Need help adding to my school list..

Prep School Admissions
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Hey guys!

I’m working on finalizing my school list, but I would love some help adding some schools to my list. I have been working on this list for a while now, but my plans for BS had to be put on hold because of a bunch of stuff happening with the scholarship I applied to (Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship). I became a finalist, but because of legal issues with my mom, we could not continue (My dad has sole custody now). We will be applying for financial aid, but if we don’t get any my father is willing to pay in full.

Let me tell you a bit about me. I feel like I’m a pretty artistic person, not in activities I do, but the way I think (does that make sense?). Speaking to me, you wouldn’t really expect me to have the passions I have. In fact, for my CDB scholarship essay, I actually talked about how my life is full of oxymorons- like how I really dislike math but still spend hours at a time working on an app. I’m not a very technical person- I joined Robotics because I love the art of designing robots and presenting a project, and I code because I love being able to study the psychology of my target customers and designing an innovative user interference for them. I am an entrepreneur at heart, and I actually have my own ecommerce business that I consider to be very successful, especially for a 13-year-old.

Probably the biggest reason why I want to go to boarding school is to find my “tribe”. In my public school system, I have never been able to meet people like me, whether it’s entrepreneurs, Nigerians, or otherwise. I’m lucky to say I’ve met a few incredible people here, but those people are sadly few and far between. I want to be able to go to a school that is diverse in interests, backgrounds, and opinions, different or similar to mine. Those are the type of people I want to grow up with.

Also, I would love to go to a school where I can kind of discover who I am. I know I would really love to be an entrepreneur as an adult, but there are other facets of my personality I have yet to develop. What interests do I want to further pursue? What type of leader am I? Those are the type of questions I would like to answer. Because of this, I would prefer a boarding school that has a variety of different programs and courses so I can further develop my interests.

Now, getting to the more technical side of things I would like to see in a school. I don’t know if you can already tell, but I think I would do better at a large school. Part of this is due to the variety of cultures, ideas, programs, and backgrounds that I was talking about in the previous paragraphs. I also feel like I would feel confined after a while at a smaller school. I am the type of person who always likes to be trying new things and meeting new people. Also, nothing excites me more than an amazing entrepreneurship program, but I would mainly like to see a good innovation program/course/club as well. I’m also looking for just a positive BS environment in general… which means deep discussions, hands-on learning, teachers that truly get to know you, and a positive school-life balance. I am willing to rise to the occasion when it comes to rigorous classes, but only if those classes meaningfully change my outlook on life. I want to go to a school the recognizes my individual needs and allows me to pursue my own path. I don’t want to be a number in the system anymore.

Here is my current school list:

Choate
Hill
Loomis Chaffee
Hotchkiss
SPS
NMH
Episcopal
Mercersburg
Deerfield
Andover

My list originally had 10 schools, but I took Exeter off because I truly still don’t think it’s a right fit. I am looking to replace Exeter with another school, but I am having so much trouble researching schools myself and thought I might call on the ancient wisdom of College Confidential. Please let me know any thoughts you have on my current list, and any schools you think might be a good fit for me!

NOTE: This post ended up being much longer than expected, and I’ve shared so much that I think I might turn this into a blog/diary type thread with updates! I always wished someone would share their application story when I was browsing CC back in January last year.

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Milton?

How important are sports to you? Performing arts?

I am feeling like being near a city would be a good thing?

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I think you would love George (and they would love you.) They do some really cool stuff with STEM and the arts. But most of all, there are a lot of things baked into their program that give students the chance to ask those exploratory questions about who they want to be and how that are importantto you. It’s very diverse and inclusive.

In terms of vibe, you have some schools that are pretty different. That’s not a bad thing, but when you make decisions in the spring, you’ll want to focus in on that.

1 Like
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I’m sorry about the CDB. I know that you were working so diligently on it. I’m also glad that you worked things out with your dad and I hope he’s less stressed about work. I think you have a great list and it is well balanced.
You do seem to have a more Type-A, high energy personality so I don’t know if you are looking for a school that is more high-energy (which I would think something like Exeter and Andover are) or more laid back, but maybe that could help guide your choice.

