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.