One-in-five CC kids not accepted to any school

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>Credit to RuralMama for crunching last year’s admissions cycle results and calculating this:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1299461-official-list-2012-acceptances-28.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1299461-official-list-2012-acceptances-28.html&lt;/a&gt;

</p>

<p>It is painful to note that one-in-five kids who shared their results on CC were not accepted to any school. And, since the CC acceptance rates are about double the schools’ reported acceptance rates, it is apparent that the kids who report their results on CC are disproportionately those who are happy with their results.</p>

<p>Before the deadline closes for this year’s applications, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE expand your list of schools beyond just a handful of uber-selective ACRONYN schools if you are intent on matriculating this coming fall.</p>

<p>If you were applying to college, you would not just apply to HYPMS. Just as there are stupendously great colleges besides HYPMS, there are stupendously great BS’s besides the few most frequently mentioned ones on CC.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

2

<p>

</p>

<p>It is even more painful to note that of the kids who applied only to ACRONYM schools, HALF of them ended up empty-handed…</p>

3

<p>It is well publicized by the admissions teams that “75% of applicants are academically admissible” at acronym schools. If only 15% or so are admitted, that means that 60% of academically qualified kids (as in straight A students with high SSAT scores) are turned down. </p>

<p>I agree with GMTs advice. Even if you are a very strong applicant it is VERY LIKELY you will not be offered acceptance at HADES/GLADCHEMS. So, do not take it personally (they needed that oboe player from Montana), realize that many wonderful non-acronym schools exist, and cast a wide net.</p>

<p>Later on, for college, the rule is similar - apply to at least two schools where you have greater than a 50% chance of acceptance, in addition to a couple of reach schools and several in between.</p>

4

<p>No, using those numbers, 80% of the qualified and 100% of the unqualified are turned down.</p>

5

<p>I disagree. Applying to BS is not like applying to colleges - they’re totally different. I only applied to Exeter and Deerfield… if I was denied at both of them I would have been content going to my local public school rather than going to some second rate BS.</p>

<p>However for college, it is important to apply not only to reach/safeties but also schools in between, because you have to go to some college.</p>

6

<p>@AIMEhigh, </p>

<p>The operative phrase is: if you are intent on matriculating this coming fall</p>

<p>Some kids don’t have an acceptable fall-back option. And schools beside that handful of well-known names are not “second rate”</p>

7

<p>@GMT. I know you are a big proponent of “cast a wide net”, but I, like AIMEhigh, personally don’t agree with you either. 4 years of boarding school will cost $250,000 (tuition, travel, parent’s fund, etc) and for that amount of money I just don’t think it’s worth it to go to less than a top-tier school. Families that can consider boarding school probably live in areas with reasonably, good schools so while you might get a better education at a “less recognizable” boarding school compared to your local option you have to consider whether it’s $250,000 better. It’s hard for me see where that could be true.</p>

<p>My DC attends a top boarding school. He left a school district that is “good” and while it sends kids to the Ivies every year, it has not sent a single student to HYPSM for college in the last 6 years. It may be even longer than 6 years, but I was not associated with the school district before that and didn’t track it.</p>

<p>I have to be honest, I think DC is getting a fantastic education, and is extremely happy there, but… I truly don’t think it’s worth $250K AND missing so much of his life. Sure we tell everyone it was a great decision, but honestly even at a top boarding school I still wonder if the sacrifices we are making and the financial anxiety I am experiencing are worth it. If my DC’s school did not have the reputation it did I am certain I would be filled with regret. </p>

<p>Therefore, I advise you only to “go big and go home”. If you have to “go home” it could be a blessing in disguise. Use a fraction of the $250K you are now saving and enrich your DC’s life in other ways.</p>

8

<p>@Sharpener “…Families that can consider boarding school probably live in areas with reasonably, good schools …”</p>

<p>No. Very often, families that consider boarding school live in areas withOUT reasonably good schools. And “can consider” means nothing. Families who need a lot of FA still apply to boarding schools, and if the need is real and the school can help, receive it. So your $250K figure is not true for all. For some families that 4-year cost might be a fraction of the amount. One assumption does not fit all.</p>

<p>GG attends an excellent boarding school, after her frustrated parents tried all the local independent schools and even homeschooling, because the public schools in our neck of the woods simply could not meet GG’s academic needs. The additional benefits of BS are myriad for our family, and any sacrifice we make in terms of our household budget is absolutely worth it. </p>

