<p>My rant for today. A prospective student's mom called me today for info. Clearly an affluent family, she was telling me what a world traveller her daughter was. Yet they hadn't fit in a visit to a single school! Will this kid have a chance?</p>
<p>Totally understandable if money is an issue not to visit, but how do these people explain it?</p>
<p>My mother says that boarding school is a bigger commitment on her part than our local school! I guess she's not kidding. There really are lots of breaks, long summers, parent's weekends (2 per year at SPS for some parents), keeping in touch with advisor and counselors, friends to entertain and so on.</p>
<p>I can't believe a parent who had the choice would let a kid choose a school without a tour.</p>
<p>
[quote]
how do these people explain it?
[/quote]
In the memo field of the 7 figure donation check to the annual fund?</p>
<p>Sorry, I couldn't resist that one.</p>
<p>I agree with your rant, completely. There is always time to visit a school. Even with hockey games every weekend except 3 between Labor day and mid-April, we managed to visit all 3 schools my D applied to last year. We even squeezed in the SSAT between hockey games at a school 70 miles from the rink.</p>
<p>I think that family needs a reality check about how truly competitive admissions are to these schools.</p>
<p>They can't really explain it. Even cash-strapped families voyage to the schools for interviews and tours. I'm sure it looks horrible.</p>
<p>I would have visited all the schools i was applying to but neither of my parents could afford to leave their jobs for more than a day and even though we aren't applying for financial aid money was still an issue when it came to visiting schools. although i am visiting andover and exeter on monday.</p>
<p>We were time strapped, and could not get tours for all the schools, but we still made and effort to SEE every single one of them, and should my D get into any one, we will make a trip back on ReVisit day to make sure "IT" is the school for her.</p>
<p>Heck I will never send my kid to somewhere based on a pretty book...</p>