Anonymous
03/07/2024 21:18
Subject: Re:Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Also waiting on Madeira boarding. Accepted at GDS. Agree that the staggered timing is very frustrating. Will have to make our decision without benefit of shadow day at Madeira.
Same. Which way are you leaning? Because of a change in family circumstances, it’s boarding or bust for us.
Not sure. My daughter is very intrigued by the idea of boarding. Madeira has a beautiful campus and my daughter enjoyed staying there at summer camp. She is doing GDS shadow day tomorrow so we will see how that goes, but I think Madeira is still her first choice. My wife thinks GDS will provide stronger academics, but I’ve told her I’m not sure that is true. I’m somewhat on the fence. I see the appeal of Madeira but my biggest reservation is the mod schedule. I see the benefits, but knowing my daughter I wonder if she will experience learning loss—particularly in a subject like math.
We also have an application in to St. Andrew’s in DE, but my daughter isn’t into that school as much. I basically told her that if she is going to consider boarding schools she should look at more than one so we picked that one.
Bottom line—I have no idea what we will do.
Just in case I can help at all: I have two ds. One is a graduate of GDS. The other is a graduate of St Andrew's (DE). The experience of boarding at St. Andrews was superior to GDS (and I think the kids would say that as well). I also knew/know many of my son's female friends from St Andrews. If your daughter gets in, you should go to the event(s). Or ask me anything.....
Can you share more about your son's experience at St. Andrews. Is it a pressure cooker.
Anonymous
03/07/2024 20:27
Subject: Re:Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Also waiting on Madeira boarding. Accepted at GDS. Agree that the staggered timing is very frustrating. Will have to make our decision without benefit of shadow day at Madeira.
Same. Which way are you leaning? Because of a change in family circumstances, it’s boarding or bust for us.
Not sure. My daughter is very intrigued by the idea of boarding. Madeira has a beautiful campus and my daughter enjoyed staying there at summer camp. She is doing GDS shadow day tomorrow so we will see how that goes, but I think Madeira is still her first choice. My wife thinks GDS will provide stronger academics, but I’ve told her I’m not sure that is true. I’m somewhat on the fence. I see the appeal of Madeira but my biggest reservation is the mod schedule. I see the benefits, but knowing my daughter I wonder if she will experience learning loss—particularly in a subject like math.
We also have an application in to St. Andrew’s in DE, but my daughter isn’t into that school as much. I basically told her that if she is going to consider boarding schools she should look at more than one so we picked that one.
Bottom line—I have no idea what we will do.
Just in case I can help at all: I have two ds. One is a graduate of GDS. The other is a graduate of St Andrew's (DE). The experience of boarding at St. Andrews was superior to GDS (and I think the kids would say that as well). I also knew/know many of my son's female friends from St Andrews. If your daughter gets in, you should go to the event(s). Or ask me anything.....
Not PP, but did you post in the GDS high school mega thread? I just ask for the sake of context.
Anonymous
03/07/2024 19:03
Subject: Re:Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Also waiting on Madeira boarding. Accepted at GDS. Agree that the staggered timing is very frustrating. Will have to make our decision without benefit of shadow day at Madeira.
Same. Which way are you leaning? Because of a change in family circumstances, it’s boarding or bust for us.
Not sure. My daughter is very intrigued by the idea of boarding. Madeira has a beautiful campus and my daughter enjoyed staying there at summer camp. She is doing GDS shadow day tomorrow so we will see how that goes, but I think Madeira is still her first choice. My wife thinks GDS will provide stronger academics, but I’ve told her I’m not sure that is true. I’m somewhat on the fence. I see the appeal of Madeira but my biggest reservation is the mod schedule. I see the benefits, but knowing my daughter I wonder if she will experience learning loss—particularly in a subject like math.
We also have an application in to St. Andrew’s in DE, but my daughter isn’t into that school as much. I basically told her that if she is going to consider boarding schools she should look at more than one so we picked that one.
Bottom line—I have no idea what we will do.
Just in case I can help at all: I have two ds. One is a graduate of GDS. The other is a graduate of St Andrew's (DE). The experience of boarding at St. Andrews was superior to GDS (and I think the kids would say that as well). I also knew/know many of my son's female friends from St Andrews. If your daughter gets in, you should go to the event(s). Or ask me anything.....
Anonymous
03/07/2024 18:43
Subject: Re:Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
I see the appeal of Madeira but my biggest reservation is the mod schedule. I see the benefits, but knowing my daughter I wonder if she will experience learning loss—particularly in a subject like math.
I would not worry about learning loss. The Mod system actually works very well at Madeira, and the teachers are always available if your daughter wants or seeks out additional help or practice. I know it seems strange to have a potential gap in the learning process, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with how it all worked out.
Anonymous
03/06/2024 19:22
Subject: Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
If going back to visit will help, call the Director of Admissions at Madeira and see if you can visit sooner rather than later.
Anonymous
03/06/2024 11:09
Subject: Re:Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We will be looking at boarding schools in a few years as well. I'm curious which day schools you all looked at in the area. We have a son, and the local school that resonates with me is St. Albans.
I cannot understand the appeal of boarding at a school with so few boarders. Life will happen off campus.
If you want close, look at Episcopal, St. Andrews, Mercersburg, etc.
I think this person meant that they will apply to boarding and day schools - the day school that appeals is STA.
Yes, thank you. That's exactly what I meant.
