<p>Reading the surveys makes me much less inclined to send my son to Exeter or Andover, assuming he were to be accepted at these very competitive schools. There is a significant portion of students that are unhappy and turn to drugs and/or self-harm – way more than I would have expected. True, this is seen everywhere, but I would very much like to know if it is seen more or less at a particular school. What is the effect of the tremendous pressure felt at these schools as opposed to another school, like Hill or Thacher? Does Exeter and Andover attract more gifted students with traits that actually allow these students to excel academically but at the cost of mental instability (like manic-depressives, obsessive-compulsives, and insomniacs)? I am not reassured that the results of the survey indicate that the students at these elite and exclusive schools exhibit abnormal and high-risk behavior seen at the same level as our local public school. Part of selecting a school (and paying tuition) is to provide the right environment for learning and maturing during a particular difficult and vulnerable period of development. </p>