Parents of siblings who are about to start the BS application process over again, unite!
Post here for any interesting updates from schools you have visited (vs. the first time around), interviews, test scores, or general observations. We are about to embark on our interview tour (conveniently scheduled before and after Parent Weekend ). Sigh.
And yes, virtual whining is accepted if that is what needs to be done today (in lieu of or in addition to drinking! 
Best of luck to you, @itcannotbetrue. I’m bumping because I’m sure there are other parents out there putting their heads down, gritting their teeth, and eyeing that bottle as they jump in again. I think those of you who go through the BS admissions process more than once are well-armed for the college admissions process. And those of you who have gone through the BS AND college admissions process more than once, well, I’m not worthy…
Don’t let this thread get buried.
Having gone through “round 2” two years ago, I have a question for parents going through it again with their second child."
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Unfortunately, it will get buried. When the title of the thread does not give the user an indication of what’s inside, users tend to gloss right over it. That’s part of the reason why “Help?!?” tends not to get many responses. While I would be happy to edit the title, I tend to do so only with direction from the OP.
Next year! But will gladly watch your process if offered.
@itcannotbetrue - I feel for you. I’m still recovering from going through the BS and college admissions cycle for the first time last year. Somehow we all made it through without killing each other or hitting the bottle. Well, maybe a few cocktails to take the edge off, haha! DS is now a college freshman on the East Coast and DD is happily esconced in BS as a new junior on the West Coast. I’m just enjoying the breathing room until the college cycle starts again next year. Of course, DD has no interest in any of the schools we looked at with DS, so we’re visiting a whole new set of schools. On the plus side, I have learned so much that I am much better prepared and have racked up a lot of FF miles! Also adjusting to being an empty nester a couple of years earlier than planned, but that’s a whole other thread…
I feel for you too.
I did BS applications 3 years in a row. First year, DS1 decided to stay at the local school so we are enjoying him being the only child for short time before he goes off to college. It turned out to be best for all. Second year, I helped an international nephew. He returned home after a short time at a BS. Third year, DS2 is happily at BS.
For all three, I visited completely different schools except for a couple common schools as they are different. In the first year, we visited only the usual suspects. The second year, we visited a lot of hidden gems. I think I visited about 40 boarding schools by now.
This year is a break and then we will do college application 3 years in a row starting next year.
I really dreaded going through the process a second time, but actually it turned out to be pretty enjoyable. I certainly was a much more educated consumer the second time around – we looked at (mostly) different schools, asked different questions, and evaluated what we heard differently. Some of that was certainly due to the difference between my two kids, both in terms of academic/sports interests and their personality. But we really embraced those differences and made sure that we were looking at the right schools for the kid who was applying, not the kid who was already in BS. It turned out to be a good bonding experience with kid#2, as she was much more self-aware than her older brother had been about how she saw herself as a student, what appealed to her and didn’t, etc. The fact that ultimately she ended up at the same school as her brother (the only school overlapped on their lists) speaks not to the process that we went through, but rather to that school’s ability to appeal to really different types of kids.
@SevenDad-- We are applying only to one school in common–the one where my son is at, Choate. Only one out of the five he applied to LY. She is a different kid with different interests, some of which include specific sports. She is also very head-strong and likes to research! What worries me is that all of the schools on her list are very competitive. We need to broaden the search. . .
So, I guess our situation is very similar to @soxmom’s. Thanks for posting–very helpful to know that we are not crazy to apply to not only her brother’s school, but other options that SHE is picking out.
@payn4ward, 40 schools!!! Now we know who to PM with questions 
Interestingly, despite my well-documented adoration for St. Andrew’s (where 7D1 graduated from in the Spring), 7D2 did not tour, interview, or apply there. As with itcannotbetrue’s second child, there were sports considerations for my younger girl…and only a handful of schools made the “apply to” cut. If there had not been those considerations, it would have made the cut…and very possibly been a front runner.