PS for average student

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>My daughter works hard in school and gets nearly all As with an occasional B. However, she only tests at about the 50th percentile in our state's standardized testing. She has average intelligence and a good work ethic. </p>

<p>While I am sure the top schools are beyond her abilities, we really want her to gain a solid prep school experience. We expect her to go to our local school for 4 more years and then transfer (preferably to a New England school) as a junior. (Yes, I do like to plan ahead.) </p>

<ol>
<li><p>What schools might be a good fit for her?</p></li>
<li><p>What can she/we do over the next 4 years to increase her chances of being accepted and doing well at prep?</p></li>
<li><p>Based on our income and the charts available on some ps websites, we would qualify for 90-100% financial aid, will this have a negative impact on her chances?</p></li>
<li><p>She is very good at her chosen sport, would the prep school coach have any influence on her admission (assuming s/he wanted her to play)?</p></li>
</ol>

2

<p>If she’s an average student, then transferring at junior year will be hard because there are so few slots. The financial aid makes that even tougher. The majority of schools take their students at 9th and 10th grade. Junior slots are usually taken by students with some real “hook” and with only two years (junior and senior) she’s not going to get the full weight of a “solid” prep education.</p>

<p>Consider trying for at least sophomore (my daughter is starting as one).</p>

<p>That gives you three years to help her prep for the SSAT, begin to test if she’s independent enough to go, and get her academics up to as close to A’s as possible.</p>

<p>Remember - a lot of other kids will be competing for a limited FA pot. At some schools FA is given to only a small percentage of those applying.</p>

<p>I recommend trying out a summer school. We used Access Exeter as the “test” for my daughter because they had fun middle school programs. She took CSI and loved it, the dorm experience, and meeting kids from all over the world. We knew - and she knew - it was the type of education she wanted. And also understood it was much harder than her normal school, and that regular prep would be 5x harder than that.</p>

<p>So don’t look just for where your daughter can get in - but once you have a list - then narrow down to fit and personality. The only thing that is worse than having a child leave home early - is knowing they’re at a school that doesn’t fit them and are miserable. Campus visits are a must.</p>

<p>If you’re looking for small nurturing environment with enough parent presence on campus to make you feel comfortable being away - you could try Governor’s Academy in Massachusetts. We liked it a lot on our visit. Dorm size is about 12 and every kid has a single. Kind of like home away from home but with a strong prep environment.</p>

<p>To answer your question - for the next few years, get practice taking SSAT’s - the format is different from state exams and the math often looks at knowledge of concepts, not just ability to synthesize formulas. You have to work quickly and accurately to get through it.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>strengthen extracurriculars. Quality not quantity counts.</p></li>
<li><p>Practice the “independence” thing. If she’s not a self-starter, it will be hard to manage BS.</p></li>
<li><p>Highest possible grades. The schools will look at several years worth and the teacher recommendations really matter.</p></li>
<li><p>Prep your school that final year. Many teachers thought my daughter was going to BS as a punishment and delayed the paperwork. She finally had to explain she was driving the process.</p></li>
<li><p>Which reminds me - unless you’re apply to a school with a high acceptance rate, make sure your child is driving the process. The best schools are looking for those who aren’t being forced into it. AND for those who come without helicopter parents attached.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>:-)</p>

3

<p>My 2 cents:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>What schools might be a good fit for her? Many, of course. Sticking to New England will narrow the scope a tad, as will eliminating the most competitive ones. (CCers won’t let you down when it comes to schools you might consider!) Myself, I would need a little more info before suggesting possible school fits. </p></li>
<li><p>What can she/we do over the next 4 years to increase her chances of being accepted and doing well at prep? Allow her growth over the next years to inform you who she is (strengths, passions, weaknesses), rather than shaping her into someone she may not be, and then have that information emerge as a surprise to you (and perhaps even to her) at the last moment. Exie is dead on about independence. Knowing how to read for information is handy, but at her age, it might be early to start that exercise (defer to you). Writing. Writing. Writing. </p></li>
<li><p>Based on our income and the charts available on some ps websites, we would qualify for 90-100% financial aid, will this have a negative impact on her chances? Experience & statistics (usually) say it won’t redound to your benefit since Full Pay (FP) tends to optimize admissions probabilities, but as someone with children in BS on FA (and as someone who attended BS many moons ago on FA), I can assure you it won’t crush your chances either.</p></li>
<li><p>She is very good at her chosen sport, would the prep school coach have any influence on her admission (assuming s/he wanted her to play)? Typically, the official answer is “no,” but schools certainly take note of exceptional athletic skills/talent.</p></li>
</ol>

4

<p>There are some great schools in the 50-75% average SSAT score range, such as
Lawrence, Governor’s, Brooks, Tabor and Dana Hall. Check boarding school review and the school websites for more information.</p>

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5

<p>Thanks all. We’re hoping to get her into a summer program next summer so she can get a better look at what it would be like. I’m just gathering info now and after next year and her first shot at the SSAT, we are going to sit down and try and get a better idea of what type of schools interest her and are reasonable choices. She is very good at motivating herself to complete homework, projects, extra workouts, etc. She knows a few girls that have gone prep already and others that will go 2011-12.</p>

<p>Exie - that is what we are hearing from multiple sources. I thought waiting until she was a junior would increase her chances, glad I asked! Going as a sophomore seems to be a much better choice. She doesn’t want to go as a freshman because our local high school has a special program in animal science and she can complete it in one year by doing the extended school year program (basically double summer school). </p>

<p>Thanks everyone! I’m going to keep reading these boards so, hopefully, we can find the right match for her.</p>