<p>I wouldn’t eliminate “top” schools from your list - UNLESS they aren’t a great fit for your kid. You seem to have time to research schools and find out what factors are important to you. And to visit schools and see if they live up to the hype! </p>
<p>Some of the criteria we used to narrow down our search: size; percentage of boarders; geographic setting; special programs. DD applied to some ACRONYMS and others, was lucky to be accepted at her two top choices, and is now happy and thriving and challenged at a non-ACRONYM “hidden gem”. We couldn’t be happier with her choice. </p>
<p>Is there a possibility that we missed The Perfect School during our search? Well, sure, it’s possible. But we couldn’t be happier with her choice.</p>