Should I reapply to BS?

[Corncob]

Hi,

I’m a 9th grade girl that applied to Andover, Exeter, Deerfield, Loomis, and NMH last year. I got rejected at Andover and Loomis, and I was waitlisted at the other schools. After having a summer to think about it all, I am now wondering whether or not I should apply for 10th grade this year. The LPS I am currently attending has a track record of sending a good portion of its students to T50s and has decent academics/sports. However, I really hate going there, mainly because of the school’s social culture and lack of resources. The school has lost a bunch of its teachers recently, and there’s barely any options to choose from in terms of classes and EC’s. The social culture is also pretty toxic, and there have been multiple cases where the school has been sued for things like racism.

Although I dislike my LPS, I do believe that I’ll be okay with it if there simply is no other option. However, after going through the application process last year, I’m not sure if I want to reapply to BS. I went through most of it alone last year (yay, I love writing my own parent statement!), and I understand that I definitely should’ve been less ambitious and cast a wider net, but my parents have the “if it’s not the best, it’s not worth it” mindset. I truly do want to attend a BS, but I’m worried that if I do find one I love, I won’t be able to get in at all or I can’t attend because of financial reasons. My resume is pretty average- classic straight A student, high SSAT, community service, art, fencing- so I don’t think I have the best chance at making it anywhere, especially as an ORM in MA.

My question is, is it worth reapplying to BS? For all those that have attended/sent kids to BS, how much has the experience impacted you, if you were to compare it to the experience you’d have at a LPS? And if you do recommend that I reapply for BS, what are some schools that I should look at? I really loved NMH, Loomis, and Andover last year, and I’d be open to learning about any boarding schools, as long as they are within the New England region. I don’t have any specific hobbies or subjects that I’m looking for, so any suggestions that you had a good experience with would be very helpful.

Anyways, thanks for reading all of my yapping . Any advice or responses are greatly appreciated!

[DadTwoGirls]

@Corncob

The LPS I am currently attending…

Is that a Lowell Public School (or Lawrence)?

My recommendation is that you do not consider university admissions. Instead, think about what is right for you, and pay attention to what you can afford.

Don’t your parents need to be on-board on any change in high school?

In my experience highly ranked universities have students who come from a very wide range of high schools, and highly ranked graduate programs have students who got their bachelor’s degree at a very wide range of universities.

[stalecookies]

@DadTwoGirls

Is that a Lowell Public School (or Lawrence)?

LPS is code for “local public school”.

@Corncob

My question is, is it worth reapplying to BS?

It could be. You definitely need to get your parents on board. Unlike college, for boarding school, they do take into account whether the parents are going to let the kid go, especially if a lot of FA is needed. FA is finite; plenty of kids are waitlisted due to FA. I suspect that AOs can tell whether or not the parents wrote the parent statement, for example. And if the parents are of the mindset of “it’s not worth it if it’s not the best”, there’s a possibility that attitude could show.

I think that in formulating a better list, you should look at what your priorities are and what are “the best” schools for those priorities.

[Corncob]

@DadTwoGirls

My recommendation is that you do not consider university admissions. Instead, think about what is right for you, and pay attention to what you can afford.

Alright, thank you! I’ll definitely take that into consideration. Also, yes, my parents are on board with switching schools (they don’t like my LPS either), but they have a rather “hands off” approach to the whole process.

@stalecookies

you should look at what your priorities are and what are “the best” schools for those priorities

My priorities are mainly strong academics, a wide range of EC’s, and good FA. I want to use high school as an opportunity to explore what I like and want to do in the future, as I currently am unsure about what I’m truly interested in. I feel like my priorities describe about 90% of all boarding schools , but I’ll try to narrow it down in the future. Thanks for all the advice!

[stalecookies]

You can find an academic challenge anywhere, if you are motivated. What you should look at more is whether the teaching philosophy at a given school is a good match for your learning style.

“Wide range of ECs” is only relevant if: 1) they include ECs that you are interested in, and 2) you actually have access to them.

For example, at my kid’s school, a boarding student can be a fall/winter athlete OR be a dancer, not both. On the other hand, the visual arts classes are more widely available, because there is less of a time commitment.

“Good FA” is subjective. All that matters is that they offer enough FA for you - and that is more likely the more that they want you. My understanding is that at the prep school level (with the well known exceptions) they kind of have the “gotta have” pile of people they really want, who will definitely get the needs met FA, no matter how much it is. (VOE: even schools whose endowment is under $50 million will offer FA to some students, even as much as 90%.) But for obvious reasons, once they address that “gotta have” category they accept/waitlist the rest according to what they have left in their budget for FA, and whatever priorities that they have for that year.

Your problem is, as you are currently presenting yourself here, you come across as unhooked. You are offering academics, and not much else, especially as an ORM. Look at “community service, art, fencing” and determine what among those you can improve and emphasis more. Is fencing a priority, or just there… Which specific arts are you interested in? You seem to be interested in social justice issues. Is your community service related to that?

Definitely explore some of the all girls schools.

[gardenstategal]

@stalecookies

Your problem is, as you are currently presenting yourself here, you come across as unhooked. You are offering academics, and not much else, especially as an ORM.

You will be less over-represented if you consider a different geographic area. Because there are so many BS in New England, it makes sense that most kids from New England can find a school nearby. But if you were to look at St. Andrews (DE), or George, Episcopal, Mercersberg, or Peddie, you’d be a bit different. . It won’t make a huge difference but it could make some. All of those are excellent, and different from each other. Just a consideration.

[Corncob]

Thanks for all the replies. I’ll definitely keep the advice in mind!

[SportyPrep]

@Corncob

My priorities are mainly strong academics, a wide range of EC’s, and good FA. I want to use high school as an opportunity to explore what I like and want to do in the future, as I currently am unsure about what I’m truly interested in. I feel like my priorities describe about 90% of all boarding schools , but I’ll try to narrow it down in the future. Thanks for all the advice!

As an interviewer for a highly selective university, I’m always impressed with LPS students who create their own ECs, or lead/rejuvenate otherwise sleepy clubs/ECs at their school or in their community. It’s much more impressive than merely filling an existing role in a boarding school club. Just something for you to consider.