<p>This is to help a mom I know from church.
The boy is a very good student (honors) with exceptional character and very sweet. He scored really high in the language portion of the test but only average in the math. URM in every way (race and family situation). Very unfortunate story. Unfortunately mom could not provide any extracurricular support so the boy does not have much to offer there. Any help he gets is from other members of the church which are themselves overwhelmed with their own kid's needs.
Mom is thinking that the boy's only chance to make it is to go to a BS. Obviously she will need a lot of FA.
I just talked to her and she told me that she only applied for the very best schools of NE. That does not sound right to me. I want to come back to her with suggestions of BS schools that are not Exeter or St Paul. Some schools may accept late applications or she can at least be more reasonable if she need to reapply next year. </p>
<p>Could you guys help me with some suggestions?</p>
<p>I would suggest to apply to schools with rolling admissions and also to school, that have some religious component to them. Boardingschoolreview site can be searched by this criteria as well as the ssat site. M10 (the decision date for the top schools) is only 3 weeks away, so you can do some research and make a list of schools that might be suitable for this kid.
Also, the question to ask: is the mother willing to do all the work again, if the kid does not get into the top schools? While you do have good intentions, the mother is the one who will need to fill out the applications, ask for the recommendations, etc. IMHO.</p>
<p>I would wait till after M10 to start another round of application to schools with rolling admissions and those that still have openings. It sounds like the kid IS the type of students top schools are looking for. Of course without knowing the details of his stats and the quality of his application, it’s hard to predict the outcome either way. What state/area are they applying from? Are they endorsed by and receiving help from organizations such as Prep for Prep? How many schools have they applied to?</p>
<p>I agree with Benley. I think the kid in question would be desired by the “top” (though I do not like that word) schools if his application is solid. His lack of ECs due to socio-economic situation will most likely NOT be held against him by the AOs at the “top” schools. Best of luck and let us know how it turns out.</p>
<p>The only thing the mom told me about the SSAT is that he scored high in English but just average for the math but not the exact numbers. He lives in MA and he goes to a mediocre public school. Thank you and I will let you know either way. She applied to Exeter, Andover, St Paul, Groton and Concord academy. </p>
<p>Well the good news is that with most of these schools, if he’s admitted he should have no problem getting fully funded as well. Also, there should be a relatively more significant number of kids from similar background as this kid in some of these schools, so I think he did the right thing in applying to these schools. Good luck!</p>
<p>7Dad, I am glad great minds think alike! As for the term “top schools”, I could’ve said “the schools the said kid applied to” or “the very best schools in NE” as OP put it, but I used “top schools” as a short form to reference the group of highly selective, well known (in BS world) schools that have the resources and intiative to proactively reach out to kids from disadvantaged background. </p>
<p>The top schools, if they have an opening, should be able to offer FA to the kid more easily than not-so-top schools. They have enough endowment. The problem is those schools seldom have openings once the application deadline is over. I don’t exactly know how many schools with rolling admission can offer enough FA. </p>
<p>So, if they can wait for another academic year, why don’t they apply in the next admission cycle of the top schools mentioned above? </p>
<p>@patronyork they have already applied and are discussing whether or not they should apply to rolling admission schools in addition to the schools they have already applied to.</p>
<p>I am thinking the boy would thrive in a less selective environment and I agree with the religious component. However, from your messages I gather that the more selective schools have better chances for FA. </p>
<p>@am9799: Do the parent and kid share the same view as yours as to what kind of environment he’d thrive in? Were they aware of the selectivity and religious affiliations of these schools before they applied? If they believe it was a mistake that they have applied to these schools, then that changes <em>everything</em>. The FA program no matter how good it is wouldn’t change the life and how he feels every day once he’s on campus.</p>
<p>As for FA availability, if you are familiar with FA programs in colleges, you are looking at a somewhat similar picture here. There are a few schools with large endowments that are known for their robust FA programs and their support to kids of disadvantaged background “routinely” done. However, there are plenty other schools out there that could provide FA or merit based scholarships if they believe the kid is a valuable addition to their community. So, the family needs to figure out what they are looking for first before jumping in the application process. </p>
<p>If this child does not get into any school this admission cycle, he should apply to enter Prep for Prep or similar. In a sense they act as private admission counsellors and have contacts with the Ao’s etc, know where the biggest pot of money may be. They also “prep” a kid to prep so the schools themselves like dealing with them. Its a win win, however he may not need it at all come March 10! (ps church activity counts as extracurricular activity)</p>
<p>All kidding aside, I would advise OP (and anyone else concerned about a school’s ability to meet FA need) to look at two numbers when considering schools: % of kids on FA, and average $ award.</p>
<p>If those numbers are high, then I think that suggests that the school should be able to meet need if they want applicant.</p>
<p>For example, St. Andrew’s, a school considered to be very generous when it comes to FA, states on their website that over 45% of the student body receives some level of aid, and the average grant is $38,000.</p>
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