<p>I think that everyone who criticized Benevolent4Them is being childish and immature. Regardless of what the OP said, I doubt any of you would enjoy having a bunch of people insult you on an innocent post. So, maybe in their opinion Andover is the best, them voicing that opininion should not be met with such hostility…</p>
<p>It was the running down of other schools by the OP. Boosterism is fine, but boosterism at the expense of other schools, is not.</p>
1 Like
<p>@AmbiD77</p>
<p>You are probably new here but some of us have been around a long time. Here’s a sample of a 2009 post from Benevolent4Them which explains our comments. </p>
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</p>
<p>Students can boost for their schools without denigrating the others. In this case, it’s the classic Andover Exeter rivalry but out of context, will be misleading to families looking for real insight.</p>
<p>And this is a senior who is pushing people to apply to Andover - which is frankly bizarre since at this late date it is nearly impossible to get the paperwork completed if the student didn’t already have Andover on their radar. So the “push” for more students to apply to a school with a high denial rate is moot.</p>
<p>I found it odd that anyone would actually feel a need to ■■■■■ for Andover applications on the CC threads…</p>
<p>I find it odd that a senior feels that he has to shamelessly promote Andover using methods that backfire.</p>
<p>I agree with Exie, that benevolent is old enough to know better. But mostly I agree with Choosing: benevolent’s immodesty is a turn-off.</p>
<p>Really? For a school of PA’s caliber to resort to such tactics seems morally ambiguous at least, and certainly disingenuous. Not that I think that schools’ marketing methods are angelic, but… really? Ick.</p>
<p>As urban myths are sometimes born on CC, here are some observations:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I’m a veteran of CC – I have never seen a post from an Andover AO “marketing” Andover on CC. </p></li>
<li><pre><code> The idea that Andover alone actively markets students is silly. All prep schools try to attract students.
</code></pre></li>
<li><pre><code> By the way, just wait until you start getting a blizzard of unsolicited e-mails from colleges. Then, you will understand what aggressive marketing really means.
</code></pre></li>
<li><pre><code> As Andover students love Andover, honest affection – not “marketing” – motivates their positive comments.
</code></pre></li>
<li><p>Andover has a friendly rivalry with Exeter. It’s all in good fun. Each school gives as good as it gets. No student takes it seriously.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thank you for your comments, they were helpful.</p>
<p>FWIW, I don’t think PA alone “actively” markets. We have been through the process. All the schools do market, rather enthusiastically, as is their right. It was the way it appeared to have been done on CC that I took issue with. </p>
<p>Yes – though it was many years ago, I personally experienced the unsolicited mailings (pre-email). I had a briefcase full of them. A nice ego boost, but not, in the end, all that helpful. And at least email doesn’t waste trees and diesel ;-)— given the rise in the use of email and social media by companies and organizations, it’s not a big surprise.</p>
<p>As for 4 and 5, yes, we are aware. But posting such internecine rivalry on the CC boards can be at the very least misleading. It can also cause readers who are not privy to the “in” jokes to become rather quickly disenchanted with any poster who participates in such activity, especially if it’s perceived, as sometimes happens, as hijacking a thread.</p>