<p>I wonder, strangeusername, whether exposure to the forum BEFORE your family got to the revisit phase would, in hindsight, have changed what you did earlier (about applying to BS)?</p>
<p>In any case, congratulations! Several SAS families will stay tuned over time, if you/son have questions, or comments, later on. (Earlier posts cover a lot of ground, as you’ll see, but there’s always new ground to cover.)</p>
<p>@strangeusername: Congratulations! I am the parent of a current III former. When we were going through the application process, SAS was not even on our list. We found out about it on one of our visits to another school. We applied last minute after hearing some very good things. Eventually, when we went to “visit back” day, we could not imagine any other school for our D and she too decided there was no other choice but SAS. This is her first year there, and our first experience with boarding school, and I must say it has been very positive. The teachers are top notch and very dedicated; the students are bright, respectful of each other, and an overall great group of kids; the administration is very accessible and responsive; and the sense of community that you get when you visit the school is real! We too are not Episcopalian and I can attest that there is great respect for all who attend. If I can be of any help, don’t hesitate to PM me.</p>
<p>I have read through all of the posts on SAS, and on a number of the other big-name schools before joining… and my answer, Charge78, is no. Obviously, I read the few less-flattering posts with interest, but I also know that there is no such thing as perfect. I would be a little suspicious if everything was presented as 100% rosy. The big picture is the key, and in the large, I think that SAS comes across very well on this forum… on its own and in comparison to many of the other big-name schools. </p>
<p>that’s great to hear Sunflower219! Obviously, the biggest concern we have is the fear that your child is feeling out of place and can’t just come home to the familiar and unconditionally-accepting. I have no doubt that he will fit right in as he does wherever he goes, but as his parents, we are genetically programed to be very concerned about it. We can’t help it. I’m sure once he has settled in… and we get positive signals that he is happy, we will gradually get use to it as well. that’s the plan and I’m sure it will play out that way.</p>
<p>So happy to hear that some families from this year’s app cycle have found SAS to be as compelling as we found it to be two Aprils ago!</p>
<p>There are a few relatively active SAS parents on the forum, so feel free to PM with any questions you feel are best addressed off of the public forum.</p>
<p>Many thanks, I’m too new on CC, it says that I can only private message after a certain amount of posts… in any event, I have this site to be very helpful.</p>
<p>For those prospective, soon-to-be, current, and former members of the St. Andrew’s family, if you haven’t listened to the recent (4/3/13) chapel talk by SAS bus driver Lonnie Dillon, you should.</p>
<p>Another benefit of a going to a smaller school like SAS? Your entire grade can turn out to celebrate the final member of the class of 2013 finishing his Senior exhibition.</p>
<p>[Senior</a> Exhibition Finale 2013 - YouTube](<a href=“Senior Exhibition Finale 2013 - YouTube”>Senior Exhibition Finale 2013 - YouTube)</p>
<p>Good snapshot into what SAS dress code looks like in practice.</p>
<p>Wait a minute! What about when the ENTIRE SCHOOL turns out to celebrate your birthday, in an indoor/outdoor highway of luv. </p>
<p>[Happy</a> Birthday Mason! - YouTube](<a href=“Happy Birthday Mason! - YouTube”>Happy Birthday Mason! - YouTube)</p>
<p>that’s twice as nice</p>
<p>Perhaps the most important thing I noticed on our most recent trip to SAS…the Friendly’s has risen from the ashes. With any luck it will be open by Arts Weekend.</p>
<p>SAS class of '17 – go Saints! �� I am so glad I applied to this little gem of a school – though it’s such a classic hidden gem, I don’t even really think it’s “hidden” anymore!</p>
<p>Just got back from walking the dogs on a seriously warm evening. So, Athena, you got into several great schools. Not sure if Thacher was one of them; it had seemed to be your top choice, at one point. Thrilled to hear that you will join SAS, with my daughter and another girl I met at a recent crew regatta. Would you care to say anything about what attracted you to St. Andrew’s, and/or how you made the choice? Thanks for considering; I opine professionally on such matters.</p>
<p>When I started considering different bs, SAS actually wasn’t too high on my list. But I fell in love with the warm community (seriously-- every single person I met was nice/welcoming!) and revisit day sealed the deal. And I guess it helps that Mr. Roach is probably the best principal I have ever met! :)</p>
<p>“When I started considering different bs, SAS actually wasn’t too high on my list. But I fell in love with the warm community (seriously-- every single person I met was nice/welcoming!) and revisit day sealed the deal.”</p>
<p>It’s so nice to see that new pools of applicants are having similar experiences/reactions to ours a few years ago. Go Saints!</p>
<p>Oh, and congratulations on making this decision as the end of a very demanding process! </p>
<p>Ditto on all that you wrote. Years ago, SAS hadn’t really grabbed our attention and was not large on the radar as we began our son’s app cycle in '11. For him, Visit Back allowed the community to shine, especially in comparison to another school. The class I sat in on was outstanding, and we all admired Mr. Roach’s vision for boarding and education. So far, this year, the academics have been challenging (in the good way) and the opportunities to grow outstanding. Our daughter knows several of the III Form girls from applying this cycle, and their generosity in making her feel very comfortable was critical to her choice. Nearly every SAS family I’ve spoken to has similarly been thrilled by their experience there. Carpe Diem!</p>
<p>Thank you Ops, SevenDad, and Charger78.</p>
<p>We’re drinking the Kool-Aid.</p>
<p>Welcome, your daughter is going to have an incredible journey!</p>
<p>We are feeling very good about the decision.</p>
<p>:-)</p>
<p>I am still around…
:)</p>
<p>A young St. Andrew’s alum walked across America over the course of 2011 and 2012 and will be featured on NPR’s “This American Life” this coming weekend…</p>
<p>[Hit</a> the Road | This American Life](<a href=“http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/494/hit-the-road]Hit”>http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/494/hit-the-road)</p>
<p>When Andrew was doing the walk, he kept a blog that I read…it’s available at [Walking</a> to Listen | Across the country, one story at a time](<a href=“http://walkingtolisten.com%5DWalking”>http://walkingtolisten.com)
which also contains a longer podcast about the project.</p>
<p>Go Saints!</p>
<p>@Winterset: Glad to hear it!</p>
<p>That is an amazing adventure. Could not stop listening. Just wonderful.</p>