<p>What are your thoughts? My sense is that St. Andrew’s is more academic, more serious. Is this true? Tier 1/Tier 2 - is there really a difference in the end? Would love to hear from parents of kids at both schools. My d is very rounded: good, hard working student, singer & athlete. What about the dorms & food?</p>
<p>Which St. Andrew’s? In DE or FL?</p>
<p>St. Andrews, DE - sorry.</p>
<p>There are many threads that provide information on both St. Mark’s and St. Andrew’s, albeit not comparing the two. Do a search on both schools. Here are a couple of threads:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/464836-saint-mark-s-school-ma.html?highlight=mark’s[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/464836-saint-mark-s-school-ma.html?highlight=mark’s</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/397185-saint-mark-s-sounds-good-me.html?highlight=mark’s[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/397185-saint-mark-s-sounds-good-me.html?highlight=mark’s</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/391241-what-about-st-mark-s.html?highlight=mark’s[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/391241-what-about-st-mark-s.html?highlight=mark’s</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/475019-st-andrew-s-de.html?highlight=andrew’s[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/475019-st-andrew-s-de.html?highlight=andrew’s</a></p>
<p>I am going to Saint Mark’s. They have many things that I like about.
They are changing quite a bit and they are working hard to be a top notch school soon. Saint Mark’s school is about 30 minutes from my house. and I will be a boarder. they have a great reputation. They have a new school head
and they added one more new college placement staff. I believe that they will be really a top school soon. I hope to see you there.</p>
<p>THE FOLLOWING IS A BOARDING SCHOOL RANKING CONSIDERING sat, COLLEGE MATRICULATION, NUMBER OF AP CLASSES, ASSETS INCLUDING EMNDOWMENT PER STUDENT. THIS IS CALLED COMPOSITE RANK. I KNOW IT IS A CONTROVERSIAL TO INTRODUCE RANKING. BUT I HAPPENED TO GET THIS DATA FROM INTERNET. SAINT M ARK;S SCHOOL(SMS) IS RANKED AT 18
OUT OF TOTAL MORE TAN 330 BOARDING SCHOOLS. THAT IS ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD. I AM HEARING THAT SMS IS TRYING TO RETIRIEVE THE GLORY OF THE OLD DAYS AND THE NEW SCHOOL HEAD AND HIS STAFF ARE WORKING HARD TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL BE ONE OF THE TOP BS SOONER OR LATER.</p>
<p>1
Phillips Exeter Academy</p>
<p>2
St. Paul’s </p>
<p>3
Phillips Academy Andover</p>
<p>4
Groton School</p>
<p>5
Deerfield Academy</p>
<p>6
Choate Rosemary Hall</p>
<p>7
Hotchkiss School</p>
<p>8
Lawrenceville Academy</p>
<p>9
Milton Academy</p>
<p>10
St. Andrew School (DE)</p>
<p>11
Thacher School</p>
<p>12
Middlesex School</p>
<p>13
Peddie School</p>
<p>14
Taft School</p>
<p>15
Concord Academy</p>
<p>16
Cate School</p>
<p>17
Loomis Chaffee School</p>
<p>18
St. Mark’s School</p>
<p>19
Westminster School</p>
<p>20
Emma Williard</p>
<p>21
Woodberry Forest School</p>
<p>22
Episcopal High School</p>
<p>23
Webb school (CA)</p>
<p>24
Miss Porter’s School</p>
<p>25
Blair Academy</p>
<p>26
Mercersburg Academy</p>
<p>27
Asheville School</p>
<p>28
Hill School</p>
<p>29
Governor Dummer Academy</p>
<p>30
Brooks School</p>
<p>31
Northfield Mount Hermon </p>
<p>32
Pomfret School</p>
<p>33
Kent School</p>
<p>34
Tabor Academy</p>
<p>35
Suffield Academy</p>
<p>36
Cranbrook Schools</p>
<p>37
Stevenson School</p>
<p>38
Western Reserve Academy</p>
<p>39
Portsmouth Abbey School ( C)</p>
<p>40
Williston Northampton School</p>
<p>41
Santa Catalina School ( C)</p>
<p>42
George School</p>
<p>43
Masters School</p>
<p>44
Madeira School</p>
<p>45
St. James School</p>
<p>46
Westover School</p>
<p>47
Holderness School</p>
<p>48
Virginia Episcopal School</p>
<p>49
St. Catherine’s School</p>
<p>50
Salisbury School</p>
<p>51
Annie wright School</p>
<p>52
McCallie School</p>
<p>53
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School</p>
<p>54
Kimball Union Academy</p>
<p>55
Berkshire School</p>
<p>56
Canterbury School ( C)</p>
<p>57
Cambridge School of Weston</p>
<p>58
Lawrence Academy</p>
<p>59
Gunnery</p>
<p>60
Avon Old Farms School</p>
<p>61
Proctor Academy</p>
<p>62
Dana Hall</p>
<p>63
WESTTOWN</p>
<p>64
Worcester Academy</p>
<p>65
Culver Academy</p>
<p>66
Baylor School</p>
<p>67
Fountain Valley School of Colorado</p>
<p>68
Mount Michael Benedictine (C )</p>
<p>69
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School</p>
<p>70
Cushing Academy</p>
<p>71
Ethel Walker School</p>
<p>72
Stony Brook School</p>
<p>73
Wyoming Seminary</p>
<p>74
Millbrook School</p>
<p>75
Lake Forest Academy</p>
<p>76
Tilton School</p>
<p>77
Brewster Academy</p>
<p>78
Wilbraham & Monson Academy</p>
<p>79
Trinity-Prawling School</p>
<p>80
New Hampton School</p>
