Hi all. I’ve searched and reviewed archives but these schools are discussed less frequently on CC. Each seems to have its fans and I know this is somewhat general, but … in terms of fit, what type of student/child is it fair to say would NOT likely thrive at SAS, H, and/or M? SAS and Hill seem more alike to me in structure and vibe, BTW, but perhaps not. Insights re any or all three appreciated.
An addition to my PM: I did not get the impression that SAS and Hill shared much cultural similarity, despite some superficial formality. I have the feeling that quirkiness in all forms is better accepted at SAS.
I would be interested in hearing thoughts on Hill and Mburg as well. We considered applying to SAS, but the consultant we used did not feel it was a good fit for kid. Felt there was too much academic competition and emphasis on being “cool”. Since she was 5/5 in acceptances, I assume she was right. If anyone in the DC Metro area would like to find out more about her, PM me and I will pass her name along. She was also instrumental in helping a friend’s child get accepted so several BS as a late admit in June for Sepember 2015. Miracle worker IMO.
“I have the feeling that quirkiness in all forms is better accepted at SAS.”
I’m not sure what you mean by “quirkiness”, but I’ll give you some of my Hill experience.
I think that is more up to the kid. For the first two months, all I heard was “I need my blue blazer…send me my blue blazer…I’m the only one with out a blue blazer…” Now, I doubt if he wears it more than once a month. He is much more comfortable in his silver or his plaid one, even if he stands out a little.
Loves the fact that he’s FA. He says it comes in handy when his buddies try to borrow money. Throws up his hands “bruh, I’m FA.”
Has a good friend that is sometimes a boy and sometimes a girl.
It took him a while, but he is very comfortable to be himself there, gets along with everyone, it seems, and absolutely loves it. The formal dress code, seated lunches and dinners, required chapel doesn’t seem to make it stuffy at all. Plus, the dining hall is like Hogwart’s without the cool ceiling, so there is that.
I’m happy to try to answer any specific questions … I can even comment about the changes in the school’s culture from 1986 - now. Including the admissions of, gasp, girls. LOL!
@gusmom2000 thx for this. do you think there is any type of kid who might simply not flourish or fit in at Hill, whether for academic or general cultural reasons?
All three are great schools. I am a SAS parent and know that these threads have loads on the pros and cons of the school. I have been to Hill several times in years past and know people connected to the school whom I admire. Never been to Mercersburg, but the reputation and comments here are so positive.
*** Bottom line is that you should really try to get to all three Revisit days ***
I do not recommend striking one off the list before those visits unless you have some really strong disqualifying reason, e.g., the dates just don’t work at all, cost, etc. (The fact that you got this far with each of these schools indicates at least a little mutual love, yes?) OTOH, the implication of your post is that you can’t see all three and you want someone to say something so useful that you can feel good about whittling down to two.
Regarding SAS, read Tad Roach. He’s pretty clear about the kind of kids and community the school envisions. Who wouldn’t work? A kid prone to ranting about their perceptions of “political correctness”, or into suppressing their rants. Feel free to pm for further commentary, but I do think it should come down to feelings based on revisits.
@gusmom2000, I’m glad to hear that!
Thx, @Charger78. We reside overseas and won’t be able to revisit, unfortunately. We’re experienced boarding parents but this is a new round of schools for us so, yeah, we’re floundering a bit. There is indeed some helpful, positive information on the older threads. In the past, however, I have found that asking the specific question “What kind of kid would NOT thrive here,” can elicit some of the most useful information about a place, adding to or even going beyond the structured visit/tour, interview, promotional materials, etc. Sure wish we could get to campus but have to make due best we can from abroad. And, hence, all insights appreciated.
My D went to Hill, loved it and got a great all around education (not just academics). The only people she knew there who had a tough time were people who were very introverted. That said, it’s a VERY friendly environment and even these people felt they were much more at home with the Hill community than at their previous schools. One in particular had been badly bullied at a previous school but never found anything but acceptance at Hill.
I’ve heard great things about Mercersburg as well, but can’t speak to it from personal knowledge.
With more time, want to circle back to the comments of the prep school consultant about St. Andrew’s (DE) referenced in #2. I’d like to offer an alternate view.
SAS is actually known for suppressing “academic competition”. The school culture minimizes open and public attention to test grades and college acceptances. There is no online platform for parental monitoring of grades. Seldom does the school even toot the horn for its NMFs (only one press announcement I recall in the last three cycles, though wonderfully talented kids earned that distinction the last two years). The end of year Awards Ceremony the night before Graduation is an exception. Even then, there are no “Wellesley Book Awards”, etc., to pad the resumes of underclassmen and there are no Cum Laude Society inductees, only diplomas with various levels of internal distinction. The faculty try to bring sanity to the overwrought landscape of hyper-competitive college admissions and very few students blast their results on social media before graduating. School publications never systematically link student names and college matriculations.
