I feel the need to jump in because every now and again, when someone asks for information, they get kind of chastised for asking random internet people, as if anyone is leaving their child’s fate in the hands of strangers. (Not to call you out here @floating123 – perhaps that wasn’t the thrust of your note; internet interpretation can be imperfect).
But I want to say to @Skyand that I absolutely do not share that perspective. I think reaching out to others who may have been-there-done-that to gather information, perspectives, experiences is simply wise. And where can you find a group of prep-school parents easily and quickly? Here. On a board. Kudos to you for doing that.
I’ll also point out: that we are all on the same board, participating in that exact same activity: gathering information from strangers on the internet.
Again – this doesn’t mean anyone is letting strangers make decisions that should be made by a family.
But wow – what a fantastic database of experiences and wisdom this group has here! These generous, wise parents here have absolutely given us more wisdom and kindness and food for thought than I could ever have imagined when I joined the board a couple of years ago. And, luckily, they have somehow also become real friends, even if just online.
So I wanted to throw that out there for you, OP, and for future readers. Keep asking the hard questions, keep sharing experiences, keep living our lives shoulder-to-shoulder with one another.
Back to your original question: I think the core issue is boarding versus NYC day school. They are VERY different experiences. Academics will likely be great at both (I’m guessing that if BS is mentioned here that it’s a solid player in the top 50-ish, which I think are all amazing). But the boarding versus day experiences are incredibly different. If it were me, I would jump at a 4-year boarding merit so fast, but in full disclosure: 3 of my 4 daughters have chosen residential programs for their high school experiences. So I’m biased. But I do also believe that you send a kid to people not a building, and I would love a boarding school for my kid for its rich diversity.