<p>14% wow. So do we expect a 10%- acceptance rate?</p>
<p>Winterset, I can’t imagine the heartbreak of being an alum and having my child turned down. How do these people deal with it? Do they cut out giving, etc?</p>
<p>my SPS interviewer, who was super duper nice, told me that SPS is only looking to accept ~10 grade 10 girls 
and last year their acceptance rate for 10th grade girls (or 10th graders, i’m not sure) was 10% compared to 16% for grade 9. yikes, considering it’ll be even worse this year…</p>
<p>Catg: I had one formmate whose wife said they would not give after their child was rejected but my friend called me and gave, but asked me not to tell his wife (!). In fundraising for schools there is no question that money follows the children, but most alums realize that the school may not be right for their teen. For our son it was perfect and he misses his life and friends terribly. He even misses NH, which he did not care for initially. </p>
<p>As for the percents… Remember your chances are Zero % if you do not apply. They do their best to admit a mix that will work. They target an even gender split, so odds can be better or worse for one gender, for a particular form in a specific year. A year later the odds could be reversed. The same is true for interests/aptitudes. Imagine if three great harp players apply a particular year and they need a harp player, they probably will accept one, but three would be unfair to the students and unnecessary for the orchestra. So odds are very difficult to determine and change from year to year. </p>
<p>The hardest thing is to not take a negative decision personally. I have seen that with both college and boarding school admissions. All these schools try to build a class and want certain things in any given year. You can just hope that you have something they need (how many hockey goalies do you need? What if you have all goalies and no offensive line?). </p>
<p>I hope this helps. But again - - - if you don’t apply you have no chance.</p>
<p>Wow, a 14% increase? Ouch, at least FA is up.</p>
<p>Will the new science center be up and running for the fall? </p>
<p>The admissions stats are a bit discouraging, but it’s yet another thing that applicants have no control over. Hope for the best!</p>
<p>Hey Neato, I’ve been watching the science center go up, and progress looks great! We continue to hear it will be on line in the fall. Is your daughter looking at SPS?
Happy to report my DD is doing well there, and we are happy SPS parents.</p>
<p>Yes, she certainly is!</p>
<p>I know that SPS has an online notification for M10, but is it via email or is it a login thing ? I’m confused.</p>
<p>swissbrit - See the thread called [“How</a> Schools Notify Acceptance”](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1073196-how-schools-notify-acceptance.html]"How”>How Schools Notify Acceptance... - Prep School Admissions - College Confidential Forums) for that info. According to what’s posted there, SPS posts its decisions online (so you have to login to see your decision).</p>
<p>SPS will mail you a login username and password in mid to late February with instructions on how to receive your decision online.</p>
<p>Oh, okay. Cool ! Thanks !</p>
<p>From the SPS web site:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.sps.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=5636&rc=0[/url]”>http://www.sps.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=5636&rc=0</a></p>
<p>Turf Is on the Way
2/9/2011</p>
<p>In Chapel on January 31, Rector Bill Matthews ’61 announced the approval of a 140,000-square-foot synthetic turf facility at the corner of Silk Farm Road and Dunbarton Road. The field is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2011.</p>
<p>“It is a huge thrill that a needed facility has been approved to be built this summer,” said Athletic Director Liesbeth Hirschfeld. “This is a critical need for all fall and spring sports – it will be heavily used.”</p>
<p>The project, which has long been on the School’s radar, was approved at recent meetings by the Trustee Finance and Buildings and Grounds Committees as well as by the full Board.</p>
<p>The multipurpose athletic field will be designed to accommodate field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and football. It will feature an oversized space, one that provides the option to run concurrent field hockey or lacrosse games on the same field. The turf facility will also include two scoreboards, lighting for night games, and a parking lot adjacent to the field. A one-level support building will offer restrooms, a trainer’s office, storage, and maintenance areas.</p>
<p>The turf field was made possible through a combination of allocated capital expenditure budget money and the gifts of several alumni and parents. The field has for many years been perceived as a great need for the athletic program, said Hirschfeld, as it seeks to maintain parity with peer schools, many of whom have access outdoor turf facilities or maintain campuses in regions of New England where snow and rainfall cause less of a burden on their athletic programs.</p>
<p>Hirschfeld is enthusiastic, in particular, about the impact the turf surface should make on the SPS field hockey program. When played on turf, the sport features a much faster-paced game, she explained, one that replicates what student-athletes who continue field hockey at the college level would expect. The turf – which is plowable and will not have the drainage issues associated with natural grass fields in the spring – should also make a positive impact on the girls and boys lacrosse programs, which will now have access to the outdoors long before the typical spring thaw.</p>
<p>“This will eliminate the disadvantage we have had with some of the schools we compete against,” said Hirschfeld.</p>
<p>A lighted turf should also provide ample opportunity for St. Paul’s to host night games as a way to boost School spirit.</p>
<p>On another thread there was a discussion of chapel-announcements-religion etc at Andover versus SPS: just to keep all information together. I posted the following on that thread:</p>
<p>Re SPS-religion-chapel: Classicalmama, you have it about right. DAndrew: lots of stuff in life is mandatory… like classes? The Morning Chapel is just a place to start the day. From there everyone disburses to their classes for the day. No big deal. A lot of the program is done by students. Here is the program from last Friday’s Chapel: <a href=“https://www.sps.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=204&nid=587162[/url]”>https://www.sps.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=204&nid=587162</a></p>
<p>Yes there are speeches sometime. Here is a list (with audios): <a href=“https://www.sps.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=113809[/url]”>https://www.sps.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=113809</a></p>
<p>In the winter (when cold and dark) chapel is at 8:30. The other terms it is at 8:00. If you go to page 65 of the Student Handbook, you will see what the schedule is like [Student</a> Handbook 2010-11](<a href=“http://www.sps.edu/flipbook/student_handbook_2010-11/index.html]Student”>http://www.sps.edu/flipbook/student_handbook_2010-11/index.html)</p>
<p>It can be nice to walk 5 minutes to class or 5 minutes to see a teacher or 5 minutes to endless friends, activities, sports, plays, movies, or meals. A pretty nice life!</p>
<p>STILL trying to bring some of the disparate threads back to here before the fabric frays. I just posted the below elsewhere. But in case you have not seen it… You really really really should view the following[/u/: <a href=“https://www.sps.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=52562&a=86468&play=1[/url][/size]”>https://www.sps.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=52562&a=86468&play=1</a></p>
<p>Here was the post on the other thread:
pa43531, part of the answer can be found by randomly picking one of the student chapel speeches (<a href=“https://www.sps.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=113809[/url]”>https://www.sps.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=113809</a>). SPS does work hard to develop a “cultivation of community for social consciousness” but do not assume that that results in a subjugation of the individual. I cannot tell you how it happens or the combination of chapel, size, faculty, prefects or programs, but it does work.