<p>As for “go big or go home” — GG was accepted to “big.” She CHOSE a “hidden gem.” She couldn’t be happier with her choice, and reminds me regularly, that we ALMOST didn’t consider the place she now calls her second home.</p>

<p>I advise those of you reading this thread, and the CC boards in general, to really do your homework about the various BS and what they offer, and consider carefully your, and your child’s, reasons for considering BS. The sacrifices can be great, the rewards exceptional. But BS is not for everyone and it’s worth digging deep to figure out what it is you want for your child and family. </p>

<p>And I absolutely disagree with the “go big or go home” attitude espoused by some. Such a limited view is ONLY worth it if you have viable options close to home.</p>

9

<p>For our situation, I have to agree with GMT. We (as name suggests) live in a rural area. There are no good schools! Not even decent private day schools. I think there are many in the CC community that are in our situation. </p>

<p>The 1st year DC applied to BS, it was only to acronyms. Denied/Waitlisted to all. (Basic stats: all A’S, Honor roll, High SSATs (above average of all schools applied to), volunteer work, amazing artist, sports, well-liked, nice kid with great teacher recs.)</p>

<p>He did go back to the PS for 9th grade. Pretty bad. Example: Science class. No AP or honors science classes are offered at our PS. Every 9th grader takes the same class. Half of the kids in his class had learning disabilities, were goofing off, and were even sabotaging the “group” project that he was trying to finish. Although well-intentioned, the teachers in situations like this end up just playing babysitter for the class, teaching as best they can. He even got a special award at the end of the year for being top science student in the entire high school. The teacher applauded his curiousity, engagement, etc. But this really doesn’t make up for the fact that he got very little in the way of a science education from that class. </p>

<p>Fast forward to following year: applied to some acronyms, as well as some hidden gems. Denied/WL at acronyms yet again, with even better grades, #1 in freshman class, more ECs, higher SSATs, etc. But,he is going to a great “hidden gem” school now. Although not an acronym, still a very rigorous school. Average SSAT & SAT scores higher than several of the acronyms. </p>

<p>It was so wonderful to attend parent weekend and see such gifted teachers, as well as such an engaged student body. Finally, a place where he was getting a great education! Yeah, we’re not getting the prestige of having gone to Exeter. But that is not what we were after. </p>

<p>So…I think it depends on each family’s situation. Yes, if you have a great back up at home, and it is only worth the money and sacrifice to you IF you get into one of the prestigious schools, then by all means take your chances and apply to just those.</p>

<p>But if you do for whatever reason really need to get into a boarding school next year, cast a wider net!</p>

10

<p>@Sharpener,</p>

<p>“Cast a wide net” is primarily directed to kids who don’t have a good, local fall-back option. If your family is blessed with a good local school, you have no urgency to move your child. Then by all means “Go Big or go home”. </p>

<p>There are, however, many families that have an urgency to move their child out:</p>

<ul>
<li>underperforming/inadequate local school options</li>
<li>bullying in present school</li>
<li>living in troubled/dangerous communities </li>
<li>diplomatic families living abroad</li>
<li>etc</li>
</ul>

<p>For kids with the urgency to matriculate this fall, I strongly advise pragmatism. On CC, for 2 past admissions cycles now, I have read the distressed comments of kids w walk-on-water resumes who are absolutely stunned to be rejected or WL’ed to every school they applied to. Then came the inevitable flurry of panicked new threads on March-10 about how to get off the WL or threads about what schools have rolling admissions. Sigh…</p>

<p>It amazes me how kids will turn their noses up at schools outside the ones with a <20% acceptance rate. The next cluster of sterling schools that many posters on CC have derisively referred to a “second rate” have +/- 30% acceptance rates. Do kids really grasp that this means that the school takes only one-in-three or one-in-four applicants?</p>

<p>How many qualified skydivers would jump out of a plane without a reserve chute, to test a new parachute with only a one-in-three chance of opening?</p>

<p>To address the point that is it’s not worth paying for a school with a lesser reputation. Outside of BS circles, most people have not heard of any of these schools and couldn’t tell the difference between Phillips Andover and a Phillips screwdriver.</p>

11

<p>I want to thank RuralMama for running the statistics and GMT for posting them here. I really appreciate you and GGM sharing your stories. Your thoughtful posts are truly helpful and are hopefully taken in the spirit in which they were intended. </p>

