Our son is a new enrollee at PEA. He loves it, but realizes the workload will be tough. One of his ‘pro’s’ in the whole pro/con thing was the thought that a PEA degree might open doors and present opportunities in his future, ie. through alumni contacts/network. Was this realistic on his part, and is there anyone who might shed additional light on this rather ‘nebulous’ concept? At least, nebulous to me 
As an aside, I was a frequent lurker on this board during his boarding school search…many thanks to all the eloquent posters! Tons of helpful info…
Any boarding school will provide contacts and a network. Next.
Yes the network at PEA is quite extensive. Just go take a look at their alumni website.
Forget about SS networks… Our JBS networks are killer. Nothing bonds an alum network more than being scared out of your mind at a very young age. They make war veterans look like strangers.
PhotoMom: Makes me want to have another kid just to warp him (more than FormerCK).
I’ve been trying my hardest to get gusdad or the boy in with the Trumps, but that’s an alum nut I have yet to crack. Maybe I’ll shift my focus to Oliver Stone, or the guy who sang “Stacey’s Mom.”
But, back to the OP:
One would hope he is not planning on putting his high school on his future resume. PEA or any good BS will prepare him well for whatever college he attends. He may make lifelong friends at (any) BS or LPHS or college or drinking establishment, and those friendships will serve him well all his life because of the human connection, not the “opportunities” they may or may not present.
Forget about JBS… private K-6 school networks are killer. :))
Unrelated recent article…
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/13/opinion/sunday/what-the-privileged-poor-can-teach-us.html
(I hear and I hope) BS prepares kids well to take advantage of opportunities in college and beyond.
True. Besides, in this day and age, a lot of networking can happen in cyber communities. However, all networks are not created equal. The alumni network in Exeter is certainly different in a good way than the network in a random LPHS. And it is not just the “human” connections you built personally while you were there. It’s the network you have joined because you once was a student there, living in the same dorms and walking on the same campus as those who were there before and after you. It is no doubt an opportunity, a rare opportunity of being part of the network that potentially can be very resourceful because of the high concentration of capable and successful individuals. Then the next question is how you personally could benefit from being part of that network. The answer is YMMV. I’ve heard someone say his BS network didn’t help because he was in the research of a particular field that virtually no one from his BS was ever in. I’ve also heard of the story of someone getting to join a highly coveted and difficult to get in firm because of the referral of an influential alum. Timing and luck play a big role. While the BS alum bond is supposed to be strong, it doesn’t mean every alum is as helpful as the next. It’s up to the individual to tap into the network and make the most use of it. The school will help you connect with the alum around the globe if you reach out.
True. The most useful careers connections I’ve made have not been school related. I guess it depends on where you drink. 
@ChoatieMom: Of course, YMMV, right? The school connections are just one “more” opportunity just in case you are not born as a drinker. And the more effective connection than drinking buddies? One’s father or if not so lucky uncles!