NE Prep School Grade Compression - Depression 2019-2020

cinnamon1212
Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:35:31 +0000

doschicos:

There is merit aid given out that is not based on strict GPA cutoffs. One of my kids was offered some generous merit aid without stellar grades. But I’m sure it depends on how much merit aid one is looking for.

This!! Highly selective schools are not looking for more boarding school kids so it’s not an advantage. But others are (SMU, I’m looking at you!). SMU, in its bid to have a more national presence, is affirmatively targeting BS kids because SMU believes it will raise the school’s profile in the Northeast. I think they are right. One or 2 kids from my son’s school went every few years, but my son’s year 5 went from Hotchkiss. And the next year SMU started rejecting some kids.

My other son got merit aid from his match and safety schools (about $10,000/year for matches and about $25,000/year from the safeties). And he didn’t have a world beating GPA.