<p>neatoburrito,</p>
<p>My post had more to do with narrowing down the list of all available boarding schools to a manageable number and if FA is necessary to attend, a student wants to be sure his costs will be covered. If a candidate is exceptional, it is not as big of an issue, but for the average applicant requiring FA, it’s risky not to apply to the more generous school where you are competitive. Applicants need to read the FA websites to see what the policies are and if they qualify. A middle school classmate of my d who would not have qualified for FA at St Pauls School received a full 4-yr scholarship based on a competitive exam given at SPS.</p>
<p>I agree that you should not apply to schools you would not consider attending, but students often apply to schools they have not visited. It’s expensive/time consuming to visit 10-15 schools while school is still in session. After acceptances are received, visit your top choices before making a final decision.</p>