St. Paul's School Concord NH

Prep School Admissions
1101

<p>The admissions rate at selective colleges and boarding schools may level off or even rise slightly. Factors making it tough to get in Harvard include more qualified applicants, need blind admissions and demographics.</p>

<p>At one time, places like Harvard were filled nearly exclusively with WASP young men from top prep schools and select public schools in the northeast. This has changed as America has become more of a meritocracy. Ivy applicants now include both sexes, national/international spread in origin and great racial diversity. Families that would have thought a state university as a stretch have learned to aim higher.</p>

<p>Little be said regarding need blind admissions. This makes it a lot easier to send an application to Cambridge or New Haven when one knows that an appropriate amount of financial aid awaits the successful.</p>

<p>The number of high school seniors has been rising for a number of years. I believe this is the “high water mark” and numbers will start declining shortly.</p>

<p>The economy may make things easier if schools rethink need blind admissions or reduce financial aid. Plus, a family that gets a 50% ride to an Ivy still has to come up with $25K. That is a lot of money. A student from New York State will pay a max of $17K to attend Binghamton University before aid. The cost is a max of $25K for an out of state student. Net, the economy makes schools like Binghamton, Albany State, U Mass and others very attractive.</p>

<p>Financial aid is not as wide spread as people think. I know a local family of upper middle class status. Their son goes to Georgetown for $51K per year with no financial aid. This is not a wealthy family.</p>

<p>Admission to top preps and colleges hinges on many factors. America has become more diverse. The top college I attended had 5% black students in 1980. That percent has risen to 10% along with increases for Asian and Hispanic students. It is a zero sum game in a sense. There are “winners” and “losers.”</p>

<p>Of course, I hope that the combination of abovementioned factors gets people to look at fit and what really makes sense financially.</p>

<p>Does it make sense to graduate $200K or $100K in debt? More people should look at top state colleges as bargains and save money for graduate school or a down payment on a home. This same could be said for top prep schools as well. Schools in major metro areas with day programs are competitive as the cost savings are huge and one does not have to adapt to not having a child at home. Roxbury Latin is a steal at $19,000.</p>

<p>This does not mean that I do not value SPS and its 100% residential nature. I love SPS for its uniqueness but just like to provoke thinking and dissuade slavish attention to pedigree.</p>

1102

<p>NHSPORTSDAD is my hero!</p>

<p>Date:
1565!!!</p>

<p>1 a: of or characteristic of a slave ; especially : basely or abjectly servile barchaic : despicable , low2archaic : oppressive , tyrannical3: copying obsequiously or without originality : imitative
synonyms see subservient
— slav·ish·ly adverb
— slav·ish·ness noun</p>

1103

<p>so, uh, this question is targeted to all students…
do u find finishing hw at sps to be difficult?
because, i sorta want time to hang out with some friends, or i guess i could multi-task :)</p>

1104

<p>It’s not that hard to do homework, once you get used to spending time wisely. For example, i’m in the midst of a study break in a friend’s room. Plus if you do work in a friend’s room with a group of people it’s lots of fun.</p>

1105

<p>Thanks, Sarum. I have to put my liberal arts education to use once in a while.</p>

1106

<p>Gotta love it!!</p>

1107

<p>hooray
thx for the reply</p>

1108

<p>I just happened be watching celebrity apprentice today (donald trump show)…it’s suck since the first 3 seasons really. But this season there’s an SPS alum…Anne Duke. Pretty famous poker player (if you watch poker on ESPN like me :P). Pretty much the best female poker player in the world.</p>

1109

<p>Annie Duke is also a “fac brat”. Her father taught at the school.</p>

1110

<p>When will SPS be posting college acceptances for the Class of 2009? I ran into some local seniors yesterday and learned of their acceptances. It seems like a tough year given the number of applicants to the top colleges.</p>

1111

<p>Where did the people you ran into get into?</p>

1112

<p>I believe in the Ivy Admin Offices the inmates have taken over the asylum!</p>

1113

<p>Last year, SPS reported in mid May. i would imagine some kiddos are still making up their mind where they would like to go.</p>

1114

<p>I wonder if the bad news about Ivy admits was due to the fact the applicants were FA kids?
Or the new source of the Ivy’s URM’s will be from public schools and abroad and not from the top boarding school sectors.
BTW you all know that it’s easier to get into Harvard-type Ivys for Sophomore year than Freshman year right? There are quite a few fall outs after and during Freshman year at the Ivy’s(as there is in all colleges). If the kid shows a stellar performance his Freshman year at another school and reapplies, he is looked at even more closely than before for admittance.</p>

1115

<p>The student I last spoke with attends a local Manchester, NH day school. He wanted Princeton or Brown but did get admitted to Cornell, Washington University and Northwestern. That is a good result in my book especially since he does not have any significant hooks. From the tenor on this thread, I am sensing that SPS may be bracing for a less than stellar year for Ivy admits.</p>

<p>Although things are more competitive, I like to look at the bright side. It means that more people are aware of opportunity and in position to take advantage. This is good for the country. In addition, the competition has raised the profile of excellent “second tier” schools. They are getting better students as a result. This includes schools like Middlebury, Carleton, Macalester, Colorado College, etc.</p>

<p>I hope my kids have shots at the Ivies if interested but America is a country of great opportunity and doors are open to those who work hard regardless of educational pedigree. The best thing I see at SPS is how much my son has matured in the last few months. I watched him speaking with Bill Matthews on Saturday and I barely recognized the poised and well mannered young man in front of me. The kids learn how to deal with others in a way that is very special. Matriculations are an important measure but you cannot put a measure to the impact schools like SPS have on young people.</p>

1116

<p>NH Dad,
Very few of the kids who are Srs. at the school you mentioned got into their high reach schools. Not sure why, they did get a new College placement guy this year. Maybe he is new and will do better next year.</p>

1117

<p>What was the yield this year?</p>

<p>Anyone hear of movement off the waitlist?</p>

<p>Our household is optimistically holding out hope until SPS informs us otherwise</p>

1118

<p>We were told by someone who works there that they over asked and will not be going to their wait list but then a CC member PMed me and said otherwise.</p>

1119

<p>Thanks Hockeymomofthree!</p>

1120

<p>Financial contracts for returning students were due back to the business office by today. This will give the school a handle on whether or not they will have empty beds if some current students choose not to reenroll for economic - or other - issues.</p>