We’re from the Pittsburgh area and I can confirm it has an excellent reputation here. In fact I recently started a thread about looking for curriculums similar to Mercersburg because my 8th grade daughter is looking for more schools like that to at least investigate. But we knew about Mercersburg as it is one of the most popular boarding destinations for kids at her private K-8.
And I agree proximity is a potentially big issue. Indeed, we are struggling a bit (as a family) with whether we actually want to look farther from us than Mercersburg. No decision on that yet, and indeed other popular destinations in our school include St Andrews and St Paul’s. But I do think Mercersburg might be considered too far often the beaten trail for a variety of families with either a lot of also great but closer options, or at least options in more familiar locations.
Then finally there is also the same general sort of feedback loop as applies to private colleges, where to some people, harder to get admitted means more prestigious which means more valued which means more applications which means harder to get admitted . . . . We don’t personally think like that, but some people do.
OK, so I am not surprised Mercersburg is seen as “hidden” in a lot of other metros. I don’t think there is some hidden lack of virtue, though, outside of its location. I think its location is enough to explain the first cut to its application volumes and such, and then that feedback loop adds a bit more.
But it still ended up with a 22% acceptance rate last cycle. So not THAT hidden, and indeed that is part of why we are not going to be putting all our daughter’s eggs in their basket even if it emerges as her favorite.