<p>What is her composite SSAT score? What does "struggling with B" mean? Most students just take the SSAT once, although many do take it more than once for a variety of reasons. Estimated national percentile is meaningless with respect to boarding school admissions. With 84, 34 and 85 is her composite score in the 68 to 71 range? Is your daughter an URM? I am familiar with the Asheville School and St. Andrew's School, but not with The Stony Brook School. Are you seeking financial aid? Math is the easiest score to raise with additional studying and/or tutoring, so don't worry too much, especially if your daughter is an URM.</p>
<p>I don't know those schools, so I don't know how high is high enough, but those scores sound pretty high to me. (My son took the SSAT at about the same age two years ago.) My son looked at applying to Exeter and Andover for a while, then decided to stay here in town, eventually ending up in EPGY</a> Online High School. Every choice has a different set of trade-offs. I'm not sure that a retake is strictly necessary, but for sure taking care to think through why your daugther is applying and how she can make her case that she fits into each school is a good idea. It may be worth your while to make some more speculative applications to some of the more nationally known schools--she just might get in. </p>
<p>An URM=under represented minority, such as Hispanic/Latino, Native American or African American. No need to retake SSAT. Your daughter, largely due to her URM status, will be welcomed at any boarding school in the U.S., so long as she has a strong application, convincing and genuine essays and great recommendations. You have selected two of the best schools in the country, Asheville and St. Andrew's, if you are seeking a close knit, nurturing environment with excellent academics. You may also want to consider Mercersburg and St. Paul's School. All four of these schools are similiar in that they offer warm, accepting, small communities with outstanding financial aid committed to academic excellence. Good luck!</p>
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Asheville and St. Andrew's, a close knit, nurturing environment with excellent academics.
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<p>If those are your priorities, look at two Quaker schools in Pennsylvania: Westtown School and George School. Same general geographic area as St Andrews.</p>
<p>Applications are due soon.
St. Andrew's in DE is small and very nuturing. I would broaden your scope somewhat. St. Andrew's is very competitive in admissions.
Sorry, I do not know about the other schools.
Would she consider an all girls school? If so, you should look at Miss Porter's, Westover, and Emma Willard.</p>
<p>A random 60 yr alumni of St Andrews promoted the school to me this summer
gave me the website and everything.</p>
<p>Until July I had not considered boarding school but through him I realized
boarding school could really work for my daughter and I.</p>
<p>Her middle school is great but now the HS choices is a lottery.
the better schools are zoned off from some students...</p>
<p>She is excited about the idea.</p>
<p>The question I keep asking how much more difficult is a classroom of
15 students compared to a classroom of 33+ students in honor classes in the inner city.</p>
<p>Would it not be easier to learn in the class of 15 even though the level
of academics is higher???</p>
<p>Trust me, it is MUCH easier to learn in a class of 15. The school I go to now has an average size of 15, and at Andover Summer Session my major class had 15 kids and my French class had four in my section. It's easier to ask questions and you can learn the material a lot faster.</p>
<p>Let me also recommend that you look into St. Andrew's-Sewanee School in Tennessee (<a href="http://www.sasweb.org)%5B/url%5D">www.sasweb.org)</a>. The school's mission includes providing superior college for those students for whom such experiences might not otherwise be available. The school explicitly states that it seeks intellectual diversity along with racial, religious, and socio-economic diversity. They are not looking for the smartest students - they are looking for curious students who are committed to their education and who have the most to gain from small hands-on classes.</p>
<p>As for your question about class size. Small classes mean more personal attention for each student. However, that attention doesn't just mean more help; it also means more challenge and less of a chance of sliding by without making a real effort. Most students from large public schools will see their grades fall when they first enroll in a small school school because teachers don't just expect assignments to be done - they expect them to be done well.</p>
<p>All u said about St. Andrew's Tenn is what the gentleman told me
about St. Andrew's DE and got me seriously looking into a boarding program.</p>
<p>I will say again my Daugther's public middle school is great.</p>
<p>She has gotten a great education the 3 yrs she's been there.</p>
<p>They allow no slacking none... Espec in her pre IB honor classes.
her 7th gr algebra 1 classess (eoc end of class ) test scores (given to all in the state who took algebra 1) r higher than the high schooler </p>
<p>taking the same class. ( one reason is that in middle school only the high flyers take algebra1 or gemetry. In high school it is the general population)</p>
<p>the projects they do r no joke.</p>
<p>There is usually a wait list of 400+ who missed the lottery
waiting to get in.</p>
<p>My fear is that our HS choices r slim to none</p>
<p>I would hate for my child to lose her educational edge.</p>
<p>because we don't live in the right zip code/zone.</p>
<p>I would not retest unless you are sure she will do better, but her scores at the moment are quite excellent. I think your daughter is a good candidate for the school</p>