<p>OK -- we are narrowing my son's list down and planning visits, he will do some minor SSAT prep this fall, we are looking at each school's deadlines and requirements and also getting a handle on what will be needed for the FA application.</p>
<p>All schools have an application and charge an application fee -- and it seems like you complete the application in separate parts. Many of the schools want you to fill out a preliminary application and send in the fee before you complete all the harder stuff (like essays, etc).</p>
<p>So -- do we fill out the preliminary application and pay the fee BEFORE we visit? We are planning visits sometime in the October/November time frame.</p>
<p>Since he would be doing an interview with the visit -- doesn't he have to have an open application (and the accompanying fee)?</p>
<p>Also -- when do you ask teachers for recommendations? His teachers are not familiar with writing recs for BS (or writing recs at all, for that matter) and they are very, very busy public school teachers -- so I think they need some time. How early is too early to ask for recs? I am thinking that he could ask after the first quarter ends (end of October). He had the same teachers last year, so they know him.</p>
<p>What about the school counselor/principal rec? His program director doesn't know him well (he in the IB middle years program, so I assume she will write the rec -- his counselor is just a teacher assigned to him). Should we schedule an appointment with her early in the year and explain that he will need a rec and subtly suggest what she might put on it? Should he include a resume of stuff he has done outside the classroom (she wouldn't know what he had done, even if it was school related). Again -- this isn't something she would be familiar with at all. </p>
<p>SSAT test -- he is planning on taking it twice, October and Dec -- and he will submit the test scores in December.</p>
<p>interviews -- we plan on doing some prep at home with tips others have posted -- maybe asking some teachers or scout leaders or something to give him some practice interviews. He is usually very talkative and not intimidated by adults at all, but he does have trouble getting off track and monopolizing the conversation. </p>
<p>any hints as to how to get all this started?</p>
<p>OK, you fill out a pre-application, like name, school, etc before you visit. Then they get it, you visit, you tour, and you do an interview. After you do the interview, you do the application once you get home. I did my Choate app online and once I was done, they had payment opitons so you paid when you sent in the application. Same with Andover, I believe. It might be different for different schools. I took the SSAT after I visited, but it would be better to do it before if you're taking it the first time to see what ranges of schools it applies to based off that. But the SSAT isn't worth much past a certain point while applying.</p>
<p>I took the SSAT afterwards because I already had scores from last year and I didn't think they were going to change that much (the percentiles) so I took it afterwards and they DIDNT change that much.</p>
<p>Visit about 6 or 7 schools, I'd say, to provide yourself a good breadth. You could visit more, if you want to have wiggle room to knock off some from your list, to be able to have 6 - two reaches (AESDCH are ALL reaches), two matches, and two safeties.</p>
<p>I wouldn't give the teachers the recs too early because they might forget about them. What we do at our school is wait until Christmas break, give it to them then, and they have 2 weeks to do everybody's. Then you collect them afterwards and send them to your schools, which usually have deadlines in mid-January or early February.</p>
<p>Would mid-August be the best time to do the pre-apps and set up the times for visiting? Or should that be done sooner?</p>
<p>Some of the schools require the app fee be paid with the pre-apps, so I think we will just make sure he is serious about the school when he fills out the pre-apps -- if he changes his mind after visiting, that is ok.</p>
<p>october 13th is the first testing date for the SSAT -- so I don't know if he would have his scores when he visits. Most of the schools he is applying to have average SSAT scores in the range of 60% -- 84%. He is hoping to score in the mid 90% range, so his scores should be competitive.</p>
<p>Right now he has nine schools on his list -- and he will probably eliminate 2 of those before he visits. He has safeties, reaches and matches -- but since he needs significant FA to attend he really doesn't have any safeties at all.</p>
<p>Reaches -- Thacher, St. Andrews DE, Fountain Valley
Matches -- Mercersburg, Northfield Mount Hermon, Asheville
Safeties -- Millbrook, Conserve, Midland</p>
<p>As soon as you know your travel plans, start scheduling interviews. Most schools are taking interview appointments now, and all will take them after the first week of August. Columbus weekend and Verterans weekend fill up fast. At least that was my experience. I scheduled early so my son would not have to miss school. </p>
<p>It's a good idea to compile a list of accomplishments, awards, ecs, sports, arts, community service etc. You will need to have all this info handy for the aps anyway. Include a copy of this when your son asks for recommendations. Save original copies of graded writing assignments. Some schools ask to see this. </p>
