Last one from Photodad:
What else can Kendra say? She’s on the ( bleeping ) Hotchkiss board now !!
Okay- we’re done. 
@PhotographerMom - take good care up there! Hoping to get back up to CT this summer if it can be safe to travel… Hoping you all are safe and finding the good and the gratitude having your “QuaranTEENS” home with you.
@PhotographerMom Well said. It’s truly sad if one thinks any BS need to compare themselves to any other. Every BS we looked at had it’s own feeling and vibe. We liked most of them, some much more than others. There was really only one where we thought the education would not be that great. Some had bits and bits that didn’t feel like a match.
Interesting about the trustees/board. That makes total sense. Of course, people bring different skills. I’ve never been one to get into the reputation of the head of school. But we listened VERY carefully to what each one said. That is the essence of what they are going to do. And we totally listened to the vibe.
I know nothing about Hotchkiss ( honestly, I’d never heard of them until on this board). It is funny/sad to think of someone attending a school based on what someone said/didn’t say rather than by fit. Does sound like a school that attendees like. So that’s good.
I think I have established myself as a strong proponent of fit. But to be fair - The boarding schools have more in common than they have differences.
Not everyone has the benefit of deep knowledge of the boarding school scene. Especially this year, fit is hard to ascertain. People have to make Big Decisions, and with incomplete information humans rely on all sorts of arbitrary , and maybe irrelevant, reasons to distinguish one option over another. Think of how people pick presidents! We are all dumb that way. Human history is rife with examples.
I guess I sympathize with people from the west coast who are trying to read the tea leaves of their child’s future from 3000 miles away in a very different culture. People look to the resources they have available to them. That includes gossip. People agree it is a fine choice for her kid. Even if it is a dumb reason (I don’t know one way or another), there are worse reasons to pick a school than name recognition of a board member. If it tips the scales for this family and they are excited about it, I am excited for them too.
I have no idea if Hotchkiss is better or worse than other schools. I do think it is a shame that they don’t automatically admit faculty kids like other schools do, even though that policy benefits applicants – and benefits other schools when faculty kids reach a certain age and teachers start looking for other posts, “just in case”.
But when it comes to musicals, Hamilton is definitely better than Cats, @Happytimes2001 . That is not open to debate
We wish all the best to each of you and your kids. Hopefully they don’t have to deal with such a petty and judgmental worldview from their parents as we have seen here.
When I tried to describe these message boards to my spouse their response was “thank god they disagree, doesn’t that sound like exactly the type of people we have been trying to avoid for our child?”
Also, while we certainly don’t put any stock in the opinions of strangers, it did seem unique to have Mrs O’Donnell on their board.
Just out of curiosity - as it seems this group believes it is common to have the former headmaster of a “rival/peer” school as a board member - can you reference other instances where that has been the case?
“But when it comes to musicals, Hamilton is definitely better than Cats, @Happytimes2001 . That is not open to debate ;-)”
DD was supposed to get to see Hamilton with her theater group at the end of May…And parts 1 & 2 of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, West Side Story and then The Company for camp. Both her theater group’s trip and camp have been canceled.
One day, we will get to see them, I hope.
Referencing some of the above hullabaloo: So glad it has recently been pointed out that parents live in the dorms with their children at boarding schools…but now I’m beyond frustrated that the schools we’d toured in the fall didn’t include any boarder-parents as part of our visit!
I was robbed. I never got the chance to meet the “type of people” (boarder-parents) we should have been “trying to avoid” for our child!
I realize now, that’s what boarding school is all about. Living on campus with the “right kind” of parents for four years, so the child can have rich educational experience, happiness, and a great future. It’s all about the bonds between our own children and the on-campus, parents-of-other-people’s-children who will be side-by-side 24/7 those four precious years.
Hey guys, I think many of us are sensitive these days – and claiming superiority of one school vs another is fraught at the best of times. Can we agree that all the schools are great, and that fit determines how great a school will be for each particular child?
I would appreciate stopping the snarking on both sides please.
Thanks @cinnamon1212 - I’m not quite understanding the snark, either.
@cinnamon1212 I think the two consecutive posts starting with “We wish the best to each of you and your kids…” is pretty aligned with a Southern “Well, bless your heart” or “I’ll pray for you” and was also an exit/drop the mic/out of here statement. So hopefully that level of snark is going to exit with the snarker.