"Emphasis on being ‘cool’ "? More like an emphasis on kindness. Teen culture everywhere celebrates cool, and SAS students share in that, I think from a fairly critical perspective. Coolness denotes exclusiveness (“inherently positional and zero-sum”), but the noteworthy thing about the “ethos” and “counter-culture” of St. Andrew’s is its inclusiveness. See the school thread here on CC, search school media, talk to people on campus. PM for my personal views.
Admittedly, I’m a parent with an incomplete grasp of the details, but let this proximate (and alternate) view be a starting point for examination. I’ve found that student newspapers are remarkably candid about the culture at the larger New England boarding schools. For comparative purposes on how “cool” and a “gender divide” may intersect, see:
http://deerfieldscroll.com/2015/02/shelton-rogers-talks-slut-shaming/
I concur with @Charger78. As the parent of a new SAS sophomore, I can attest to the lack of competition for grades. I know what my son’s grades are, and generally how he is doing in his classes, but I have no idea how he is doing compared to his peers. He competes with himself to be the best he can be in his classes. That said, academic rigor at SAS is real!
We toured several colleges over Spring Break and met quite a few other BS families on tours. When SAS came up in conversation quite a few of these families commented on the school’s outstanding college placement record. SAS students may not focus on competing for grades and resume padding awards, but the results of their tenure at SAS pay off nicely.
Culturally, SAS is far “preppier” than the day school he attended but in a far less competitive way. The students generally adhere to the dress code - pushing the limits within reason ; ) There is a clear emphasis on service, kindness and citizenship that our family appreciates. We have not found the school to be as “counter cultural” as some described on CC. The counter culture of SAS is more about sowing seeds of responsibility and respect than revolution.
Please feel free to PM me if you want more information
I have not been active on confidential for the last year or so but so this thread and felt well qualified to comment. Our daughter graduated from St. Andrew’s in 2015. Did all four years there and loved it. She was an outstanding middle school student and was very challenged at St. Andrew’s. I remember two occasions were I actually thought she was being pushed to hard so from our observations the rigor is real. Having said that we have nothing but praise for St. Andrew’s. St. Andrew’s is 100% boarding and students build strong bonds. It has a very strong arts program and takes a very traditional approach to education emphasizing writing, critical thinking and service to others. Mr. Roach is a very strong and thoughtful headmaster and is supported by a very strong faculty. Our daughter is attending a top college and is finding that she is very well prepared to handle all of her classes. I have no doubt her St. Andrew’s friends will last a life time.
Interestingly our son is a freshman at Mercersburg. He choose Mercersburg over St. Andrew’s because to him it felt more balanced. Five day school vs six…more sports offerings…robotics…international travel offerings…outdoor education program, etc. They also offered several programs that interested him including German and in the extra curricular area, track. While we have less than one year of experience with Mercersburg thus far we are very pleased. They have a very strong faculty (on par with St. Andrew’s) who are very committed to the students. The faculty provide frequent and detailed written communication to the parents, are always accessible and are attune to each individual student and their specific needs. Mercersburg is about 85% boarding and that contributes to strong sense of community which is important given its relatively rural location. They incorporate more technology in the classroom, have a strong international travel program and a good writing center to help students improve their writing skills. They also seem to make a very intentional effort to help students develop their own internal discipline with respect to study habits and time management.
From our experiences both campuses seem to share a genuine friendly atmosphere. Both schools are academically challenging so earning an A is a difficult task. Both also have spectacular facilities and have made a commitment to attracting a socio-economically and racially diverse population. Mercersburg seems to be committed to multiple points of entry including PG while St. Andrew’s fills most classes by the Sophomore year and does not admit Seniors or do PG. I suspect St. Andrew’s has a little stronger overall matriculation but there are students from Mercersburg being admitted to some of the top schools. A difference between the two is that Mercersburg offers AP classes and standardized test preparation which I don’t think St. Andrew’s would ever do. I am guessing the comment that SAS is counter cultural relates to how they completely avoid AP and Standardized test prepping.
In the end we let both of our children pick the school they thought was best for them. I don’t think you can go wrong with either school.
What does SAS stand for? I currently attend Shanghai American School, which is also SAS… (And there’s Singapore American School, too!)
On this forum, St. Andrew’s School, Delaware.
St Andrews school.
Mercersburg can suck. My son went there and one of the admissions faculty was his advisor. He never saw her as she was on the road and with advisor to watch over, he was forgotten that he was there.
@jrhmdtraum Did you ask if he could have an advisor who traveled less? How were his teachers? Peers?
@CaliMex , I can’t comment on the other parent’s experience, but I will be happy to answer whatever I can about Mercersburg from my perspective. I have twins there who just finished 10th grade. My son has been there two years and my daughter one, after a year at our public high school. They love it, and we love it as parents, mainly because of the quality of the people who surround our children and influence them: not just the teachers and staff, but also their fellow students. (I’m talking about quality in terms of character…I just can’t think of a better word right now.)
Wow, @twinsmama , that is quite an endorsement. i appreciate your willingness to answer Qs and will reach out when the time comes.