Sarum

You won't hear from her advisor regularly unless there has been or is a problem.

friendlymom

We had a phone call with DD's adviser early in the school year and a conference over parents' weekend. We've also emailed back and forth a few times about specific things. I feel like the adviser is very aware of what's going on (this is where being in the dorm is great) and we would know if there were a problem. DD likes her adviser very much and so do we.

All that being said, it's still very hard to even know what to be involved about.

bazile

Thanks for the reassurance. I like the advisor, and everything seems to be going well. I need to remind my husband that perhaps not hearing from the advisor too often is a good thing! Next year we will know the ropes and not worry so much (maybe).

Momof7thgrader

I happened to be staying in Concord NH this past weekend visiting my DD at a different school and we ended up at the Obama/Clinton rally. There were several SPS students volunteering and a nicer group of kids you couldn't meet. Several that were active volunteers ended up in prime seats on the dais - lucky them!

Lassiter

I'm considering applying for the coming school year, but I'm scared. Do the dorms have basements? I'm really, really afraid of storms (mostly hail and tornadoes). Should I be concerned? Have these ever been a problem for you while you were in attendance? I'm also afraid of "losing" my parents. Of course I'll come home over the summer and Christmas, but I'm afraid something will happen, to either them or one of my three siblings.

Can you tell I have GAD?

Sarum

Maybe stay at home another year and apply next year.

creative1

From the SPS website:
St. Paul’s School Increases Financial Aid to Middle-Income Families

11/16/2012
In an effort to open its doors to more middle-income families, St. Paul’s School has announced that admitted U.S. studentswhose families earn $200,000 or less annually will be expected to contribute no more than 10 percent of the family’s household income toward their child’s St. Paul’s education.

“The School has had a longstanding commitment to maintaining and continually enhancing a robust financial aid program, in order to remain as accessible as we possibly can be to qualified students,” said Rector Mike Hirschfeld ’85. “I am hopeful this initiative will highlight our historic commitment to bringing talented youth to the School regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds.”

The policy makes official the financial aid practices of the SPS Admission Office over the last several years.

At St. Paul’s, where all students live on the grounds, this financial support includes room, board, and other expenses. The School has a long history of providing financial aid and, according to Financial Aid Director Tim Caryl-Klika, remains committed to helping families from all backgrounds afford the tuition. The aid under the new policy will come entirely in the form of grants; the School will require no loans to be repaid.

Building on a policy announced in 2006 that awarded full tuition to families of admitted students whose household income was $65,000 or less, the policy was expanded in 2008 to offer full financial aid to families with household incomes of $80,000 or less. Now, families with a household income between $80,000 and $200,000 per year will be asked to contribute between zero and 10 percent of their yearly income, as determined by a needs analysis. Families in all income ranges who have significant, non-residential and non-qualified retirement assets will be asked to pay more than families without those resources.

According to Caryl-Klika, the new policy also means that there is no income cut-off for financial aid eligibility, so families with incomes higher than $200,000 per year may still qualify for aid.

“This policy clarifies our financial aid philosophy to prospective families,” said Director of Admission Scott Bohan ’94. “It recognizes that [the SPS tuition of] $50,000 is a lot of money, and it outlines what your actual contribution might be if your child considers applying to St. Paul’s. It is a very logical next step to our most recent practice of providing full financial aid to families making less than $80,000 per year.”

The policy is intended to increase the range of families who can take advantage of a boarding school education, added Bohan.

“We want a St. Paul's education to be accessible to all,” said Bohan. “I hope that defining our philosophy in such clear terms will show people that they have not been priced out of this opportunity. The best St. Paul’s School is one that is full of students of diverse backgrounds and experiences.”

SevenDad

Bravo SPS! 10char.

isitfridayyet

Amazing news! I am so impressed with SPS. Anyone know if any other BS will jump on board with this type of FA for middle income? Congrats SPS!

IndyMom4

Are we supposed to expect written reports on our child's progress, or only online grade postings? I am looking for some detailed feedback from teachers...

SharingGift

What do students think about the quality of food served at the dining hall?

My family has recently toured around six campuses in NE that are of comparable size in terms of student body and endowment. Our experience during the visit and interview was fantastic (no exaggeration!)... except the dining hall. People, not just AO and the student guide, were friendly and trying to be helpful to strangers in a way that felt genuine. We liked the beauty of the campus, the way it is assimilated with nature. We liked facilities, dorms, chapel, school curriculum, school motto, etc... it's endless.

After the interview, we stopped by the dining hall and had a lunch. And I have to say that food selection and variety was not impressive. The meals appeared to be handled and displayed in a haste. The taste was so-so.

I pay attention to the quality of foods during campus visits, for my DC will get to eat there three times a day, seven days a week. At other campuses, the quality was quite decent, sometimes excellent that I could enjoy eating them day after day. Now I'm just wondering whether this impression is shared by SPS students or parents, or I happened to visit on a bad day. Any inputs from students and parents would be much appreciated.

SEWinter

Are you planning to go to BS for food or learning? The choice is yours. For 50K per year, you can't have five star gourmet meals.

creative1

IndyMom4 - Teachers make comments on "Inside Grades" which are the mid-term grades. Your child's adviser will send you an end of term report which you should probably receive within the coming week. So, 3 times per year you will hear from your child's teacher and 3 times per year you will get formal communication from your child's adviser. If you have questions or concerns away from those formal reporting periods, don't hesitate to contact your child's adviser.

SharingGift - Having been an SPS parent for years now, my kids have been content with the food for the most part. They always find something they like to eat but they still miss home cooking. In addition to the hot food line, there is a pasta bar, a salad bar with a good range of options, a stir fry station, a sandwich station, soups, etc. It's actually a fairly broad range of options for a school of its size. So, if you don't like the hot options that meal, you have other options. My child who is now in college feels SPS food was better than what is found at college. I am not sure which meal you attended but my kids have found that breakfast and dinner options are usually stronger than lunch options. Here's a link to the menu from this past week if anyone is interested: http://millville.sps.edu/allaccess/d...rvice/menu.pdf

And the desserts can be dangerously good.

friendlymom

My D complains about the food a little. Nothing sounds like it's a big problem and I don't get concerned about it. She loves school despite not loving the food.

IndyMom - D's adviser said they woud be posting adviser reports from fall.

SevenDad

For some reason, I'm feeling nostalgic and protective of SPS lately. Of the "big names", it's still my favorite. Seriously, that shot of Sheldon (the admissions building) over...is it Library Pond?...amazing. And even the Sheldon waiting room itself. Tops the IM Pei at Choate and the Kahn Library or Phelps Science Center at Exeter for wow factor, IMO.

That said, we found the food at SPS to be just average. Groton topped our list for food at any school we visited.

@SEWinter: While I think that quality of food is a very very minor consideration when selecting schools to apply to, I do think it's the sort of thing that would get old very fast as a student...