I think it is hard to make blanket statements, but can it help to have been at a “feeder” middle school? I think it can…I suspect only in some cases though. I also wouldn’t look at it like they are accepted over a public school kid all the time. It could be just as likely (or maybe even more likely) they get in over another kid at their own school (only room for 2, not 3) or from another private school. I think most HS do NOT want only private school kids attending. This isn’t even counting kids with hooks, etc.
Alternative story: I went to LPS in 8th. Many of my friends and classmates at LPS had parents who worked at the boarding school in my town. Did that help me get in? I am sure it did. The LPS sent more kids than the fancier day school 1 town over. Going to the LPS helped me, not hurt me.
Generally I think an advantage of private middle school, if it is known to the HS, is it proves you can do the work and they can put the applicants coursework in context better.
No - your info in showing private and the system will send you an email that someone responded, but when it is not private you can click on the person’s username and send a private email (have an off-line conversation).
The help of going to a jbs is being greatly over stated. The most unfair thing in bs admissions is that there will always be a smarter more talented kid than you applying. The bump that a kid is getting from going to a feeder school is getting blown way out of proportion and can backfire. It happened recently in my town. Feeder school had a year in which none of the kids got into highschools and there was a big upheaval.
FYI legacy at BS is a huge factor as well. Do I know many legacy candidates who got rejected? Yes I do.
The thing that gets you into the BS of your choice is having great grades, good scores, amazing teacher recs, really good essays, playing a sport or instrument or having some other way of being impactful at the BS. If you cannot demonstrate how you would be an impact student on your application don’t apply to only Andover, Exeter, and groton. Apply to some lesser know schools as well.
If you have a legitimate update for an AO, by all means send it. If you have an update that could be considered minutia at best and you, or your parent, will come off as pushy and annoying, don’t send it.
Wasn’t trying to make blanket statement, only putting ideas out there as all of this is new to our family. Makes sense that the great grades, recs, sports would put one at the top of the heap so to say. After that perhaps the things like legacy, feeder school may add to a decision. Fitting the needs as well - we are coming in as a 10th grader so already know the spaces are far and few between. It has been an interesting experience though and lots of “fun” chatting online with some great people on CC.
I agree; I also know PLENTY of JBS kids who did not get into their school of choice or any schools for that matter (some were waitlisted or rejected at every school they applied to), so it clearly comes down to many factors!
Imho, the biggest difference coming from a “feeder” makes is that the counselors are good at making fits and writings helping recs. Kids are directed to schools that will want them.
Folks here could hire consultants to help them do the same, but most of us don’t. The JBS absolutely must place all their kids, and they do this by gently directing them to schools who will want them. Expect a version of the same at BS when applying to college. I seem to recall that something like 80% of DS’ classmates got into their first choice college.
There are so many kids who think they shouldn’t get in to xyz because they are smart. But the schools are simply looking for smart enough and then the kids who will make their community what they want it to be AND thrive.
You are at a disadvantage in that you may be less savvy about making a match, but you are at no disadvantage against others where you are a good fit. Breathe easy!
Yes. I went to one, and I believe it had significant influence on my admission to my school. (My old school also pumps 1/3 of its students—yes, a full third—into Peddie. There’s no way that that’s just a coincidence, especially when West Windsor students get brutalized.)
AOs may very well consider this fact when reading the application. They know that many public school counselors and/or principals don’t have time to spend on them like private middle schools, but it is extremely hard to “unsee” a lovely recommendation, beautifully written. etc.
ETA: I think the most impactful aspect of a “feeder” school in this moment of the 21st century is that the program the kids are coming from is a known quantity to BS AOs. Not unlike BS kids applying to colleges. AOs know what e.g. a 90 GPA means because they have context and likely a fair bit of experience with 90 GPA kids from a given place.
Wow, amazing. That speaks for itself as to advantage in that case. That isn’t coincidence, I agree. Old school.
I would be surprised if any HS school my kid is applying to had 6+ from same school, even the day schools from what I have seen. Even way back when, my HS (primarily boarding) never had that many kids from any one school. I recall maybe 3 from the same NYC elementary school in my class, but very very few came from same schools. LPS was probably largest cohort, but still never more than 5 and some of those were faculty kids.
And it is different than the 1:1 discussions after applications close. I was curious if the tippy-top’s true overabundance of qualified applicants, and typically decently large size, meant they could be more principled and not do such things. no clue! but they do have different context.
No and I used it in quotes and also tried to emphasize that the whole notion of JBS being anything better than the LPS (as they are often coined “feeder” schools) really are a thing of the past for the most part. Much like those who believe a “tippy toppy” schools are feeders to ivies. Point being, are people here telling people not in these “feeders” to step back and not advocate for themselves but then turn around and justify the kids in these “JBS” are special enough to have someone advocating for them with the BS while the others sit back and let these kids pass them by? It’s been harder and harder for the feeder school kids to get in with BS trying to diversify their population but those schools still want a proven track record to keep their enrollment numbers up, too. So if the LPS kids have updates/questions/concerns/etc, they need to do the heavy lifting for themselves and email/call the schools they are applying to because no one is going to do it for them. There have been several kids here that have said “I talked with my parents and they now say we can pay without needing FA, what should I do?” or “I think I have a better chance if I say I will be a boarder, what should I do?” And this is where I say, call the school and ask because no one here can give you the answer! If they don’t have a “feeder school” rep in touch with these BS to provide these updates and advocate for them, these kids have to do it themselves!
This was exactly what I was saying and why I had it in quotes. But adding that if a kid isn’t going to do it for themselves, no one is going to do it for them. No school contact is going to be made stating they want to now be in the full pay pile. No one will see they now need to be a boarder because their dad is being transferred unless they notify the school. If updates are worthy a month before M10, why are you asking this board wasting time to update your app, no one but you can do it! A single update is. It going to make a kid sound pushy or annoying, one every other day most certainly will. But when it comes down to it these feeder/JBS, regardless of their pull these days, have an objective to get these students into these schools. It’s what keeps their enrollment numbers up (ie the cash rolling in). After all, why is it that the parents were mad when none of these kid matriculated to the schools they “expected”? They were paying them to do a job of educating and pushing the applications of their kids, there’s an expectation that more will be done for the students by the JBS staff. The kids without this “pull” have to be their own cheerleader and their own advocate if/when questions or changes arise and if feeder school staff can checkin a month before M10, then general public education kid shouldn’t be told to sit back and be quiet either.