I would also suggest going over the blackatXXXXX instagram accounts for the schools. I say this not to be a deterrent to the school, but just so that you go in with eyes wide open. Choate had to lock down recently and then kids had to walk to class in groups because the school received an email from someone outside the school (probably in the town) threatening harm to a (random) black student. It’s still a great school and community, and they dealt with it, but it did happen. SPS has done a better job addressing concerns than say, Deerfield. Take all this with a grain of salt, as this is what I’m observing from these accounts, but the reactions of the school admin does speak to how committed they are to their students.

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@CateCAParent Hi! Thanks for the advice! I actually inquired to Milton a while ago. There are so many things I like about Milton, but I took it off my list because of how it is a K-12 school and how it has a lower percentage of boarding students, which I think really makes an impact on a community. To answer your questions, I don’t play any sports, and performing arts is definitely not a deciding factor for me. And I would really prefer to live near a town/city that feels charming and alive, but again, this is just a preference.

@gardenstategal I’ve heard so many amazing things about George! I’ll do some more research. How does George being a Quaker school make it different from other schools?

@parentofanicekid Thank you so much for your kind words! I think I definitely have a Type A personality! I’ve thought about it, and I think I would love to go to a high energy place, but not overbearingly high energy. I’ll definitely start checking out these Instagram accounts, as the way these schools deal with racial issues is very telling of how they would deal with other situations that arise. I’ll definitely try to do some more research later today.

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I hear you on the percent boarding re: Milton. However, it is big enough that more people board than at some smaller boarding schools. And there are perks to having day students. And the lower school is run separately, so it doesn’t impact how the high school is run. I am saying all this from the vantage point of a parent of an applicant who went elsewhere, so others will know more.

It is so hard not seeing the schools in person. I think to widen the net you have to be ok with a school hitting 85% of your criteria, wait to see where you get in, and then dive deeper to truly see about fit. It is impossible to know enough right now to write off schools completely.

Why did Exeter come off the list?

Wanting a larger, type-A type school narrows the field a lot as it is, so I am struggling to come up with others. I am more familiar with the opposite end of the spectrum. Others here for sure should have insight.

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You may want to add a single-gender school to your list, as well. If you identify as female, you should check out Emma Willard - they have amazing arts and STEM programs there - plus there are opportunities to explore creating a senior year project with RPI (down the street) and/or tech companies in the Albany area.

Another reason to check out a single gender school is that some (if not most) have very good FA and awards.

You should also look at the Berkshire School - they have a great STEM program and strong arts, too!

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Maybe add Lawrenceville? Large, close to Princeton which is a great town and obviously a world-class university with all that brings. Also excellent of course.

I will say that reading your comments I have to remind myself that you are 13. Someone will be very, very lucky to have you in their community.

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@CateCAParent Definitely going to look a lot harder at Milton! And I agree that there is not a perfect school that will hit all of my criteria- mostly I see them as preferences. I’m going to take the approach of applying to the schools I like enough to apply to, and then hopefully revisiting in the spring. Exeter mainly came off the list because I feel like it might be too much of a high-stress environment. I know all of these schools are incredibly rigorous, but I would love to go to a school environment where, while the academics are rigorous, I still have time to pursue other passions of mine and just live life as a high schooler. Maybe I’m just asking for too much!

@Golfgr8 Emma Willard was actually my dream school when I was a lot younger (8-9 years old), but to be fair, I was mostly in love with the idea of boarding (not the school aspect). As for the school itself, I think it’s such a lovely school, but it’s quite small in student enrollment. The smallest school on my current list is Hill, but Hill has amazing entrepreneurship programs I literally can’t refuse. I’ll still do more research on Emma Willard because the school is so charming!

@DroidsLookingFor I like a lot of things about Lawrenceville, but I’ve read in so many places about how the kids are stressed and constantly doing work. Seriously, everywhere I look (CC, Niche, Speaking to Actual Students), I see statements that raise concerns about the school-life balance. I didn’t add this school to the list because of this. Also, thank you so much for your compliment! I really hope things work out in the end!