<p>He doesn't need to have taken the ssat before the interviews, although I did notice a warmer reception from a few schools after scores were in (a guess on my part that this was ssat-related). </p>
<p>My 2 cents -- I wouldn't wait until Christmas break to give recommendations, unless your schools have 2/1 or later deadlines. Some schools are geared towards teachers writing recommendations as a job expectations if that school ends in 8th or 9th grade. The majority of schools do not, and you are asking for a favor. I think before Thanksgiving break is good. Some schools have a deadline of as early as 1/10 to complete applications.</p>
<p>I don't know how much FA smaller schools like Millbrook can give. J got into Concord, but they couldn't give her any FA, I don't think, but larger schools like AE can. I think it's harder because they have less to give out. </p>
<p>I don't know the intracacies of this, though, so you should check out the endowment amount and the % of students getting FA</p>
<p>thanks -- before thanksgiving break sounds like a good time to ask for teacher recs. We will include a list of activities and accomplishments as well as a transcript, a description of the schools he is looking at and a big bar of chocolate (this is what we have done in the past for my older son -- we are asking for a big favor from these teachers)</p>
<p>I guess I better start looking at dates now and scheduling times -- a few of the schools have official visiting days, so we have to schedule around them. </p>
<p>did you have to have the pre-apps completed and the applications fees in to schedule the interview appointments?</p>
<p>How quickly do you get the SSAT test results?</p>
<p>olivia -- it is hard to figure out the FA! I have looked at all kinds of figures (endowment, endowment per student, average grant, average grant per student, tuition room and board, % on FA, average grant as a % of cost, etc) plus I am talking with each school about FA.</p>
<p>It seems like some of the smaller schools (like those on his list) do have pretty decent FA for top students. Some, however, may reserve significant aid for either recruited athletes, URM or kids enrolled in special programs like prep for prep. It is just hard to tell unless the school is willing to share that information with me.</p>
<p>for instance -- Millbrook has an endowment of 18 million, with 25% of the kids on FA. the average grant is $29,700 and the cost of tuition, room and board is $39,250. It seems like Millbrook doesn't have that many on FA but when it does give out FA, it is generous. What I need to figure out is whether this is tons of loans and/or used to recruit athletes and URMs. My guess is that both are true -- lots of loans and using $ to recruit. If so, he won't waste his time applying.</p>
<p>You don't need to pay the application fee before you go for interviews. In fact, I don't recall filling out preliminary applications prior to campus visits even. You should call to make interview appointments this summer - the sooner the better if you're planning visits in Oct./Nov. because it gets very busy in the admissions offices then. When you do call, the scheduler will ask you some questions about your son and his interests and you can take that opportunity to arrange a meeting with particular coaches or teachers.</p>
<p>My memory is that they need the inquiry form filled out before the interview. I think this is what you mean by pre-application. When we looked, only 2 of my son's schools for visiting wanted the application fee before the interview/visit. One of these schools had just initiated this policy. When I questioned the Admissions administrator, she said just to tell them that I would give them the fee with the application. I did this, and I'm glad because he decided not to apply there.</p>
<p>We signed up for the package of 10 schools for the ssat. This was the least expensive way, and very convenient because you can manage it online. His ssat scores were emailed to us early. My memory is fuzzy at this point, but it might have been within a week a taking them. He took the Oct. test which is a smaller administration, so perhaps that is why it was so fast. I think you only get the scores emailed to you if you sign-up for this service. It came with the package of 10.</p>
<p>thanks -- I guess I better get started picking dates. We will have to plan three visits: one to California, one to Wisconsin and one to the east coast. I am in school as well as my son, so I need to try an minimize the time away from home. he does have a four day weekend in October and some three day weekends in October and November -- so I will plan around that.</p>
<p>So -- when I call to set up the interview, do I need to have any other info available? If he is interested in learning about certain sports or activities, do I mention it? He isn't at some top level. If there were particular things that attracted him to the school (like its outdoor program) should I make sure he can meet with someone and learn more about it -- or assume that the basics are covered during the tour?</p>