[ul][<em>]This weekend I had at least 20 emails (too many) from SPS formmates (a long long time ago).
[</em>]At Christmas three former formmates stayed at our house with my son.
[<em>]At thanksgiving I received the call that two recent SPS graduates lived too far to get home and could they join us.
[</em>]or if you have time, go here: <a href=“https://www.sps.edu/podium/default.a...a=86468&play=1[/url]”>https://www.sps.edu/podium/default.a...a=86468&play=1</a> I know many of these people. It is quite real.[/ul]</p>
<p>Okay so true at all schools perhaps, but it warms my heart to see so so many instances of kids caring and reaching out to others. That is a community.</p>
<p>Matthews Hockey Day… This morning an alumni friend of mine sent me a like to a video he produced on the Matthews Hockey Day. As many of you know the first Hockey game in the US was played at St. Paul’s. Hobey Baker was one of our illustreous players, as were a number of NHL players and… of course their was our Rector Bill Matthews. He played coached and is in the NH Hockey Hall of Fame. </p>
<p>So with his retirement looming, we had Bill Matthews Hockey Day. All players were issued jerseys with Bill’s number (#19). A bit confusing with “#19 passes to #19, taken away by #19, passed to #19 for a shot on goal by #19 on #19 and Score!” The same day we played Exeter (boys varsity) and won 4-2. </p>
<p>My friend prepared and posted a video on YouTube of the day and highlights of the game and scenes from campus. You might like it: [YouTube</a> - Matthews Family Hockey Day, 2011 - SPS](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube) </p>
<p>You might also be interested that Bill Matthews, a die-hard Red Sox fan, will be tossing out an opening pitch for a game this spring! And of course the rinks will be renamed for Bill.</p>
<p>Okay… now it’s someone else’s turn to post something or ask that question you have been itching to ask.</p>
<p>Here are a few “lighter” questions for the SPS parents/students:</p>
<p>I’d like to know more about the on-campus fly fishing opportunities. I’ve heard that there are trout in the campus creeks. Do students actually take time to get their lines wet?</p>
<p>Also, do many kids x-country ski on campus (recreationally)? It seems like a great way to get around when the ground is white.</p>
<p>
</a></p>
<p>Thanks so much for posting this! I thoroughly enjoyed watching the video and didn’t want it to end. It was a nice divergence from all of the posts about SSAT scores, acceptance rates, and rankings and opened my eyes to what the atmosphere is like up in Concord. It’s amazing to see the legacy that one school can maintain throughout the years and all of the opportunities that these types of schools can provide. I am really excited to hear back from the SPS admission office next month. Thanks again for posting this!</p>
<p>Fly Fishing ? Yes. They stock trout in Turkey River coming out of Little Turkey Pond (just use Google Maps for it in Concord NH) and flowing to the Lower School Pond. That is on campus. Or go here for a description and photos ([Turkey</a> River, Concord, NH, Fishing Spots - goby.com](<a href=“http://www.goby.com/turkey-river--near--concord-nh/e-3128489#_goby]Turkey”>Scout)). Depending on student interest there is an Angler’s Society. Or find a faculty member that likes to fly fish. I am a fly fisherman, but never fished on campus when I was there. Through campus and downstream, it is slow and I suspect a bit warm for trout, but I do see people fishing in the ponds on campus. I suspect perch. </p>
<p>Cross-country Skiing? My son was on the x-country team. They obviously have a course on campus for both traditional and skate skiing. No idea how much recreational skiing occurs during free time. Maybe a student can answer that one.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Thank you, SevenDad, for one of the most wonderful questions I’ve seen posted on CC in quite a while! (And thank you, Winterset, for your reply!) I dearly hope that one day a student will show up at SPS for his interview and declare that the reason he chose SPS over the several other, equally renowned schools was because he’d heard the school has good fishing! It just goes to show that there is a lot more to the boarding school experience than what goes on in the classroom.</p>
<p>(And I will admit that I personally find the size of the fish in the school pond a heck of a lot more interesting than the size of the school’s endowment - per pupil or otherwise!)</p>