Fay School (Junior Boarding)

alelu · 03-22-2010, 02:18 PM

I go to Fay, and I think that the junior boarding experience is really important for you guys to know about, especially in regards to the help they give when guiding their students through the application process. I noticed a lot of people who are going into 7th or 8th grade and seriously considering boarding already, so I'd love to be a resource if anyone has questions about Fay or life at a junior boarding school.
Out of about 250 Upper Schoolers (6-9), there are 110 boarders who come from 16 states and 16 countries (from the website ><') Classes are small and we're the oldest junior boarding school in the country. There is a pretty old school system and a very traditional boarding school experience when you go through, but everyone is super happy and has great school spirit.
In the past 5 years, Fay has sent 9 people to Choate, 11 to Deerfield, 8 to Groton, 12 to Lawrenceville, 9 to Exeter, and 9 to Andover. When my class knows where they're going, I'll try to post that info too.
The support that you get from the admissions counselors when applying out is amazing. They send you a list of 10 schools that they think you should look at the summer before you have to apply out, with 4 reaches, 4 matches, and 2 backups. They help schedule your interviews and give you almost a week off of school to interview (lots of other schools do this, when I went to interview more than one HADES told me that its "feeder week") and set up school fairs where you can see about 10 admissions officers at a time and about 30 in total. You go to mock interviews so that you can feel more comfortable while visiting schools. Teachers are always willing to read your application essays and help you and all know exactly how to write a great recommendation. Our admissions counselors will even read all the teacher's recs to make sure very little is said that will negatively affect you. 9th grade is chock full of leadership opportunities, especially for boarders, so that they can beef up their apps, and everyone must play 3 different sports. The most helpful thing IMHO though is that the admissions counselors will go personally to each school that there are applicants for and sit down with the head of admissions to go through each students file and advocate for them. They build up strong relationships with secondary schools so that they can be persuaded to go for an acceptance on those "in-between" candidates.
It is so helpful knowing the bs environment when going to high school and being in such a diverse community with people from all over the world. Because of its small size, everyone is really tight and the community is unbelievable. Most people aren't rich or snobby, and a lot of people are on FA or have rich grandparents, and a guy in my grade just got full ride offers from Hotchkiss and Andover.
So if anyone has any questions about Fay, please ask and I will answer, because I think that going there was one of the best decisions I ever made and I am so thankful for the experience.

Benley · 03-22-2010, 03:05 PM

St. Mark's feeder school? 65 in five years!

CKSABS · 03-22-2010, 04:11 PM

Benley: Fay was founded a year after St. Marks to send "boys" who were prepared for the school. The sister of the St. Mark's founder started Fay. They're diagonally across the street from each other and the faculty and staff share tuition reciprocity, so of course matricultaion there is high. Don't forget that most Fay students are day students, so it is a very convenient choice.

Middlesex is also a big feeder school. There was a "statiscal glitch" a couple of years ago when a new Middlesex admissions director was hired. He was brought back into line last year and acceptances are back in the double digits there as well.

Benley · 03-22-2010, 04:16 PM

Ah! Thanks for the explanation. What's the usual size of their graduating class?

bamagirl95 · 03-22-2010, 04:21 PM

Do you board, alelu? How do your parents about having their child leave home for good at the age of 11?

Alexz825Mom · 03-22-2010, 04:30 PM

Alelu, knowing what i know now, i wish i had send my d to junior bs. The experience seems wonderful for kids like my d and you.

My d was homeschooled and though she sort of missed the other students, she loved the amount and depth of the material she was able to cover. Plus she was able to dance about 20 hours per week, which is impossible if you attend regular school.

Thanks for being a resource for those parent and students on cc. Your position will be invaluable :-0.

Alexz825Mom · 03-22-2010, 04:36 PM

Bamagirl,

As a mom your question is a good one. I know I would miss my d greatly even at almost 15 it is difficult to allow my d to go bs now.

Some parents understand that you sacrifice to do what is best for your child, every child is not ready for time away at 11 but some kids arent ready for college at 18 or 19, that is being away from home.

My d would have missed home but would have been in heaven to have been in school with other that had a passion for learning and somewhat mature for their age.

I think that most parents, especially those on cc know their kids and know what types of challenges they can handle. Though I understand some parents are tired of their teens, I dont think that is the majority of bs parents, we just want what is best for our kids.

IMHO

CKSABS · 03-22-2010, 04:49 PM

Benley: I believe there are 55 ninth graders and 85 eighth graders (give or take a few year to year). About 30 eighth graders leave each year with most to private schools. I would guess a total of about 80 eighth and ninth graders continue on to a new private school each year.

alelu · 03-22-2010, 05:29 PM

I'm a day student, but parents have no problems sending their kids at 11. The environment is really geared towards younger kids than bs and with all the dorm parents it feels like a family. People from similar regions (Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Africa, the South) tend to band together a little and support younger kids, and its super helpful for them to have someone who went through being away from home and someone who speaks their own language. And I CANNOT stress how the small community is great. Teachers all have to coach at least one season and they are all either dorm parents (they live in the dorms) or have dorm duty a few times a week, so they're always there and more like parents than teachers. All three meals are sit-down and you're assigned to waiter in 2-week rotations, so its impossible to not know everyone at school.
Admissions had a really really great year this year. I think that between the 8th and 9th grade, about 5 people were accepted to Exeter, 4 to SPS, 2 to Groton, 2 to Deerfield, 4 to Andover, A LOT to Hotchkiss, 5-ish to Mx, and of course whoever applied to St. Mark's. Whoever applied was accepted to schools like St. Mark's, NMH, Blair, Tabor, St. George's.

Benley · 03-22-2010, 05:54 PM

Quote:

I think that between the 8th and 9th grade, about 5 people were accepted to Exeter, 4 to SPS, 2 to Groton, 2 to Deerfield, 4 to Andover, A LOT to Hotchkiss, 5-ish to Mx,

Are there cross-admits? Meaning the same student has been admitted to Exeter, SPS and Groton, for example? Only 5-ish Middlesex? Was CKSABS right about it being sort of a feeder school to MX?

bookluver07 · 03-22-2010, 05:59 PM

where is fay located?

alelu · 03-22-2010, 06:01 PM

I think there are a few cross-admits but a lot of people had like a clear first choice.
Last year it was a feeder to mx with I think 4 people ending up going there. I was accepted there and there were others in my grade, so even for the seriously overenrolled '13 class.

alelu · 03-22-2010, 06:07 PM

It's in Southboro, MA. The same town as St. Mark's.

bookluver07 · 03-22-2010, 06:08 PM

okay. thx.

bookluver07 · 03-22-2010, 06:10 PM

is financial aid/merit aid offered there?