Anonymous
03/06/2024 11:00
Subject: Re:Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Also waiting on Madeira boarding. Accepted at GDS. Agree that the staggered timing is very frustrating. Will have to make our decision without benefit of shadow day at Madeira.
Same. Which way are you leaning? Because of a change in family circumstances, it’s boarding or bust for us.
Not sure. My daughter is very intrigued by the idea of boarding. Madeira has a beautiful campus and my daughter enjoyed staying there at summer camp. She is doing GDS shadow day tomorrow so we will see how that goes, but I think Madeira is still her first choice. My wife thinks GDS will provide stronger academics, but I’ve told her I’m not sure that is true. I’m somewhat on the fence. I see the appeal of Madeira but my biggest reservation is the mod schedule. I see the benefits, but knowing my daughter I wonder if she will experience learning loss—particularly in a subject like math.
We also have an application in to St. Andrew’s in DE, but my daughter isn’t into that school as much. I basically told her that if she is going to consider boarding schools she should look at more than one so we picked that one.
Bottom line—I have no idea what we will do.
I hesitated about the mod schedule as well but I know some people love it.
We also applied to St Andrews and its DD’s first choice. I just can’t tell what kind of shot she has. The school has repeatedly told us she’s a good candidate but that they have a ton of great applicants this year. DD is in at a few day schools here, some very competitive, but she really wants SAS. I just can’t tell is those admissions are harder because they draw from all over? She’s a great kid, diverse interests, interviews well but no real hook.
Anonymous
03/06/2024 09:54
Subject: Re:Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
Anonymous wrote:Also waiting on Madeira boarding. Accepted at GDS. Agree that the staggered timing is very frustrating. Will have to make our decision without benefit of shadow day at Madeira.
I would go with GDS. Madeira is a great school but very very socially and geographically isolated.
Anonymous
03/06/2024 09:53
Subject: Re:Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We will be looking at boarding schools in a few years as well. I'm curious which day schools you all looked at in the area. We have a son, and the local school that resonates with me is St. Albans.
I cannot understand the appeal of boarding at a school with so few boarders. Life will happen off campus.
If you want close, look at Episcopal, St. Andrews, Mercersburg, etc.
I think this person meant that they will apply to boarding and day schools - the day school that appeals is STA.
STA also has boarders. Some of the kids are actually local DC and board for a variety of reasons.
Anonymous
03/05/2024 23:26
Subject: Re:Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Also waiting on Madeira boarding. Accepted at GDS. Agree that the staggered timing is very frustrating. Will have to make our decision without benefit of shadow day at Madeira.
Same. Which way are you leaning? Because of a change in family circumstances, it’s boarding or bust for us.
Not sure. My daughter is very intrigued by the idea of boarding. Madeira has a beautiful campus and my daughter enjoyed staying there at summer camp. She is doing GDS shadow day tomorrow so we will see how that goes, but I think Madeira is still her first choice. My wife thinks GDS will provide stronger academics, but I’ve told her I’m not sure that is true. I’m somewhat on the fence. I see the appeal of Madeira but my biggest reservation is the mod schedule. I see the benefits, but knowing my daughter I wonder if she will experience learning loss—particularly in a subject like math.
We also have an application in to St. Andrew’s in DE, but my daughter isn’t into that school as much. I basically told her that if she is going to consider boarding schools she should look at more than one so we picked that one.
Bottom line—I have no idea what we will do.
Anonymous
03/05/2024 22:38
Subject: Re:Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
Anonymous wrote:Also waiting on Madeira boarding. Accepted at GDS. Agree that the staggered timing is very frustrating. Will have to make our decision without benefit of shadow day at Madeira.
Same. Which way are you leaning? Because of a change in family circumstances, it’s boarding or bust for us.
Anonymous
03/05/2024 22:34
Subject: Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We’re waiting to hear from Madeira. I’ve been told that the number of applicants the last couple years has grown quite a bit and that an impeccable, straight-A transcript is no sure thing as the school has tried to diversify its student body.
Or maybe the brown applicants have straight As too!
or maybe whitey gets in with less than perfect grades but varied extracurricular interests/talents (which is what I’ve heard Madeira weighs perhaps more than other schools—the extracurriculars, I mean)! However you want to play it, Snarky McSnarketan…
Are you ok?
I’m good, thank you. When I originally said Madeira was trying to diversify, I meant admitting students that had other talents beyond academic—I wasn’t thinking about race at all…Anyway, onwards and upwards…I can’t remember from the interview what percentage of boarders are international and how that might play in the admissions process.
Anonymous
03/05/2024 22:23
Subject: Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
Maybe call Madeira - maybe they let you visit this week?
Anonymous
03/05/2024 21:40
Subject: Re:Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
Also waiting on Madeira boarding. Accepted at GDS. Agree that the staggered timing is very frustrating. Will have to make our decision without benefit of shadow day at Madeira.
Anonymous
03/05/2024 21:21
Subject: Is anyone awaiting boarding school decisions?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We’re waiting to hear from Madeira. I’ve been told that the number of applicants the last couple years has grown quite a bit and that an impeccable, straight-A transcript is no sure thing as the school has tried to diversify its student body.
Or maybe the brown applicants have straight As too!
or maybe whitey gets in with less than perfect grades but varied extracurricular interests/talents (which is what I’ve heard Madeira weighs perhaps more than other schools—the extracurriculars, I mean)! However you want to play it, Snarky McSnarketan…
Are you ok?