Tabor

prepster1234 · December 2014

If anybody has gone or is currently going to Tabor I would love some information about the school. How is the work load? Are the teachers supportive? What is the acceptance rate? Anything is appreciated

mrnephew · December 2014

43 percent acceptance rate.

Greta65 · January 2015

Does any one have information on why the acceptance rate is so high at Tabor? Given that the school seems to have a very positive culture and unique aspects with the marine biology program, I'm surprised that it wouldn't be more popular applicant-wise. To be clear, I mean in comparison to other MA/RI boarding schools with similar SSAT scores and other stats, e.g. Brooks (25%), St Georges (28%)? please specify how you have this info in your reply - speculative theory, insider info, etc - all appreciated! thanks.

Albion · January 2015

Although I might argue that any school which rejects more applicants than it accepts doesn't have an acceptance rate that is "so high," I understand that the question is "compared to similar schools." Here's my wild speculation: Tabor hasn't caught on in China yet.

Here's what I know: 1/5 of applications at the school I teach at are from China. International students (from all nations) make up less than half that percentage of our student body. These impressively low admit numbers have a lot to do with an individual school's popularity with international (particularly Chinese) applicants. We have just been "discovered" by overseas consultants, and the dramatic rise in applications has helped us post a sudden drop in Acceptance Percentage. Did all our kids suddenly get a lot smarter? Did our school get cooler? Did my faculty colleagues and I get better at our jobs? Nope, we just got some name recognition in a population where applications are on the rise. (and if you think I'm slagging off the kids from China; I'm not. I have many International students in my sport/activity/classes/advisory/dorm and they are great kids)

But boarding schools are mostly chasing American Domestic, Athletic, Full Pay kids. There are not increasing numbers of those kids in the applicant pool, making their acceptances more likely than the percentages released by the school.

This is why I grit my teeth when CC kids act as if "acceptance rate" is a reliable measure of school quality. It hurts schools like Tabor where there are plenty of smart kids and great teachers. The same goes for the schools outside New England.

prepster1234 · January 2015

Thank you for all of your input @mrnephew‌ @Albion‌ @Greta65‌. Does anybody know what the average ssat score is? Also what they are looking for specifically? Acceptance percentile for entering in 10th grade? Thank you

Greta65 · March 2015

@prepster1234 According to boardingschoolbeview.com, the average SSAT score *was* 67th percentile (similar to Brooks, St Georges). I do wonder (hope) if that # has gone up with this current admission cycle as my DC's admission decision letter states that this year's accepted students are one of the strongest academically. My DC scored 90th overall and gets good grades at a rigorous middle school, so I was initially concerned about the academic fit. However, we really liked Tabor's environment, administrators, and general feed during our pre-app visits, so she proceeded to apply.

@albion and others in the know, please share any insights you can share about Tabor academics and college matriculation - much appreciated! It's tough to compare Tabor's college matriculation to other prep schools given that they do not publish number of students admitted to each college.

Albion · March 2015

@Greta65, I can't speak specifically to Tabor, but what tends to be true at a school with an SSAT average under 70 is that there is a very wide range of abilities. Any kid with a 90+ average will be in honors classes with demanding, capable teachers, surrounded by equally able peers. S/he will be challenged. Yes, every kid on the dorm or on the soccer team will not be quoting Proust and praising calculus, but they will still try in their classes. I've asked several of the top academic achievers at my school (which has a range of abilities) if they felt challenged enough by their peers and teachers, and their response is always an "are you kidding me? Of course!" One kid once confided that she'd learned to drop her language of saying "I failed! I did so poorly on that test!" any time she got a B, because she had friends who had to study and fight hard for a B.

As far as college matriculation, they aren't publishing numbers because they don't have jaw dropping numbers of kids going to all the best colleges every year. But kids who are capable of doing rigorous academic work are graduating Tabor and heading to schools on their list. If you liked the administrators and the feel of the place, I'd trust that instinct.

dodgersmom · March 2015

I LOVE Tabor!!! I’ve visited almost all of the New England prep schools, and Tabor was one of my favorites. Great rapport between students and teachers.

Don’t know whether or not this is of interest to you, but their musical theatre productions are better than any I’ve seen at any of the other schools . . . and ALL the work is done by students (with faculty advisors) - everything from lighting and sound to set design and construction. If I could, I’d go back every year just to see their annual production.

And they have their own schooner . . . what else could you possibly want???

catinthehat579 · March 2015

One of my mom's best friends went to Tabor. She is super smart. She went to Williams for college. Then she went to UVA for grad school for psych, then got a great job doing marketing research and went to William & Mary for her MBA. She has a pretty high class job right now and also still plays ice hockey and does crew!

Greta65 · March 2015

Thank you @Albion @Dodgersmom @catinthehat579 for your comments.

OneExcitedDude · March 2015

I visited Tabor and it was a very nice place, but ultimately the marine program is too big for me. If you like sailing, boating or marine biology Tabor is the right place.

Tabor

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