools that have fabulous students, academic rigor and opportunity, and where you can be a little more confident you’ll get in. Just remember that your high school doesn’t need to have invented Harkness to have a good education, and it matters more what you take from your school than where you’re getting it. I recall McCallie’s activities fair, at the science stand, where I was talking to a student showing me an experiment he did in coordination with a college somewhere, in which he discovered something that slows down cancer proteins (I didn’t totally understand what he was talking about but it was very interesting!) Baylor has a whole marine lab on campus run by scientists from the TN Aquarium. And I chose these as my safety schools! Additionally, as a student who knew that if I went to Andover, I would be at the bottom of my class, these schools are great opportunities to get to have a great education and still be a teacher’s pet.
I applied to both Baylor and McCallie. Both are wonderful schools in Chattanooga, with beautiful views and amazing outdoor programs. They are also working extremely hard to secure more students like y’all that would be great additions to the class with awesome rigorous courses and dedicated teachers, as well as super generous merit scholarship opportunities. They were also uniquely welcoming - Baylor went out of their way to accommodate our visit on a rainy Saturday, and McCallie has welcomed me in with incredibly open arms.
Don’t be tricked by their acceptance rates - the people at these schools are incredible. I have a lot less experience with Baylor, but every single student I’ve met at McCallie has been overwhelmingly friendly, smart, and well-rounded in sports as well. I would argue that McCallie’s student body is better than that of any NE schools - (the south is known for its hospitality!) You will find your crowd here when it comes to political or religious views, and the sporty kids definitely don’t dominate the geeks, although sports is a way bigger thing here.
Guess I’ll try to wrap this up here - there is a ton of benefit in all the nonprestigious southern schools. McCallie, Baylor, Webb (a small school in a wonderfully charming rural TN town which a large chunk of my family is from), Indian Springs (Birmingham, AL), Asheville… all these schools are wonderful! Do not ignore them in your research!!
Chattanooga is an awesome town too! Anyplace that produced Norman Blake would have to be.
And, @woodcal03, don’t be so sure that if you had gone to Andover you’d be at the bottom of the class. Just based on your writing, I’d say not a chance, and I’ve known many, many Andover grads.
@woodcal03 I am happy for you. And you are correct on all points. I wish you an enjoyable 4 years.
@SatchelSF I might not be at the bottom, but I would certainly not be at the top. And I would have a challenge finding where I could stand out. I mean, in TN, I’ve been chosen as future president for the superlatives, but I know at Andover, I’d have to fight for that position with like 10 other students. Now that I can think about it with a more clear mind, I’d probably hate going to a HADES school. What can I say, I like to stand out.
@Happytimes2001 thank you so much! I am super excited!
@woodcal03 Just remember it’s not so much about standing out and being the best in a group, as it is about finding your own path that is so clear you can make your way and do exactly what you want to do. If you have passion for the things you do, you will stand out on that alone. Life’s filled with people who have won awards. But there are very few who won the awards they wanted to and did exactly what they wanted to do to make a happy life. Compete against yourself and no other. And have fun!