<p>ok guys, after the months of interviewing, applying, and waiting, it's finally time to decide where we are going to high school, and most of us only have about 3 days left to make the decision. i'm sure i'm not the only one who is torn between schools. does anyone have any advice on making the decison process easier? thanks!</p>
<p>If soccer really is your life, I guess you would want to choose a school with a strong soccer program! Other than that, it’s hard to advise you without further information. In a nutshell, though, you visit the schools and go with the one you feel fits you best…where you feel most at home.</p>
<p>choose one now.</p>
<p>i am just glad the end (or beginning) is here. this has been going on since september and it is good to get focused on just school and sports again. it took up a lot of time: interviews, testing, applications, visits, college confidential, etc.</p>
<p>Hi, I’m torn directly between two schools: Exeter and Andover. I was accepted by five schools in total, 3 of which i really loved, St. Georges, Exeter, and Andover. I figured St. George’s was not the perfect match for me. So Deciding btw. Exeter and Andover was tough. If you go to any of the revisit days, anyone would tell you to go to their school. Your host might share similar interests or not. I figured that even though i connected with one kid, not everyone was going to be like him. If figured, if people like you got accepted to their school, most likely there is going to some people who have a personality like you. So, after revisits, I had roughly the same impression on each school. I was disappointed a little at Exeter because they didn’t show of their students by talking or singing, like the other schools. But I knew they had talented kids so that didn’t affect me. So what did? </p>
<p>I broke it down into categories and set how important each one is. (for example i value Education the most so i give a possible of 25 points. Food is worth a possible 10 pts):</p>
<p>Education`25pts
Athletics-25pts
Life-20pts
Schedule (saturday classes, length of school)-10pts
Facilities/campus-10
Dorm-10
Food-10
Size of School-10
$/Location-10
Dress code-10</p>
<p>Then I gave each school pts on each area out of the possible points (see above). Sorry if i stink at explaining, hopefully you get it. Then I compared the schools with my ratings. Then you can choose the school you want, whether its the most categories won, most total points, or gut instincts. But this is my way, not suggesting it or anything. Ask a parent or something.</p>
<p>i think andover is more artsy and sportsy and exeter is more focused on the educational side of things. although both school excel at everything! congrats i herculez.</p>
<p>IHerculez, you left us hanging! Which one did you choose?</p>
<p>thanks for all the suggestions!</p>
<p>1234, I agree completely! I would like to know which IHerculex chose too!</p>
<p>Ugg. didn’t help me at all.. ended up with 114 for andover and 115 for exeter. Still deciding.</p>
<p>One quick comment. I like the sports at Exeter better than andover, even though I consider my self very athletic. I figured, i wanted to be on varsity for all three seasons (as early as possible). At andover, due to its size and better stats, it would be hard for me. Where as exeter is a tiny bit smaller, it can make a huge difference.</p>
<p>you are right. education is number one. however i think st george should be higher on your list if you love sports. you could work for three years at andover or exeter only to be replaced by a pg for your senior year. st george is ISL which has no pg students. ISL is competitive in case you worry about recruitment. </p>
<p>of course, ultimately you should pick the school you like best regardless of sports. what if you cannot play your favorite sport anymore? which of these three schools would you be happiest attending in that situation? that school should be your pick. forget about sports and make your choice. it will be the right school. this was my process.</p>
<p>I think it is highly unlikely you would be on V for three years and then be replaced by a PG; or are you saying someone could be on JV for three years? If that’s the case, they aren’t headed for a college career in the sport anyway.</p>
<p>keylyme: yes, i figure a freshman who makes varsity football at exeter will not be replaced. but it is not likely. a guy from my town at exeter made varsity as a sophomore but saw very limited playing time and most got plays on JV. this is more typical. that is why i say make the choice on the school you like best. forget about sports or any ec when you make the choice.</p>
<p>Happiest school, nhfootballer. You make this ever harder. I figured St. george’s would make me the happiest. With its beautiful beaches where i go surfing on every summer + its gorgeous campus and pool. The tightly connected students. i figured St. George’s was not as challenging as i liked it to be. if i go their school, I would break two school records in swimming right know, even before becoming a freshman. I want some strong seniors who can push me, like Exeter and Andover. Yes I do know the ISL is competitive. My sister goes to one of the schools.</p>
<p>If I cannot play one of my favorite sports- I don’t know. Then I would go to Groton. Lol ~ another school. But not an option for me because i can play some of my favorite sports -swimming: Groton does not have a interscholastic swim team.</p>
<p>nhfootballer, that really does have to depend on how serious/how good you are at your sport. If you truly have D1/professional potential and want to keep developing it, you need to take that into consideration when choosing a school.</p>
<p>You have a difficult decision. Personally we would choose SGS. The community was very warm and we felt very welcome. There are still plenty of options for a top student and it might be easier to be noticed and to be the top of your class at a school like St George’s. You can not beat Newport. (This is all my personal bias. I want to go to school there.)</p>
<p>Just as an aside. We recently met a lax family that had 2 children recently go through BS and college admissions. The d was a top student and went to one of your picks. It was always thought that she would get into an Ivy easily. What she found is that everyone in her class was applying to the same schools. </p>
<p>Now her brother went to a school I hadn’t heard of up north. He was one of the top students in his class and ended up with several of his sister’s coveted offers. The moral according to this family (if they had to do it over again) was that it is better to be a big fish in a smaller pond. </p>
<p>Not sure if that helps but congrats on having such great options and good luck.</p>
<p>you are right again, keylyme, but it is hard to predict re D1 sports. pick the school that fits then do your best on the playing field. if you are running for TDs or hitting 3 points like larry bird in a competitive program then you will get discovered. the cream rises to the top for the most part is what my dad says.</p>
<p>honestly,
i thought deerfield was where i really wanted to be.
but, after doing the revisit thing,
i discovered that everyone at kent was EXTREMELY nice
and welcoming and i just felt like part of the school
from the moment i stepped onto the campus.
that sense of community was the ultimate deciding factor…
and everyone there was so happy and seemed to enjoy each other’s company</p>
<p>are we sharing our stories here? oh well, here’s mine:</p>
<p>exeter was amazing.
campus was beautiful. the classrooms perfect.
it felt like it was made for me. I had to decide between a local magnet school and Exeter. You might think that the choice would have been easy: exeter having field hockey, local magnet school not having field hockey; exeter with the #1 math team in america, local magnet school with the #18 math team in america. I had a few kicks which made this choice so stressful, that I felt sick from the pressure. My BEST friends (all from different towns) and I have been planning to go to this magnet school since we were in 5th grade. I couldn’t beleive I would have to make this choice. I was heartbroken. On one hand was this AMAZING school, just waiting for my acceptance. On the other I had a great school with my best friends in the world, who would be heartbroken if I broke our friendship. Through tears and hugs, silences, and discussions, I have finally made my choice. I will be a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy Class of 2012.</p>