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I am impressed with how well you are thinking this through. That’s why I asked about Exeter coming off the list. There is definitely a “trust your gut” element to this process, but it only works once you have done the research. Sounds like you have done the research. So. ??

You can be type A and anti-stress at the same time.

You’ve got a great list, the schools are quite different, but each has a reason for being there. NMH seems like a bit of an outlier, curious what your thoughts are there. I ask, because adding a few higher admit rate schools is really the only thing I think you need to do. Anything that attracts you to one school is a clue to what might fit elsewhere.

Oh, I second George btw. And Emma Willard.

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There is a virtual boarding school event this evening @ 7:00 PM - several of the schools on your list - including Emma Willard - are represented!

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@CateCAParent Thank you so much! I guess that’s what hours and hours spent here on CC does to you!

Yes, NMH is the outlier of the list and the only school on my list that I would maybe consider cutting. The reason why I included it was because of it’s amazing Social Entrepreneurship program! I’m absolutely in love with it. I still like NMH enough to apply, so it’s still on my list for now.

@Golfgr8 Do you have a link to the event? I’ll definitely join in!

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Hello @mssweeteaa - please try logging onto the website @ great boarding schools.org - then scroll down to “virtual events” . Complete the brief registration form and they will send you a link!

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Hmm, I was thinking Episcopal was the outlier. NMH seems to fit IMO.

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@Golfgr8 I managed to snag a link last minute! Thanks for the link.

@one1ofeach Yeah, I see why Episcopal can be seen as an outlier, but I still think it’s as great as a fit for me as the other schools on my list. I could go on and on about how much I love the school’s community and campus…but the part of Episcopal I think I love most is the incredible externship program, which has an entrepreneurship concentration. The school culture is a perfect fit. And… it’s near a big city, DC!

@parentofnicekid I took your advice and looked around at some Blackat____ Instagram accounts. It’s hard to believe some of the things I saw. Like how at Choate, when talking about a racist Instagram account, a student said, and I quote “Won’t be shocked if nothing gets done, that’s the Choate way. Lol”. Yikes. And how a star soccer player at Loomis used the n-word when discussing enslaved people in a paper, the issue never reached admin because the teacher was his soccer coach. Or how at Andover, someone’s crush said to them “Well you’re different from the other black girls… you’re not loud”.

But what’s more interesting to me is to see how schools respond to these situations. I get that these descriptions might not be entirely accurate, but I still get concerned when I see people talk about how schools don’t do anything, even when they have the power to.

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Also, I just spent the last hour signing up for Zoom interviews, and gosh, signing up for these things are NOT pleasant.

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Miss Porter’s has The Institute for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. I sent you a PM regarding this.

https://www.porters.org/technology-innovation-entrepreneurship/

Everyone we know has been so happy with their experience at MPS, in case you care to check it out and you have room for one more on your list.

Good luck!

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@mssweeteaa You already know that I’m a huge mssweeteaa fan! I’m just popping in to say how happy I am to see you applying this year and I’m crossing my fingers we somehow end up at a revisit on the same day! In your corner, my friend!!

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@UltimaCroix I love so, so many things about Miss Porter’s School! The tech entrepreneurship program is a literal dream for someone like me! I’m really, really strongly considering it being my last school. The only thing that stops it from being on my list is its small size. I think I might add it in though! It’s such a wonderful place!

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@UltimaCroix I’ll be adding Miss Porter’s School onto my list despite its small size. It’s a perfect fit, and their values perfectly align with mine. Thanks for the extra push!

Updated List:

  1. Choate
  2. Hill
  3. Loomis Chaffee
  4. Hotchkiss
  5. SPS
  6. NMH
  7. Episcopal
  8. Mercersburg
  9. Deerfield
  10. Andover
  11. Miss Porter’s School

I might have to take another school off my list to make room for MPS. Does anyone have any suggestions?