I’m a first time poster and have been following CC for a couple of days now. Really found it to be a fabulous resource!
We live overseas and have a DD in 8th looking for admission to BS. Owing to where we live, visiting the schools to get the “vibe” may not be possible. We do have a quick trip planned after Thanksgiving to visit some New England and Mid Atlantic schools.
But my big question is how many schools should be on our list, considering that we don’t have any real alternatives for high school where we are.
It will depend on whether you are applying only to super selective schools and whether you need FA. If the answer to both is yes, you’ll need more. I think a lot of people recommend around 6 if the answer is no to both and you don’t have a local option.
In your case, it sounds like American BS is a must…so I would err toward more and cast a very wide net. Like gardenstategal, my own kids only applied to 3 each, but in your case, I would apply to 5 or even more. And if you are considering schools like Exeter, Andover, etc., be sure to have some “hidden gem” type schools/schools where your kid’s stats are going to make your daughter a very attractive candidate.
We applied to 11. We were across country (not quite overseas but still too far to really visit too many schools). We needed FA, but did not realize how selective the schools we applied to were until it was after deadline. I didn’t really get on CC until too late, and knew no one who had any experience whatsoever with BS. I agree with both @SevenDad and @gardenstategal (who have both been so instrumental in my BS “education”) that if you need FA or are looking at the better known “elite” schools—cast a wider net. Before your visit, research potential schools as much as possible to find some with characteristics you are looking for. On your visit, concentrate on schools that had the attributes most important to you and your DD. Most of these schools have stellar education and academics, so when I say attributes—I’m talking size, urban/rural, coed/all-girls, arts or sports programs…if FA is an issue, you may want to look at endowment or percentages of kids on FA, also. And of course, troll CC and ask questions about whatever schools you may be interested in visiting—there is a ton of insider insight you won’t get from websites or brochures.
I would cast a wide net in your situation. As you may not be able to visit all the schools, you should be able to find information online through the schools’ portals. Many schools do Skype interviews, for applicants who are not able to travel to campus.
An experienced consultant could give you a better idea of how many schools your child would need to apply to, in order to be certain of a school for next year.
Good luck! On the positive side, in general boarding schools know that an international family is often quite serious about boarding school.
Sometimes finding a consultant if you are overseas is like finding a school for domestic families. If you are not familiar with the process and comfortable with the players, you need to rely on trusted advice from folks you know in your real life; finding a good or the right consultant for your particular location and personal situation is not always an easy task. American boarding school admissions offices witness horror shows due to incompetent or dishonest consultants all the time.
^^There are also some terrific consultants out there who know all these schools far better than anyone you know will. They are successful because they understand fit, both for the student and for the school.
And many work quite well via skype specifically because they serve geographically diverse clients.
Yes, there are some useful consultants out there especially when cultural and language issues might be an impediment, but finding the proper and trustworthy CONSULTANT is often similar to the process of non-traditional new families in the US finding schools because the most comforting info comes from people you know and trust who can make recommendations and give advice backed by a preexisting relationship.
I’m back! and apologize for the hiatus (filling inquiry forms to set up visits etc). Thanks for ALL the responses - Truly overwhelmed by your prompt help.
Whilst I am not asking for FA because of some corporate assistance, I would like to look into it since any amout will certainly ease the burden.
We’re making a quick 5day visit to the northeast (New England and Mid-Atlantic) to tour 6-8 schools. I am inclined to go with a higher number 10-12 for the same reasons voiced by buuzn03, Sculptordad and Periwinkle. Our list has Choate, Hotchkiss, Middlesex as reach and Hill, Mercersburg, Peddie, Loomis, NMH, Blair, and Berkshire as well. Our DD is a good student with ~90% SSAT and 3.8-4.0 gpa with a friendly and confident nature. But not much strength in atheletics.
I was considering adding WRA as an additional option. Thoughts? We have a BS fair coming up and will be meeting with some of the said schools, and will likely visit them again during our visit. Fingers crossed…
Not sure about a Consultant but will look into it. Thanks Periwinkle for the links
Episcopal might be worth adding to your list. It is so close to the Washington DC airport, it might be the easiest school to get to and from if you live overseas. And yet, the campus feels very rural or suburban despute that proximity.
The kids also have some great internship opportunities in DC, which is also worth considering.
Also: George School is easy to get to from the airport in Philadelphia. I went to college with a number of George School grads and they struck me as particularly thoughtful and kind. The campus is supposed to be quite pretty. I believe they have the International Baccalaureate curriculum.
There are so many lovely schools to consider depending on what you are looking for. The more you share about the sports, extracurriculars, environment, and culture you are looking for, the more this group can help
As far as getting to schools from the airports, I would assume that most boarding schools have systems in place to make it easy. For instance, Peddie is 40 minutes from the nearest large airport, but the school runs shuttles etc for breaks. Also, there seems to be some sort of informal knowledge flow amongst internationals of different car services to use if, for instance, you want to arrive a week before school opens to stay with friends.
Our DD is really interested in Drama and Theatre Productions, as well as tennis (still learning) and basketball. She’s more inclined toward English, History and the Social Sciences from the academics point of view.
Whist she’s pretty mature, she is young for her grade - in 8th and will turn 13 in Jan. So we think a school with a more nurturing environment, without losing the academic challenge will be most acceptable.
She’s extremely social and makes friends easily. Maybe for our own sake as well, we’re looking for a BS that has a smaller, homely feel. If that that make sense…?
At least 10, and if they are all super competitive, without a hook of legacy, URM, recruited athlete or feeder program like Ichan Scholars type of poor student, then more unless you want 10 wait lists come M 10.
Westover and Walnut Hill are definitely worth considering given her strong interest in theater and the arts and your desire for a smaller, more nurturing environment… Admissions are also slightly less competitive than at some of the larger schools mentioned most often here…
@CaliMex I believe OP said they didn’t necessarily need FA because of corporate sponsorships but they were going to ask for it. Which again, I would say that will limit open slots severely. I didn’t realize how "blind admissions " weren’t really blind and FA = WL. My advice would be to let AOs know that FA (or lack of receiving) will not prevent you from attending, if it is not absolutely needed. Otherwise, cast a much wider net.