<p>Very interesting. I don’t want to come across as knocking the school–I was just simply unaware until this thread. </p>
<p>I’d be very interested to see if the very top schools percentage wise were more of the Andover make-up or the GA make up. Also, Andover’s 07 numbers just came out so we can re-crunch the facts in a little while–we had a surprisingly good year. Who knew '07 was so smart.</p>
<p>Whatever your highschool thoughts, as a transplanted Connecticut/New Yorker I can say that we have had the extraordinarily good fortune of having 2 children, each with different interests and needs, attend what we think are (not even) arguably the two best schools in the country, The Thacher School in Ojai, CA, where our daughter is a rising senior, and Harvard Westlake in Los Angeles, where our son is a rising freshman. They came from the spectacular Westwood Presbyterian Church Preschool to the terrific public elementary Warner Avenue School next door to UCLA, and were extraordinarily well prepared for the rigors of two astonishingly good schools—on every imaginable level. Although 1 & 3 seem awfully young to be worrying, when we look back and realize the fantastic start our kids were lucky enough to have, is there any such thing as starting too early? Education is the most important thing in the world to us, and whatever sacrifices need be made are sacrifices well worthwhile!</p>
<p>Regarding feeder schools to NE boarding schools, take a look at schools like Greenwich Country Day school (see <a href=“http://www.greenwichcds.org/admissions/secschools_class2005.asp[/url]”>http://www.greenwichcds.org/admissions/secschools_class2005.asp</a> for sec. school placement), New Canaan Country Day school, etc. </p>
<p>If you are interested in private schools in LA,take a look at this link <a href=“http://www.jtdschool.com/aboutjtd/stateofschool/state.of.school_web.ppt.htm[/url]”>http://www.jtdschool.com/aboutjtd/stateofschool/state.of.school_web.ppt.htm</a> . That are slides from a “State of the school” presentation at the John Thomas Day school, a private elementary. On slide 16 you will find their secondary school placement 1995 - 2005. (They get about half of their class into Harward-Westlake, so they can’t be bad.) Maybe this gives you a starting point for secondary schools to look at. For primary schools look at slide 10, they compare their tuition to other area elementary schools.</p>
<p>I don’t have direct information about any of those schools and don’t know how competitive it is to get in though, but for some you can look up reviews on <a href=“http://www.greatschools.net%5B/url%5D”>www.greatschools.net</a> .</p>
<p>Hey Xgods: I misunderstood you said something about comparing GA to Andover. I thought you meant Greenwich Academy. hahaha…</p>
<p>anngaryoliver – my son is applying to Thacher this year – would you be willing to share what your daughter likes so much about it? How competitive is it versus a more supportive atmosphere? Anything she doesn’t like?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>PLEASE feel free to email me your phone number: <a href="mailto:anngaryoliver@gmail.com">anngaryoliver@gmail.com</a>. We are really plugged in there, and the happiest family on the PLANET about this extraordinary place. I would be happy to help you in any way that I can-</p>
<p>Ann</p>
<p>Even just visiting Thacher made me realize how happy the kids were and how non-competitive it is.</p>
<p>“Anybody read the chick lit novel “Admissions” by Nancy Lieberman?”</p>
<p>I did.</p>
<p>Lol, a “prep prep”</p>