<p>I might add another point of view. My siblings and I went to BS. We four went to four different schools, including HADES. Every ACRONYM school has earned its place on the list and is excellent. </p>

<p>At the same time, families who have “been around the block” so to speak, would never call many, many of the non-acronym schools “second rate” or even hidden. Sometimes a family has a reason to want something simply different. Could we definitively state which are the 10 best beaches in the world? Perhaps __________ is great, absolutely world class; but you prefer___________ because you love the _____________ and it’s a little less_____________. We get to fill in our own blanks. Some beautiful beaches like to be off the main track. Or have their own track completely. I’ve only learned of the HADES concept recently and feel it’s reductive.</p>

<p>I have noticed some themes in “Cake’s” middle school that I am hoping to offset with our choice of secondary school. DC has all the qualifications necessary to apply to GLADCHEMMS and have a reasonable hope for acceptances. We want a certain type of environment. We are looking for specific qualities in a school and GLADCHEMMS didn’t make our list this time around. Not for this child. I want Cake to finish out childhood in an atmosphere that encourages him/her to become the happiest version of him/herself possible- academically, emotionally, socially, artistically, politically…</p>

<p>For our search, our household vocabulary/categories were: “academically homogeneous,” “academically heterogeneous” and “unique program.” The schools with a range of academically inclined students and special programs really appeal to us. So, at the end of the day, not all of the graduates go to Ivies. And? </p>

<p>I have complete faith that if Cake belongs at HYPMS four years from now, these schools will get him/her there. These schools have been around a good long time and the colleges know them well. If another type of college seems right, these schools know where to look. So, we’re hoping to enjoy the ride. And get our applications in on time.</p>

<p>Good luck to all.</p>

12

<p>Great post CakesMom27.</p>

13

<p>@GGMom: “So your $250K figure is not true for all. For some families that 4-year cost might be a fraction of the amount.”</p>

<p>Agreed, but I don’t think the schools give out enough FA to make the decision a financial “no-brainer”. We too received a modest amount of FA, but sending DC to boarding school was a serious, serious financial decision. It’s the way it should be, BS is a privilege, not a right. Which leads me to believe that, ironically, those on FA are probably making a relatively more difficult financial decision than those that fund the entire $250K themselves. Again, is the education THAT much better? Will it really make THAT much of a difference? There really is no way to tell. So we just tell and convince ourselves that it is (present company included).</p>

14

<p>Also- </p>

<p>Rarely mentioned is the highly competitive pool of applicants moving up from Junior Boarding Schools. These students have a significant impact on SS admissions across the board. What GMTplus7 and others are saying falls right in line with what JBS Secondary School Placement Teams have been telling 8th and 9th graders for years. In recent years, they’ve been saying it louder and more often.</p>

<p>Many thanks to RuralMama and GMTplus7 for this thread. I think there’s some helpful and very valuable information here for both students and parents.</p>

15

<p>@Sharpener. "Agreed, but I don’t think the schools give out enough FA to make the decision a financial “no-brainer” – yes, you’re right, for some schools. I have friends whose kids are getting nearly complete FA in others. GG’s school awards more than “modest” FA, in our experience and that of other middle-class families we know whose daughters attend. I state clearly in my post that the decision to apply to BS is anything BUT a “no-brainer”, financial or otherwise.</p>

<p>And yes, the education GG is receiving IS, imo, “THAT much better.” Compared to four years of disenfranchisement in a small, rural, underequipped school system, I believe it will, indeed, make “THAT much of a difference.” In fact, it has already begun to. It is not merely the quality of teaching and range of subjects offered, but the residential environment, ready social circle (rural parents will understand this well), and fostering of independence and self-advocacy that make the difference HUGE compared to what is available in our area. Add to those factors musical opportunities well above and beyond what are available locally, and I believe the road we have chosen with BS is the right path FOR OUR FAMILY.</p>

<p>Sharpener, it sounds like you have personal misgivings about sending your son to BS, even if it IS a “top” school. And these are shared by many (search this forum for “Eyes Wide Open - Know the DOWN SIDE…”)… but these misgivings to not necessarily translate into the idea that “go big or go home” is the only best way for ALL families, which your post #7 suggests. Not everyone thinks HADES are the best schools for their children. Not everyone sees HYPMS as the post-secondary goal, despite what a small but vociferous handful of parents and students on these boards would have one believe.</p>

