Boarding School 2022 Thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SSAT score from Dec test is in. 86 percentile. OK to submit even for competitive schools not requiring test scores?

Yes! >80 percentile is good enough for top schools.
What are people doing with ~70th percentile?
Harvard announced it will be test optional until 2026. If top universities are able to review thousands of applicants without test scores, I'd hope boarding schools admission officers can spot the good kids without SSAT scores!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SSAT score from Dec test is in. 86 percentile. OK to submit even for competitive schools not requiring test scores?

Yes! >80 percentile is good enough for top schools.
What are people doing with ~70th percentile?
Harvard announced it will be test optional until 2026. If top universities are able to review thousands of applicants without test scores, I'd hope boarding schools admission officers can spot the good kids without SSAT scores!

My daughter had 69th percentile results last year and did not submit. She got into Hotchkiss, Loomis, and Miss Porter’s with generous financial aid. She chose Loomis and the director of enrollment there regularly writes blogs about how test optional really means test optional. If you don’t submit they don’t wonder why and they just look at everything else. A majority of the admitted and enrolled students did for the class of 2025 did not submit test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Hill is our top choice

Where is it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Hill is our top choice

Where is it?

Middleburg, VA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SSAT score from Dec test is in. 86 percentile. OK to submit even for competitive schools not requiring test scores?

Yes! >80 percentile is good enough for top schools.
What are people doing with ~70th percentile?
Harvard announced it will be test optional until 2026. If top universities are able to review thousands of applicants without test scores, I'd hope boarding schools admission officers can spot the good kids without SSAT scores!

My daughter had 69th percentile results last year and did not submit. She got into Hotchkiss, Loomis, and Miss Porter’s with generous financial aid. She chose Loomis and the director of enrollment there regularly writes blogs about how test optional really means test optional. If you don’t submit they don’t wonder why and they just look at everything else. A majority of the admitted and enrolled students did for the class of 2025 did not submit test scores.

This is very helpful. Thank you for sharing!

[Anonymous]

Because I (wrongly?) assumed Covid would no longer be an active issue next year, I haven't paid any attention to grumblings or praise of certain how boarding schools on our list handled the early days of COVID ie Spring 2020 or Fall/Winter 2021. I've heard some families complain about how Milton and Concord Academy handled Covid this fall compared to similar-sized boarding in New England. Not sure if the dissatisfaction stems from the fact that these schools have a large day student population, making things more complicated. Curious how a prospective families would assess how likely a school is to opt for 100% virtual in the unlikely even that there is another surge next fall.
Hopefully by now, all schools have learned what to do and what not to do!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because I (wrongly?) assumed Covid would no longer be an active issue next year, I haven't paid any attention to grumblings or praise of certain how boarding schools on our list handled the early days of COVID ie Spring 2020 or Fall/Winter 2021. I've heard some families complain about how Milton and Concord Academy handled Covid this fall compared to similar-sized boarding in New England. Not sure if the dissatisfaction stems from the fact that these schools have a large day student population, making things more complicated. Curious how a prospective families would assess how likely a school is to opt for 100% virtual in the unlikely even that there is another surge next fall.
Hopefully by now, all schools have learned what to do and what not to do!

Why do you want to know this information?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know anything about Cate near Santa Barbara? Looks beautiful

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-12-28/report-details-allegations-of-misconduct-at-cate-school-as-far-back-as-1960s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know anything about Cate near Santa Barbara? Looks beautiful

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-12-28/report-details-allegations-of-misconduct-at-cate-school-as-far-back-as-1960s

https://www.cate.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/CCA-Investigation-2021-OIG-Report.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because I (wrongly?) assumed Covid would no longer be an active issue next year, I haven't paid any attention to grumblings or praise of certain how boarding schools on our list handled the early days of COVID ie Spring 2020 or Fall/Winter 2021. I've heard some families complain about how Milton and Concord Academy handled Covid this fall compared to similar-sized boarding in New England. Not sure if the dissatisfaction stems from the fact that these schools have a large day student population, making things more complicated. Curious how a prospective families would assess how likely a school is to opt for 100% virtual in the unlikely even that there is another surge next fall.
Hopefully by now, all schools have learned what to do and what not to do!

Why do you want to know this information?

It seems relevant to know if a potential next's school's administration is nimble or sluggish or worse

[Anonymous]

Hello everyone: the end is here! We submitted all the applications today and I am glad this phase is finally over. We spent the last week writing and revising essays. I think we did our best. Whatever will be will be.

How is it going for everyone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello everyone: the end is here! We submitted all the applications today and I am glad this phase is finally over. We spent the last week writing and revising essays. I think we did our best. Whatever will be will be.

How is it going for everyone?

DD is almost done with her two applications…just chasing after the recommendations. But there was no “we” in the process. DD didn’t even let us read her essays. Good luck to all!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Hill is our top choice

Where is it?

Middleburg, VA

It's in Pottstown, PA.

[Anonymous]

So glad to be done with the applications! We tried not to fall in love with any one school, though DC and I have our own personal favorites. For families who have done this before, how much more helpful are revisit days, compared to open houses or even the interviews, in distinguishing between similar schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Georgetown Prep a legitimate boarding school? I can’t imagine that boarding there is any good and it really is only setup for the kids coming from Asia. Otherwise, if you are considering boarding you would probably go to New England, no?

Yes.