<p>and also - GMTA (great minds think alike)</p>
<p>Groton, Milton, Taft, Andover</p>
<p>Here goes nothing :P</p>
<p>Groton School
Idyllwild Arts Academy
Milton Academy
Middlesex School
Exeter Academy</p>
<p>Andover Academy</p>
<p>Fort Saskatchewan High School
Lawrenceville School
Indian Springs High School
Peddie School
Princeton High School
Interlochen Arts Academy
Northfield Mount Hermon School</p>
<p>Berkshire School
Roosevelt High School
Episcopal High School
Alston High School
Kent School</p>
<p>Hm, unfortunately I haven’t been able to find the “!” and not all of those are boarding schools. But close enough. :)</p>
<p>! = [Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment](<a href=“http://www.maharishischooliowa.org”>http://www.maharishischooliowa.org</a>)</p>
<p>o.O slightly confused. Sorry for my ignorance, but why? xD</p>
<p>All these new acronyms are funny but to what end do they serve? At least HADES and, the preferable, GLADCHEMMS stand for a set of widely agreed upon high quality schools.</p>
<p>heheh, the acronyms are just for fun =)</p>
<p>Because those high quality schools aren’t the only ones - just the most famous ones - and because of it we’re hearing from too many unhappy students and parents who drank the Koolaid and ignored other options.</p>
<p>And the acronyms were penned by students over the years from a limited amount of data. So we’re leveling the playing field.</p>
<p>Here is my contribution:</p>
<p>HIDDEN GEMS:</p>
<p>H- The Hill School
I- Idyllwood
D- Darlington
D- Dana Hall
E- Emma Willard
N- Northfield Mount Herman
G- Governors Academy
E- Episcopal High School
M- Merscersburg Academy
S- Suffield Academy</p>
<p>zp</p>
<p>HIDDEN GEMS is a win.</p>
<p>Exie,</p>
<p>It was I (not a “student”) who penned GLADCHEMMS, and it was meant to be more inclusive of the numerous schools in the ‘first tier’, as inexact as that is, than HADES is. There is probably another dozen or so schools that could be included under that acronym but it would cumbersome to stretch it out any longer, after all, GLADCHEMMS is a mouthful at only ten letters. ;)</p>
<p>But all this ranking business aside, the benefit of a boarding school experience (almost ANY boarding school) is something that those who have attended can share mutual feelings, whether for or against the experience, that no other form of schooling can duplicate. It doesn’t matter what anyone says or thinks, having gone to boarding school does set one apart. How can it not? It happens during the still formative and impressionable teen years, and it is all-encompassing – like a second home.</p>
<p>I just wish that more of the applicants to these schools appreciated that aspect over the inane obessession with tiers and rankings…</p>
<p>And anyways how is Taft not comparable to a school such as Middlesex. If you compare them on boarding school review they are extremely similar and only different in a couple categories. I don’t understand the logic behind grouping those specific 10 schools other than prestige, like Exie said. There are other schools that could rival the education and experiences offered at some of the select ten.</p>
<p>@leanid</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>When I was first lurking I spent most of my time reading the student boards with my D. So apologies. No way to retract the post once it’s stuck. ;(</p>
<p>This was a fun thread before her intrusion - lets’ go back to the frivolity. Your Elephant and BS acronyms had me in stitches!</p>
<p>Why every thread turns into a fight these days…</p>
<p>St. Andrew’s School DE
Tabor Academy
Oregon Episcopal School
Pomfret School</p>
<p>Fay School
Interlochen Arts Academy
Georgetown Preparatory School
Hockaday School, The
Thacher School, The
Idyllwild Arts Academy
Northfield Mount Hermon School
George School
!</p>
<p>Peddie School
Episcopal High School
Avon Old Farms School
Concord Academy
Emma Willard School
!</p>
<p>I agree- I weary of the negativity!! :(</p>
<p>G-Groton
L-Lawrenceville
A-Andover
D-Deerfield
E-Exeter
S-St. Paul’s
C-Choate
H-Hotchkiss</p>
<p>The “top tier” boarding schools. Schools like Taft, Middlesex, Nothfield Mt. Hermon, Milton etc., are still EXCELLENT schools though!</p>
<p>Ummm - this is a sarcasm thread. We’re trying to move away from top tier since it’s pretty much based more on fame then any real competitive edge these days. Hence Elephants, BS and Gimme acronyms which sums it all up quite nicely.</p>
<p>Plus we were all due for a good chuckle to relieve the tension. :)</p>
<p>Gladesch is short for Belle Glade elementary schools…where, just yesterday, they unveiled a most unusual, if not innovative, head lice prevention program:</p>
<p>[Belle</a> Glade school | school, belle, children - WPEC 12 West Palm Beach](<a href=“http://www.cbs12.com/news/school-4731714-belle-children.html]Belle”>http://www.cbs12.com/news/school-4731714-belle-children.html)</p>
<p>For those who are unaware that a number of schools, while not in GLADCHEMMS, have had “fame” and standing in the world of secondary education for many decades, do take note of E. Digby Baltzell’s, St. Paul’s alumnus, renowned sociologist and popularizer of the term ‘WASP’, list of “Select 16 Schools”, which, were deemed the leading schools in terms of quality and social standing. </p>
<p>There are some well-known schools that do not appear on this list, like Milton, Loomis, Mount Hermon, Westminster, Holderness and Pomfret, and, of course no girls-schools – being that it was made up in the 1950’s, before women and girls were important.</p>
<p>Here it is:</p>
<ol>
<li>Andover</li>
<li>Exeter</li>
<li>Deerfield</li>
<li>Choate</li>
<li>St. Paul’s</li>
<li>Groton</li>
<li>Hotchkiss</li>
<li>Middlesex</li>
<li>Taft</li>
<li>St. Mark’s</li>
<li>Kent</li>
<li>St. George’s</li>
<li>Lawrenceville</li>
<li>Hill</li>
<li>Wooberry Forest</li>
<li>Episcopal</li>
</ol>
<p>So what’s the point of putting up 1950s list? 
</p>