Boarding School 2022 Thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SSAT scores (taken in October) are in and it's low- 65%. My daughter wants to apply to Choate, Taft, and SAS. What to do? She plans to retake in December.

We are in a similar boat with lopsided scores (high verbal and low math). Hoping more practice and exposure to algebra math content at school over the next month will help somewhat. Also important seems to be learning to recognize what questions types to skip or attempt (e.g. long word problems vs quadratics). Good luck to your daughter!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SSAT scores (taken in October) are in and it's low- 65%. My daughter wants to apply to Choate, Taft, and SAS. What to do? She plans to retake in December.

The test results are optional for the above schools, right? I would wait to see the December results and submit them if in the 80s or higher. (I don’t know the average SSAT scores for these schools, but the ones for Andover and Exeter are in the low 90s).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SSAT scores (taken in October) are in and it's low- 65%. My daughter wants to apply to Choate, Taft, and SAS. What to do? She plans to retake in December.

The test results are optional for the above schools, right? I would wait to see the December results and submit them if in the 80s or higher. (I don’t know the average SSAT scores for these schools, but the ones for Andover and Exeter are in the low 90s).

Makes sense. Taft is requiring SSAT scores this year; the other two are not.

[Anonymous]

We are applying to Exeter.

Not sure that it's a good fit for our non-binary, lesbian daughter (she/they) because it seems conservative. She's extremely advanced academically but that's only one small consideration.

We are also applying to CRMS. Her sports are rock-climbing and downhill skiing so that's a good fit for her sports. But less so academically.

We are then applying to a local private art school that is very LGBQT+. She's an artist so that is the best fit for our family and they have already recruited her and made a soft offer. She's determined to go to a boarding school however. She had wanted to apply to many others (Andover, Care, Thacher, etc) but I cannot justify all that app fees.

We are taking the SSAT even though none require it. It's only because she tests so well. Personally, as someone who also tests well, I don't think tests should be used. They only test how well someone tests and I was accepted to Harvard on that basis and really wasn't as smart as my classmates and it was then hard to fit in as a result. It's one of the most ridiculous and laziest parts of admission process.

[Anonymous]

PEA grad here. Went a long time ago, so nothing to offer on getting in. One thing I would note for parents, however, is that please be certain your child wants to go to boarding school. It’s very intense on multiple levels. I applied because I very much wanted to go and was very happy (though there was some weird stuff going down at the time). But there were some really miserable kids there and the results were not good for the kids, PEA, and probably their families. Don’t force your kid if it’s not what s/he wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PEA grad here. Went a long time ago, so nothing to offer on getting in. One thing I would note for parents, however, is that please be certain your child wants to go to boarding school. It’s very intense on multiple levels. I applied because I very much wanted to go and was very happy (though there was some weird stuff going down at the time). But there were some really miserable kids there and the results were not good for the kids, PEA, and probably their families. Don’t force your kid if it’s not what s/he wants.

S/t/he/y

[Anonymous]

For the child applying to CRMS , you might want to look at Fountain Valley School of Colorado. I think the academics might be slightly more rigorous than CRMS and they have a huge indoor climbing gym, a nice winter sports program and the Art Barn is fantastic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are applying to Exeter.

Not sure that it's a good fit for our non-binary, lesbian daughter (she/they) because it seems conservative. She's extremely advanced academically but that's only one small consideration.

We are also applying to CRMS. Her sports are rock-climbing and downhill skiing so that's a good fit for her sports. But less so academically.

We are then applying to a local private art school that is very LGBQT+. She's an artist so that is the best fit for our family and they have already recruited her and made a soft offer. She's determined to go to a boarding school however. She had wanted to apply to many others (Andover, Care, Thacher, etc) but I cannot justify all that app fees.