<p>Again, BS is not for everyone. But in the short time GG has been away, the experience has already transformed her in ways I do not believe would have happened at home. </p>

<p>So to reiterate RuralMama and GMT, I would again reiterate, if going to boarding school in September is the goal, it behooves even the best students to cast a wide net, and to consider their goals.</p>

16

<p>Sharpener,</p>

<p>I’m an Exeter grad so I’m a proponent for my alma mater. But my daughter, along with the children of quite few classmates, opted to go to other schools. I’ve had, over the last few years, an opportunity to “compare” what my daughter is getting at her school versus what she would have gotten by going BIG. She’s actually getting “more” - something I pointed out to my school’s headmaster recently. Because of her school’s smaller size (half of Exeter) - and the much more engaged faculty - her experience as been phenomenal in comparison. </p>

<p>I have to wonder why some parents think the $250,000 educational experience at one school is some magic elixir that other schools lack. I haven’t seen any evidence of that. Although that mentality actually feeds the frenzy as more and more “wanna be” families apply in hoards to schools that will turn almost all of them down. And insures a steady supply of full-pay parents with deep pockets to choose from.</p>

<p>The original advice was valid - if you’re satisfied with your local school and want to attempt one or two boarding schools knowing the odds are low - go for it. No harm, no foul.</p>

<p>But for most students who - quite correctly - want to attend boarding school for a number of valid reasons having nothing to do with a perception that the specific school will “annoint” them with magical powers - GMT is correct - cast a wide net. Wider than you think is reasonable. Because it is harder than ever to find a boarding school home no matter how talented (or rich) the student is.</p>

<p>If you want to go “BIG” apply to Hogwarts. Otherwise, most of the schools on this list do phenomenal things with and for their students on par with ACRONYM schools. Last time I looked, none of them were lacking for applicants and ALL of them are turning down most who apply. Hence - the wide net. Forewarned and forearmed.</p>

17

<p>@Exie, I found your post patronizing and the use of sarcasm unnecessary. We are not looking for anything “magical”. And I don’t even understand your reference to Hogwarts. This board has a tendency to be very pollyanna-ish regarding the boarding school experience. Countering viewpoints tend to get neutralized by brushing them off as narrow-minded or categorizing them as unrealistic by the more established members. Anyways…</p>

<p>We, both parents and DC, too were very unhappy with our local options and decided to send our DC to boarding school. Many of our issues were indeed addressed – DC is challenged, engaged, and having a lot fun, but new issues emerged (articulated very well on the “Eyes Wide Open” thread). Perhaps I am having buyers remorse, as I suspect some new boarding school parents may have. But, I have no reason to believe that my current issues would have been addressed with a “hidden gem”. In fact, if my DC was at a “hidden gem” right now I may have wondered if an “acronym” would have alleviated my concerns and anxiety.</p>

<p>For all those not happy with local options, keep in mind that the grass isn’t always greener. And if it is, it may be greener because it requires a lot more attention and maintenance than you anticipated.</p>

18

<p>I have followed the thread with a good deal of interest. My two cents is that all of these points of view are valid. I take the crux of the matter to be that “value” is solely determined in the eyes of the payer. Sacrifice, monetary and otherwise, is a deeply personal thing, “felt” in ways that can hardly be compared. </p>

<p>We share a lot in common as CC parents of BS kids and the differences will always be there too. The board, to be a public service, should lay all this out, and positions get clarified when possible. I have a deep appreciation for what all the posters above are saying, and would further argue that value touches such a raw nerve, especially in the current economic climate, that the discussion is best treated with lots of care.</p>

19

<p>I have followed the thread with a good deal of interest. My two cents is that all of these points of view are valid. I take the crux of the matter to be that “value” is solely determined in the eyes of the payer. Sacrifice, monetary and otherwise, is a deeply personal thing, “felt” in ways that can hardly be compared. </p>

<p>We share a lot in common as CC parents of BS kids and the differences will always be there too. The board, to be a public service, should lay all this out, and positions get clarified when possible. I have a deep appreciation for what all the posters above are saying, and would further argue that value touches such a raw nerve, especially in the current economic climate, that the discussion is best treated with lots of care.</p>

20

<p>I don’t get why Exie’s post is patronizing. I don’t interpret it that way at all. Cakes, nice post.</p>