I was wondering if anyone here might choose to be Taft '24! I haven’t seen a lot of acceptances but it would be really cool if anyone who got in were considering it. I’m going this year and it would be fun to make friends!?
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I would be very wary of the feedback that can be garnered from other teens; better to ask for feedback from parents on this site.
On the subject of PM’s, the site is a general interest site. Asing for PMs to read personal stuff is fine, but don’t ask for PMs on what clothes to pack; those posts are best shared by all and any such PM requests will be deleted.
Anyone questioning about Lawrenceville I have a bit of a warning. There is no doubt that the academics at Lawrenceville are top-notch, and I am in no way denying that fact, however, the kids at Lawrenceville, in my personal experience, are extremely stressed out 24/7. Many of the kids have been rude as well and many people I know have felt that way. I’m not trying to discourage anyone out there, as you may have gotten a different feeling, but as I live near Central Jersey and know many kids who attend the school, I have a bit of experience. However, Lawrenceville is pretty much impossible to get into, so congratulations to all who did! Feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions!
I think there are a bunch of threads about this.
What I will say is my kids grew up in MA and you’d think it was FL in the winter time based on how they dress. Very few of the kids are wearing boots, hats, coats. They just throw on a hoody and think that’s enough. (As a grown up I don’t think it is at all)
Warm boots - I love ll bean boots and there are lots of different varieties. From just rain to lined and warm. Socks that go in boots are long, not tiny sneaker socks ?
Hat
Warm coat - down or down alternative - depends on your price range. Ll bean, lands end, Patagonia, north face, Canada goose, the list could go on forever. My best tip is wait till you get here and then go to tj maxx or Nordstrom rack in the fall (parents weekend maybe) they’ll have tons of coats that aren’t super expensive and will work just fine.
If price isn’t a constraint look for a down coat that’s also waterproof - lots of cold days that are also wet. (This kind of coat is rare at tj maxx)
Thank you. I really appreciate your reply.
@CrackersCrayons I’m surprised that you think that. I’m a current Lawrenceville student, and I’d actually say the opposite. Students are quite stressed out, that’s true, but everyone is really friendly and, most importantly, they’re not competitive; everyone helps each other do the best they can in their classes. Upperclassmen are also very nice, and for me, they’ve been great mentors and advised me quite a bit on how to get through life here.
Also, @1 kiwi 1, I have no experiences with Hotchkiss, but Lawrenceville isn’t necessarily too well known for its STEM opportunities… the teaching is fine, but the only research opportunities are Hutchins, and Harkness math is a complete failure and should be eliminated from the face of this planet.
As I’m not a student @confusedaboutFA I may have a different view coming from the outside. I’ve seen a lot of kids go to Lawrenceville that I know and have become ruder. It may just be those kids though so I hand that off to you.
@petrichor You can pm and I will also share mine with you. I am also writing similar letter to Exeter. Best of luck to us!
@petrich0r be wary of my editing, but you can email it to me and I’ll do my best!
@one1ofeach thank you so much! i’m honestly kind of dreading spending the winter in norther ct. 50 degrees is freezing to me.
Hey guys, I’ve seen a few future Taft students around this thread. I’m an international student and would be joining the class of 23’ this coming year. Anyone else, younger, older, or same grade that I should expect to see next year 
??
Congrats to everyone from down south who has been expected to schools up north! Enjoy your last southern winter for a few years. Here is some advice from the Flawda-Jawjah line:
- Spring at BS is very short - about a month long
- Winter seems to start @ November. Bring warm clothes after Thanksgiving (if you’re going to school in NH, VT, or Maine - start after Parents Weekend)
- Stock up on hand warmers
- Get used to wearing gloves & socks - however, some BS boys are in flip flops in January
- There is a 5th season at BS - somewhere between winter and spring - it’s called Slush & Mud.
- Amazon will be your new best friend
- Look for end of season sales on NorthFace, Canada Goose (parents- the coat, not Canadian Goose), LLBean, Lands End, etc.
- Do consider buying a simulated day-light lamp that helps with SAD.
- If you play golf, prepare for going through ? a tough time waiting for season to start!
If you want help editing a letter about your FA being too low, you should get an adult to edit it. Students are soooooo nice to offer, but if you are making your case, such a letter should be addressing all sources of revenue and all financial obligations as well as other assets in order to confirm the inadequacy of the offer. This is both very personal and not a student concern. Please get an adult who has experience to look at this if you need help. "I can’t afford to come with the FA you offered " isn’t enough. They made an evaluation based on something and you need to show that it’s wrong.
If you are requesting a meeting and would like to know what you need to bring to reevaluate your case, that’s simple. Sure, anyone can help.
To the climate/clothing question: Do follow the advice here and make sure you have a warm coat, boots, hat, gloves, and scarf. Brands don’t matter. Wear them. We are in Arizona where heat-seeking missiles wander aimlessly, but our son couldn’t seem to differentiate between boots and boat shoes, parka and hoodie, pants and shorts. Don’t be my kid.
Thanks everyone for the editing offers! I’m in school right now, so I can’t do much, but I’ll probably take you up on them.
I wrote a personal letter first, and sent it off. Now i’m going to write a more extensive email with my parents about financial stuff.
Thanks so much for all the support!
@ZimchiZuru ahh the struggle. So close but yet so far…
Hey all… I was just wondering, for anyone who get accepted to multiple schools and is now trying to decide which one to go to, how are you going to choose??? I’m having so much difficulty!!!
I was accepted to Andover, Exeter, Lawrenceville, Hotchkiss, Choate, and SPS… we’re really considering Andover, Exeter, and Lawrenceville the most though.
Remember to take some time to reflect on this decision!! While it would be awesome for people to take themselves off the list for schools they know they’re not going to asap (so schools can plan accordingly), only do that when YOU are ready. Remember most/all of these schools will be doing “virtual” revisits so wait for those to come out and then see how you feel. In the end, when I went through this process (many, many, many years ago), I went with what felt best to me, and without a doubt, I chose well. My daughter only has the choice of two schools, but we are encouraging her to take some time to look over the school websites, see what the virtual visits entail and try to decide where she sees herself fo the next four years!! Best of luck and congrats!
@slowlylosingiq I concur with @cityran - take advantage of all of the virtual revisit opportunities, imperfect though they may be. Scour the school websites. Scour the schools’ social media feeds (make sure to include teams, academic departments, etc. as many schools have a LOT of distinct accounts). Ask questions of current students here on CC.
Most of all, be honest with yourself and trust your gut. Try not to get caught up in what you perceive to be reputation, rankings, etc. ‘Fit’ is the most important aspect of all IMO. Good luck!
This might be a werid question but I was wondering for anyone that got accepted. How did it feel?