<p>You don't need to have information like SSAT scores, gpa, etc., but they will probably ask you what his favorite subjects are in school and any extra-curricular interests. And you should feel comfortable asking that he get the chance to meet with someone who could shed some light on any particular classes, programs, activities or sports that your son is interested in at that school. The admissions office can't always guarantee that it will work out (everyone has a pretty full schedule), but they do try. They want your impression of the school to be good and the more you can tell them about your son's interests, the easier it will be for them to set up something successful. It is a good idea to specifically mention something like the outdoor program because not everyone at the school will know enough to be helpful.</p>
<p>And it doesn't matter that he isn't at the "top level" as you say - it's much more about what interests him. </p>
<p>I also just realized, in answering your post, that you may not know that at most schools on the east coast, the tour is conducted by a student and the interview is, of course, conducted by an admissions officer. We only toured at one school where the tour (or part of it) was given by a faculty member. I don't know if anyone had mentioned that on these boards yet.</p>
<p>thanks -- we have done one visit, but it was an organized "visitor day" at Fountain Valley so I wasn't sure how it worked with BS on the east coast where you set up the interview.</p>
<p>I am going to sit down with my son's school calendar, the school calendars for each school he wants to visit and what days they say they do interviews and try and figure out when we can go. I think I will also make some quick notes for each school so that I can tell them what his interests are and who we might want to speak with.</p>
<p>since FA is a big deal, is it ok to tell them we want to meet with the FA person?</p>
<p>D and I never met w/ FA person. I think that regardless of what you say, the sch will determine how much of a "bid deal" finaid is for you. If you have the $$, it is unlikely that the sch will give you an award.</p>
<p>Also,remember that finaid awards will depend upon where your income fints w/i the school's parent income pool. So, to the extend that you apply to schs w/ well-heeled parents, you are in the lower income pool and more likely to receive (1) an award and (2) a more generous award. </p>
<p>And, I found data re: the average finaid award less helpful for boarding schs than for college. One is far more likely to find studets (Prep, ABC, Boys' Club, etc.) paying as little as $2000/yr at boarding sch than at college b/c the. boarding schs have a far more diff time filling their beds (not uncommon for lesser candidates who apply as day students to be offered admission as boarders only). My sense was that there were relatively few students at boarding sch actually receiving the reported "aveage" aid award.</p>
<p>Two schools I liked that are not on your list: Taft, Westminster (both in CT). And among the "usual suspects" my favorites were St. Paul's (though isolated) and Deerfield. </p>
<p>Westy was probably D's favorite (small, pretty,conserv). Unfortunately, as a saftey for many kids applying to top boarding schs, D was not a particularly competitive candidate and was put on the finaid waitlist (not uncommon w/ pvt schs). And even 10 days after responses were due, we were still in limbo; fortunately, the other shcs, where D was more competitive candidate, happily offered extensions.</p>
<p>NYC, I agree with you that the school will only give you what you qualify for. However, I do think that if you have an opportunity to meet with a financial aid person, it can help you. </p>
<p>Iin our experience, we met with 2 admissions directors who also were on the financial aid committee. In both cases, we received a very generous financial aid package. My daughter applied to 2 other schools--we met with people from admissions, but not the admin director. One school offered a small FA, the other none at all.</p>
<p>Maybe it was just a coincidence, I don't know.</p>
<p>NYC -- I understand that the school will determine what it gives and I don't have an issue with that -- I fully expect to have to sacrifice to pay. however -- for us, a "big deal" means that if he doesn't get significant aid he doesn't go -- we don't have other options. We have no assets (other than a 1984 car that barely runs) and my husband works two jobs and I work one and attend school full-time. we have a 0 EFC and also show that we need 100% aid through the SSS (older son applied to schools through SSS last year and this year and is on 100% FA) We will sacrifice -- but we only have so much we can do!</p>
<p>I was hoping to meet with the FA person and get some info and maybe share some more details and get a feel for the FA possibilities.</p>
<p>Definitely a good idea to ask anyway...as I say, what with busy schedules, and conflicts, sometimes it just can't work out. But if you know up front that FA is a biggie for your family, then absolutely! Ask! </p>
<p>As I'm sure others have told you (and you know yourself), these tours and interviews are at least as much for you to try on the "fit" of a school as they are for the schools to try you on. They are fact finding missions and I'm sure you will find that not every school you visit will feel right, and those that don't will therefore be dropped from The List. You may start out with 9 and end up with 5; I know that happened with both Smile Pups - they each started out with about 10 schools to visit and ended up only applying to 6 or 7.</p>