The dark days for applicants are almost over. The after Thanksgiving time is the worst of times. Seeing some of those kids really dig in to get the applications done is always interesting. Add in the swimming season, and those kids are hurting units. Senior cuts or the perfect essay? Tough call. I know some of those kids just want it to be over, and once the applications were away, the skies brightened a bit. Of course, for the last month many of these kids have been trying to catch up on everything they blew off before the deadline.
This year I noticed a higher level of stress on the part of some of the parents. The families without boarding school experience sometimes have a hard time with the entire application cycle. Add in some of the resentment of the kid who will get in everywhere, making the world-famous local boarding school look not so nifty in comparison.
Now the swim season is in the last couple of months, and admissions will be out soon enough. It’s a whole new day for 2016 applicants. Too often the kids are chill and the parents are freaking out or downright angry. But all everyone can do is wait now, so the first week in February is a boatload better than the first week in January.
