<p>We just came back from our revisits to Hotchkiss and NMH. After Hotchkiss, we joked on the way home that NMH would really have to knock it out of the park to compete on the revisit experience...and they did!</p>
<p>We really can imagine our son fitting in at both schools, and each certainly has its advantages and disadvantages. Unfortunately, it may end up coming down to cost, as one simply offered a better FA package than the other. Not an "extremely" better offer, but a difference significant enough to make us think hard about the possible sacrifices.</p>
<p>They both have done such an excellent job of selling their school and connecting with our son and our family, it almost breaks our hearts to say "no" to either one. </p>
<p>Anyone have experience with changing from one bs to another after a year if things don't work out? Any idea how that plays out with admissions?</p>
<p>Congratulations! I do not know much about NMH, but from what I can tell both are great schools. Looking at financial patterns, would it be accurate to assume that Hotchkiss has given you a better package? </p>
<p>If so I would take it. If NMH has a better package, it would be tough to decide… Depends, does prestige matter at all? Selectivity? Hotchkiss also has slightly better recourses. Make critical and objective list for each school and compare them. </p>
<p>According to your statement you would be happy with either school.</p>
<p>“They both have done such an excellent job of selling their school and connecting with our son and our family”</p>
<p>I fail to see a conflict here, why not go with the school that gave you the better FA package? </p>
<p>My guess is there is something else influencing your decision. I will make a stab and say your are being swayed towards the Hotchkiss name. Forget the name, where do you and your son think would be the best fit. Pick that school, either one, and don’t look back.</p>
<p>Thanks for the comments and support. Applying was son’s decision and want the school choice to ultimately be his as well, but would prefer that it be based on longer term goals as well as fit. But, I may be bringing my own biases into the discussion.</p>
<p>Put a few days behind you on the re-visits and make a list of what you all liked about each. That’s what we would do.<br>
If the one with the lower FA comes out WAAYYY ahead, call them and ask for a little more - can’t hurt.<br>
If they come out about the same, I’d go with the higher FA.<br>
Obviously if the higher FA is the “winner” that choice is easy.</p>
<p>They both offer such a wide varity of classes and EC’s but see if there is anything he is interested in that one of them doesn’t offer and the other does. For us, for example, NMH does not have diving anymore (diving well at the pool on old campus). Languages? Trips? Sports? </p>
<p>Location? Both rural, but NMH is closer to malls and such. We have a friend who went to Indian Mountain in Lakeville who did not apply to Hotchkiss or Salisbury because he said it was in the middle of nowhere - he did apply to NMH. I think Lakeville is beautiful, but…</p>
<p>If diving/swimming is important, ask NMH when they are building their new gym. I know it was next on the schedule, but that might have changed with the current economic situation.</p>
<p>I was just using that as an example. It would be a bummer to get to a school after loving two choices and find out that something isn’t offered, or is being phased out, or isn’t being implemented for a few years.</p>
<p>Don’t want to hijak this threat, but I’m pretty sure they are not planning on having diving even in the new gym.</p>
<p>See if you son can spend a day shadowing a freshman student at each of the schools. All of the schools really try to shine on revisit days so try to have your son spend a ‘regular’ day.</p>