Coupla things if you have the energy. (But before that: NJ NJ NJ. Insert New Jersey joke here, but the NJ schools, especially Peddie and Blair punch above their weight and both have an undeniable, animating inferiority complex–that is a compliment, by the way, but probably needs to be clearly stated for those of you who…as always, consider the source–that, though it manifests in slightly different ways at the two schools, makes those schools dynamic and lively in the best possible ways. Lawrenceville is good too. And there’s schools in PA, but anyway, they key is to not fixate on New England schools simply because that’s what everyone tends to do.)
1st: Since you have plenty o time, start looking during 7th grade. Go to the open houses which seem to be littering the landscape these days. Build your list of school to which you will apply, and then get the interview process started as soon as the class starts during your 8th grade year. That’s pretty much it. It was one thing, I guess. But since you need FA, make sure you follow the CC Prime Directive and cast a wide net and only apply to schools you(r kid) would happily attend without a second thought.