<p>[PA</a> Admissions Sees a Rise in Prospective Students for 2011 | News | The Phillipian](<a href=“http://phillipian.net/article/10368]PA”>Article: Antonio Pulgarin Speaks to Toxic Masculinity, LGBTQ+ Rights, and Latinx Issues in New Exhibition “Whispers of a Caballero.” – The Phillipian)</p>
<p>More applicants doesn’t mean better applicants. It may be due to it’s marketing juggernaut. Did you see their AO’s travel schedule which rivals PO’s schedule?</p>
<p>SPS is also seeing an increase in applications of around 14%. A main reason that boarding school admissions officers travel so much is to attract a diverse group of students to the school. </p>
<p>It’s an interesting article and insightful on the selection process. It is more than just grades and test scores. </p>
<p>Andover should also be commended for its level of financial aid. It is definitely a front-runner among boarding schools. </p>
<p>Pulsar - Are you really a student? You seem so cynical for a teen.</p>
<p>Pulsar- Yes, I saw the travel schedule. It’s insane…</p>
<p>Creative1, This year’s larger applicant pool may not mean that it is a better applicant pool. Last year’s applicant pool has already discovered a cure for cancer, invented green machines, brought world peace, so there is much less to excel at for this year’s applicants.</p>
<p>^^ I know for a fact from a solid source that this year’s intake class will consist only of those directly responsible for Mubarak’s stepping down, pulsar ;)</p>
<p>Now I see it, teenage protestors brought down Mubarak, lol. Mubarak didn’t step down he was forced out by the military.</p>
<p>But only the kind protesters…the moody, mean-spirited ones all applied to Exeter instead.</p>
<p>Ba dum dum. </p>
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<p>They can try. But we’re smart enough to not accept them :-)</p>
<p>I think parents are worried about looming cuts in public school budgets.</p>
<p>[Gifted</a> Programs Go on Block as Schools Must Do With Less](<a href=“Gifted Programs Go on Block as Schools Must Do With Less - The New York Times”>Gifted Programs Go on Block as Schools Must Do With Less - The New York Times)</p>
<p>Most applicants to BS are rich or well to do, not because they are in gifted programs that are being cut. Gifted students will still do well without gifted programs as these programs don’t take away their giftedness.</p>
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<p>Cutting gifted programs may have made more parents of gifted children curious about other options, including private schools. The increase in applications indicates that more parents are investigating private schools. China also plays a role. </p>
<p>A larger applicant pool could also be a more competitive pool.</p>
<p>Many other schools haven’t reported more apps other than A/E this year. I think they have less applications this year, otherwise they would have happily posted that information.</p>
<p>I think pulsar is right on this. Not all schools have seen an increase of applications. Some have even seen decrease. Wonder what this really means.</p>
<p>Parent’s are increasingly looking at schools where the FA is “reported” to be more forgiving for middle class families. There is a special endowment solely for that purpose. </p>
<p>Second, even well-heeled private schools are seeing some of their patrons asking for scholarship help (or transferring) because the economy hit them in the wallet. And in having to cut back programs, the matriculation lists are also getting hit.</p>
<p>These days - boarding schools may be starting to look like a more viable option to people whose local options are looking less attractive.</p>
<p>But also the rise of the internet and boards like this have fueled the myth of “HADES” or bust.</p>
<p>For better or worse, Exeter still has an enormous endowment relative to its competitors which gives it flexibility other schools may or may not have.</p>
<p>I am trying to get with the ups in some schools and downs in others, how much net gain of BS applications (and actual matriculation) there has been since the economic downturn. Periwinkle seems pretty resourceful in providing hard-to-find stats/facts. Do you or anyone else have that info?</p>
<p>NAIS publishes “Facts at a Glance.” [Facts</a> at a Glance](<a href=“http://www.nais.org/resources/index.cfm?ItemNumber=146243&sn.ItemNumber=146766&tn.ItemNumber=146347]Facts”>http://www.nais.org/resources/index.cfm?ItemNumber=146243&sn.ItemNumber=146766&tn.ItemNumber=146347) There are about 10 years of “Facts at a Glance” online. NAIS also links to other associations. Stats for this year won’t be available until next year. If you want those figures, you’ll have to check schools’ online news portals.</p>
<p>Have fun!</p>
<p>Problem with the NAIS stats is the number of schools that respond to the survey varies greatly from year to year, making it impossible to make any reliable conclusions.</p>