If I myself came off as snarky, I apologize. For real. I love the overall CC boarding school community, it has without a doubt been the number one reason for a huge improvement in the trajectory of my family, so life changing. There are so many caring good people here, who very generously share there expertise, enthusiasm, and experience. And through PMs, many have gone above and beyond in supporting those new to the process, in providing good counsel when decision making can be tough, and/or in lending advice to kids discouraged by rejections and WLs who may hoping to reapply another cycle or who at least are needing closure. There is so much kindness overall in CC.
Honestly, my intention was just humor and sarcasm (and if you look at my post history, I am not the queen of sarcasm, I try to not to take that road because it can be hard to determine intention when in print only without body language, tone of voice, or other contexts).
But, I mean, you have to laugh when someone loudly announces to a crowded room of people that they wish them the best, and in the next mouthful: you are all the people we are trying to avoid.
@HeadEast Congratulations to your daughter on a boarding school admissions outcome that she and your family are really excited about.
Sorry for the abrupt welcome. Frankly, I fail to see what was objectionable in your first post: “All of the schools mentioned are excellent institutions and each have their pros/cons but in the end our child felt that Hotchkiss was the best fit and as parents we fully agreed…”
Enthusiasm and excitement from a family new to the process, it’s understandable and to be encouraged. Hope you don’t lose a minute of sleep, you deserved a better welcome.
@LeeLeeB. YES.
Hi, I am an Asian student applying to Boarding Schools. Thanks to this thread for making me, an excited yet nervous wreck. Looking at everyone else and the acceptance rates, it is obviously going to be an extremely competitive applicant pool. I’ll be applying tor entry into grade 9. I have not finalized my list yet as I had a query. I read on the gateway portal that the fee waivers will be accepted. I will be an applicant in need of full financial aid. Will the fee waiver cover the application fee partially, or will it cover the entire fee ie. make it free. If anyone has an idea as to how the fee waiver process works, it would be muck appreciated if they could answer.I am quite late in the process so please respond soon if you can.
@crazycookies I think the answer is yes, it would be covered fully. But I would suggest asking that question in a new thread where it’s likely to receive more attention. Also, a couple of other suggestions - there’s a M10 2021 thread that started recently where you’ll find your applicant peers. Good luck, and cast a wide net with your list…
Thank you for your reply and suggestions. It is really much appreciated.
What’s up, I’m Lily, applying as a non repeat sophomore. I’m applying to Lville, PEA, Andover, and Choate(very competitive i know) pretty sure I can get into at least one but I am TERRIFIED my interview with Lville(first choice) is very soon. M10 i will cry regardless if i get into anything or not.
@lilyesh hey lily! I’m Ace applying as a non-repeat sophomore too! I applied to seven schools last year and got waitlisted everywhere (except Andover where I got rejected). I cried a lot when I didn’t get in anywhere, but then I turned it around to start preparing for the next year! On a large scale, it’s such a small part of life and in the end, will just be a memory. So make sure to prioritize your health (physical and mental), take it easy, and have fun with it! I know I definitely procrastinated and stressed out a little too much. Also I got wayyy to emotionally attached to the schools and that isn’t a good idea haha. The interviews are going to be okay (: My first interview was terrible, but once you get into the hang of it, I know you’ll do great! People have told me to treat it as a conversation, but that’s kind of difficult for me so I practice by looking up questions and coming up with answers on the spot, since I feel like that’s what it is. Some things to keep in mind: it’s okay to think about the question for a couple seconds, especially for the hard ones (“how are you unique as an applicant” is one that caught me off guard) so you might want to look up common college or job interview questions but remember that since you’re not applying to colleges or jobs, the questions are going to be a little different. Hope that helps!
I’m applying to Concord, Putney, Hotchkiss, Middlesex, Masters (maybe), NMH (maybe), and Berkshire (maybe)!
Also, this is the 2020 thread, so if you want to go to the 2021 thread, I’m sure there will be a lot more people talking about this year’s application season. Have a great day (:
@cinnamon1212 @Midwestmomofboys @AmBuddha would love to get an update on how all of your boys are doing.