<p>I've read it mentioned a few times that there are more applicants to boarding schools this year...more than ever. That seems surprising to me. We are still in a recession (or at least it feels like we are). So I would have thought fewer applicants because money is tighter. So why the increase in applicants this year?</p>
<p>education quality in government schools decrease so we go to private schools that are rich.</p>
<p>Budget cuts in public schools that parents thought were once “good” but now with cut extra curriculars some parents seeked out other options. I suppose you would see an increase in students applying for FA too.</p>
<p>my peddie acceptance said that financial aid requests went up 24 percent</p>
<p>Personally, I blame poor enforcement of No Child Left Behind. In my area it only helps kids w/ learning disabilities and leaves everyone else out to die. I mean honors classes are being replaced w/ remedial classes. Is there not a problem with this? IMO there should be both. But alas, there’s usually not enough in the budget for that.</p>
<p>^^so smarter people are applying to BS</p>
<p>Population increases every year –> there are more 14 year old kids every year
With internet, more and more ppl know about boarding schools (and the possibility of getting finaid)
That’s my guess :D</p>
<p>i agree with everyone but yea rad- in plaid, that act leaves the high achievers behind</p>
<p>Don’t get me started on No Child Left Behind. It should renamed ‘No child left behind, No Child gets ahead’ Argh!</p>
<p>ur right. everytime i hear that name i cringe. if i was done with work early in younger grades i would go around the school collecting money for a teacher’s baby shower, since my teacher couldnt give me any other work to do. my mom thought i was spending more time out of the class than in it.</p>
<p>I used to think that “No child left behind” refered to the car line where kids get picked up after school…</p>
<p>HAHA Blue- my mom calls it 'No Child Left A Dime"</p>
<p>lol
10char</p>
<p>No Child Left Behind has been around for a few years. Wouldn’t its affect on BS applications have occurred a few years ago and not between 2009 and 2010?</p>
<p>The law aims for 100% proficiency by 2014. That goal may be impossible, but the pressure on the schools has been increasing. Most students in school in 2009 will be the cohort subject to proposed 100% proficiency. As the target proficiency rate rises, so does the pressure on the schools to bring all students to proficiency. </p>
<p>In our state, our 10th grade NCLB exams, particularly in math, are very similar to the 8th grade exams. There’s no reward for improving the performance of students who score proficient or advanced in 8th grade. </p>
<p>As budgets are cut, resources are being transferred to those students most in danger of failing NCLB. In our local public high school, the only sections of the school budget to be increased over the last 5-6 years have been special ed. The budget for materials, and the regular ed budget, have been cut.</p>
<p>It still makes no sense! With unemployment rates skyrising and people out of work, how are they affording BS? The government has no money, why do they think they can get more FA? Some of the schools have a ton of endowment money but they are only allowed to use 5%, so where do all these people think the money is coming from for more applicants? I think even though they say more people applied, when they see the harsh reality of what BS costs, there will be less acceptances than the schools thought they would get. Also, this year they should see alot of students not reenrolling because they just can’t afford it any more. This is a harsh reality but there just isn’t as much money out there as there has been in the past. These schools should start to see declines and they are not saying they are. I work at a private BS in Florida and they have seen huge declines, its got to be felt all over no matter who you are, HADES or not!</p>
<p>I think there is a “flight to quality.” I hear that the same is happening at the college level. Applications are up to the University of Chicago, Brown University, other elite schools, and the good state colleges, but down at some liberal arts colleges.</p>
<p>Those who work at boarding schools can best speak about their particular pools of applicants. There are families who have the means to send their children to private schools, but would not have considered them, until the bottom has been seen to drop out of the public system. </p>
<p>I have no idea how realistic the new entrants to the system are. Boarding schools could spend more than 5% of their endowment, but that’s a losing game over the long term.</p>
<p>some great answers, thank you very much</p>