Anecdotal "evidence"....

Periwinkle
Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:55:15 +0000

I agree with MBVLoveless that the student reviews on Boarding School Review should not be decisive. Students who post their reviews are usually either the most successful students, or those who work closely with the admissions office.

I would regard anything posted on social media sites as unsubstantiated gossip, unless it links to a news report. (Yes, I’m aware of the irony.) Some schools totally ignore social media, other than enthusiastic students or parents. Some schools keep close tabs on their social media profile. I think the only online site the schools update at times is boarding school review, although I think schools have to pay (?) so it may not be a priority. In either case, a school’s social media profile is not necessarily a good reflection of the schools.

It’s also important to keep everything in perspective. People will refer to old scandals. The old scandals may have no relation to how a school functions now. People can also hold grudges against schools which don’t accept them or their relatives.

If your child is a good candidate for her favorite schools, she may be accepted to several. Attend all revisit days. Talk with the parents. You may notice the same families attending the same revisit days you attend. At a revisit day, you may hear things about the atmosphere at other schools on your list. It is fairly common for families to have children at different private schools. The children also keep in contact with their friends who attend different schools through social media. (Take anything a teenager tells you about their archrival school with a grain of salt. )

Also, contact the parents and students the schools pair with you after acceptance, even those associated with schools you think are low on your list. It takes time, but the parents and students can be quite forthright in phone calls.