SevenDad

Bump for the 2012/13 app cycle.

GMTplus7

Some guidance for parents on selecting a BS, from the US State Department's website:
Chapter 8 - Boarding Schools: Making the Choice

Probie

@SevenDad.....I have been reading some of your comments about St. Andrews and look forward to our upcoming tour. My child has excellent grades and extracurriculars and has not taken the SSAT yet (November). We are looking at a few schools but St. Andrews is under consideration because it is only 100 miles away. However, I am concerned about the size and remoteness. You may have commented on this before but would you mind again? Thanks.

sonoratoo

GMT that was very interesting. I was struck by this listed disadvantage of boarding schools:

"Students sometimes take on inappropriate advisory roles with their peers"

What do you suppose the subtext of that really is?

Do they object to the "prefect" concept? Are they suggesting peer pressure might be too much at a boarding school for some kids? Are they suggesting another child/your own child might lead others astray if they are prone to bad behavior? And, is any of it really worse than one would find at a day school?

I am just curious how others interpret this statement and what was so obvious that they felt the need to state it.

GMTplus7

That statement also raised my eyebrows. I took it to mean that the students may have over-reliance on advice from their friends for important issues that would better be asked of their parents

sonoratoo

I can agree with that concept though your explanation is much more to the point than that of the US State Department

SevenDad

@Probie: Sorry for the delay in replying…crazy weekend that included pick up for Fall Break and the resultant jam packed weekend.

On "size and remoteness"...

SAS's relative size and remoteness was never a concern for our daughter or my wife and me. Either during our search or now that she’s attending the school. Our home area in NJ is known for its farms and quaint little towns…so going from one small town (home) to another (school) was no big deal.

In terms of remoteness, have you ever been to Deerfield? Or Hotchkiss? Both in the middle of nowhere. St. Andrew's is about 1 hour from Philadelphia, closer than Deerfield or Hotchkiss are to either NYC or Boston.

As I've noted before...unless a kid lives in a major metro or visits a major metro frequently, I don't see how being at any "remote" school...whether it be St. Andrew's, Deerfield, Hotchkiss or any number of great institutions...matters. What exactly are kids who attend these more remote schools missing out on?

I can understand the matter of access to a major airport hub for families outside of reasonable driving distance. I can also see the appeal of a school like Lawrenceville, which is a short taxi ride from the great stores, restaurants, and overall college-town vibe of Princeton, and a train ride from NYC and Philly.

But what about St. Paul's or Exeter? Having visited both of those schools and the towns they are connected to, I can't say that either Concord or Exeter strike me as significantly more interesting/appealing/cosmopolitan than Middletown. Yet, I don't really see concerns about “remoteness” applied to either of these schools here on the forum.

Concern about size is something I can better understand. I know that for some people whose local public high schools have 1000 or more students, a school the size of St. Andrew's (about 300) might seem small — in a bad way. I understand the concern that a student might either not find a social group to bond with in a smaller school where there may be less diversity. Or they may outgrow the social scene and yes, even the academics — as smaller schools can’t really offer the breadth/depth of course offerings as some of the largest schools. I think these latter two are outlier situations.

I think a lot comes down to personal preference/fit. Since my daughter was coming from a small private middle school with 45-60 kids per grade, going to SAS was a step up in size.

Keep in mind that both Groton and Thacher are both close to or under 400 students, yet somehow manage to avoid (at least that I've observed) being eliminated from people’s consideration sets for being too small.

The upsides of going to a small high school are, to my way of thinking, many.

Here’s just one example: Last year, I knew I’d be passing by SAS on my way to a sports tournament in DC with my younger daughter. So I sent a note to headmaster Tad Roach a few weeks in advance asking if I could stop by to talk to him about a few things that were on my mind. He carved out a little time in his day for me and we had a great conversation. And better yet, he seemed to actually know something about my daughter and her experience at the school to that point.

Do you think a similar thing would have been possible at one of the schools with 800+ students? I could be wrong, but I seriously doubt it. Keep in mind that we are not some huge donor or legacy family. I’m just an regular parent.

Another upside? Really simple move-in/drop off/pick up days.

Sorry for the ramble, feel free to ask any additional/more specific questions you might have about the school.

Probie

@SevenDad….thanks for the information. Surprisingly, DC just told me no more essays, tired of doing them, and will settle for the three schools that essays have been completed. We will be okay if BS doesn’t work out but we will still tour St. Andrews. Who knows? DC may have a change of heart!

SevenDad

@Probie: A few thoughts...

From the St. Andrew's site: "We prefer our own application because it helps us learn a bit more about you and helps you learn a bit more about St. Andrew's. However, if you are applying to many schools that require different applications, you may need to simplify and use a common form."

So, if your DC is saying "no max" to another essay or app, you may be able to repurpose what he/she has already done.

Of course, he/she may visit SAS and be inspired to tackle yet another app!

One final thought is that it is only October. Apps are due in January. If your DC is done with a few of the large essays already, he/she is WAY ahead of the game. While he/she might be burnt out on apps now, there is plenty of time between now and then to crank out a few more amazing essays, right?

SevenDad

That should have said, in the style of boxer Roberto Duran, "no mas".

Probie

@Seven Dad…..I thought the same thing about burnout. DC wanted to get the essays done and out of the way to concentrate on daily school work, personal activities, and SSAT workbooks. I am impressed how early the essays were completed but then DC has never done anything at the last minute. Like you said, it’s early and maybe after exhaling a bit, DC might be up to handling a few more essays. Even the questionnaire parts are extensive. Also, we really only have a couple of months as DC is emphatic that nothing will be done for any school during the Christmas break so we lose two weeks.

I have noticed that there are no similarities in the essays at the schools we have looked at. I guess the extensive essays weed out those who say ‘no mas’.

Anxiety251

@Probie,

I can empathize with your DC; I was in a rush to complete all my applications as well, including my essays, because then it wouldn't be a cloud hanging over my head. Sure, it did place me in a comfortable place deadline-wise, but I'm burnt out from typing out my strengths, life story, etc. And is it just me, or are all the essays different (some more so than others)?

SharingGift

@Anxiety,
My D is applying to 6 different schools and it appears that there are 6 different sets of essay questions! It's a giant cumulonimbus over my D's head I don't understand why they can't come up with a common set of questions.

Hopefully, she gets them done before the end of December and can start the new year without overcast clouds.

SevenDad

I forget if I mentioned this in my recap, but I had pulled Choate's questions from BEFORE they were updated...so my daughter had to scramble that final week before apps were due to write new essays for the prompts that were changed. Father of the year award material.

GMTplus7

Because the schools want to distinguish themselves from their peers, just like they want you to distinguish between them when the inevitable interview question comes up: "so why do you want to attend ______"