We are taking the SSAT even though none require it. It's only because she tests so well. Personally, as someone who also tests well, I don't think tests should be used. They only test how well someone tests and I was accepted to Harvard on that basis and really wasn't as smart as my classmates and it was then hard to fit in as a result. It's one of the most ridiculous and laziest parts of admission process.

You should take a look at Mercersburg. It is an exceptionally kind and accepting community, and there are many non-binary/LBGTQ students, including a handful of transgender students. They also have rock-climbing and skiing as daily sports options (WhiteTail is 5 mins away).

[Anonymous]

Mercersburg (#22) is an amazing school. Exceptionally generous with financial aid, and students perform very well in college. My child is thriving there.

https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-boarding-high-schools/

[Anonymous]

For the artsy non-binary child, what about Interlochen Arts Academy in N. Michigan or set geographically on New England?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the child applying to CRMS , you might want to look at Fountain Valley School of Colorado. I think the academics might be slightly more rigorous than CRMS and they have a huge indoor climbing gym, a nice winter sports program and the Art Barn is fantastic.

My niece goes to Fountain Valley and LOVES it. Looks like a lovely school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re applying to Emma Willard, Mercersburg, NMH, Kent, and Loomis Chaffee. I’m glad we had a chance to visit a bunch of schools, that really helps me and my daughter figure out what’s the best school for her. Interviews have been going well (we think) and are almost done.

That's amazing that you are nearly done with the interviews! We think NMH might be a good fit for our DS. We've yet to visit. What did you think of the school and the surroundings? Do students seem happy?

NMH is beautiful and kids are super nice. The downside is that its far from Hartford Airport, 70 minutes, and probably too long of a drive from DC.

I went to NMH in the 90s and am so happy to see that people are applying. It's an amazing, balanced school in a beautiful part of the country. Lots of very down-to-earth kids who went on the do interesting things as adults.

[Anonymous]

NMH is beautiful and kids are super nice. The downside is that its far from Hartford Airport, 70 minutes, and probably too long of a drive from DC.

I went to NMH in the 90s and am so happy to see that people are applying. It's an amazing, balanced school in a beautiful part of the country. Lots of very down-to-earth kids who went on the do interesting things as adults.

Nice to hear past and current feedback! It seems to strike the right balance. Love the "Education for the head, heart, and hand" motto.
@PP - Have you noticed any recent shift in culture or priority since consolidation of the campus and a relatively new HOS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are applying to Exeter.

Not sure that it's a good fit for our non-binary, lesbian daughter (she/they) because it seems conservative. She's extremely advanced academically but that's only one small consideration.

We are also applying to CRMS. Her sports are rock-climbing and downhill skiing so that's a good fit for her sports. But less so academically.

We are then applying to a local private art school that is very LGBQT+. She's an artist so that is the best fit for our family and they have already recruited her and made a soft offer. She's determined to go to a boarding school however. She had wanted to apply to many others (Andover, Care, Thacher, etc) but I cannot justify all that app fees.

We are taking the SSAT even though none require it. It's only because she tests so well. Personally, as someone who also tests well, I don't think tests should be used. They only test how well someone tests and I was accepted to Harvard on that basis and really wasn't as smart as my classmates and it was then hard to fit in as a result. It's one of the most ridiculous and laziest parts of admission process.

St Andrew’s in Delaware has a great arts program (performing and visual arts). I can see a non binary student being happy there. College placement (including to art schools) is great.

[Anonymous]

Any interesting tidbits or fun anecdotes on the interview trail?

We are just getting started - had an in-person interview following a tour at Governor's Academy in MA. Lovely experience on a crisp fall day. Favorite part was being able to chat with parent volunteers of current students while DC was being interviewed.

Many of our interviews will be on Zoom. I have a feeling that may feel more awkward...Sort of dreading it.

Surprisingly, I just learned from their website that Concord Academy is interview optional due to requests exceeding capacity. Curious what that implies about importance/utility of student interviews from the Admissions Office point of view. Perhaps interviews are more of a formality, an opportunity to connect?