<p>81
Putney School</p>
<p>82
Hun School</p>
<p>83
Foxcroft School</p>
<p>84
Darlington School</p>
<p>85
Shattuck-St. Mary’s School</p>
<p>86
St. Timothy’s School</p>
<p>87
Christ School</p>
<p>88
Webb school (TN)</p>
<p>89
Wayland Academy</p>
<p>90
St. John’s Prepatory School (c )</p>
<p>91
Kiski</p>
<p>92
Purnell School</p>
<p>93
Blue Ridge School</p>
<p>94
Villanova Prepatory School ( c )</p>
<p>95
Hawaii Prepatory Academy</p>
<p>96
Vermont Academy</p>
<p>97
Kents Hill School</p>
<p>98
Gould Academy</p>
<p>99
Stoneleigh-Burnham School</p>
<p>100
Walnut Hill School</p>
<p>101
Subiaco Academy (c )</p>
<p>102
Colorado Rocky Mountain School</p>
<p>103
Hebron Academy</p>
<p>104
Chirstchurch School</p>
<p>105
Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School</p>
<p>106
St. Bernard Prep ( c)</p>
<p>107
St. Stanislaus College Prep ( c)</p>
<p>108
Girard College</p>
<p>109
Andrews School</p>
<p>110
Northwood School</p>
<p>This is another ranking list obtained from different source. This ranking considered SAT, endowment/student, #of AP class, # of sports class, </p>
<h1>of extracurricular activities, boarding percentage, student to faculty ratio,</h1>
<p>percentage of the faculty who have advanced degree(MS, PHd), # of students per class, and history(how long ago it was founded).
SMS is ranked at 12.</p>
<ol>
<li> Phillips Exeter Academy, NH</li>
</ol>
<p>US News Top 13, 10 Schools Admission Organization</p>
<ol>
<li> Phillips Academy, MA</li>
</ol>
<p>US News Top 13, 10 Schools Admission Organization</p>
<ol>
<li> Groton School, MA</li>
</ol>
<p>US News Top 13</p>
<ol>
<li> The Hotchkiss School, CT</li>
</ol>
<p>US News Top 13, 10 Schools Admission Organization</p>
<ol>
<li> Deerfield Academy, MA</li>
</ol>
<p>US News Top 13, 10 Schools Admission Organization</p>
<ol>
<li> St. Paul’s School, NH</li>
</ol>
<p>US News Top 13, 10 Schools Admission Organization</p>
<ol>
<li> The Lawrenceville School, NJ</li>
</ol>
<p>US News Top 13, 10 Schools Admission Organization</p>
<ol>
<li> The Taft School, CT</li>
</ol>
<p>US News Top 13, 10 Schools Admission Organization</p>
<ol>
<li> Choate Rosemary Hall, CT</li>
</ol>
<p>US News Top 13, 10 Schools Admission Organization</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Milton Academy, MA</p></li>
<li><p>St. Andrew’s School, DE</p></li>
</ol>
<p>US News Top 13</p>
<ol>
<li><p>St. Mark’s School, MA</p></li>
<li><p>Mercersburg Academy, PA</p></li>
<li><p>Episcopal High School, VA</p></li>
<li><p>The Thacher School. CA</p></li>
</ol>
<p>US News Top 13</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Middlesex School. MA</p></li>
<li><p>St. George’s School, RI</p></li>
<li><p>Cate School, CA</p></li>
</ol>
<p>US News Top 13</p>
<ol>
<li> Woodberry Forest School, VA</li>
</ol>
<p>Boys Only, US News Best Boys School</p>
<ol>
<li> Georgetown Preparatory School, MD</li>
</ol>
<p>Boys Only</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Peddie School, NJ</p></li>
<li><p>Western Reserve Academy, OH</p></li>
</ol>
<p>US News Top 13</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Concord Academy, MA</p></li>
<li><p>Miss Porter’s School, CT</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Girls Only, US News Best Girls School</p>
<ol>
<li> The Hill School, PA</li>
</ol>
<p>10 Schools Admission Organization</p>
<ol>
<li> Emma Willard School, NY</li>
</ol>
<p>Girls only</p>
<ol>
<li> The Loomis Chaffee School, CT</li>
</ol>
<p>10 Schools Admission Organization</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Northfield Mount Hermon School, MA</p></li>
<li><p>Westminster School, CT</p></li>
<li><p>The Governor’s Academy, MA</p></li>
<li><p>Kent School, CT</p></li>
<li><p>Westover School, CT</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Girls Only</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Blair Academy, NJ</p></li>
<li><p>Lake Forest Academy, IL</p></li>
<li><p>Cranbrook School, MI</p></li>
<li><p>Asheville School, NC</p></li>
<li><p>The Madeira School, VA</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Girls only</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Brooks School, MA</p></li>
<li><p>Pomfret School, CT</p></li>
<li><p>Indian Springs School, AL</p></li>
<li><p>Fountain Valley School of Colorado, CO</p></li>
<li><p>Tabor Academy, MA</p></li>
<li><p>Santa Catalina School, CA</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Girls only</p>
<ol>
<li> Culver Academy, IN</li>
</ol>
<p>Military Type</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The Webb Schools. CA</p></li>
<li><p>Westtown School, PA</p></li>
<li><p>The Williston Northampton School, MA</p></li>
<li><p>Stevenson School, CA</p></li>
<li><p>Wyoming Seminary, PA</p></li>
<li><p>The Masters School, NY</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Last year SMS admitted too many(36%) students. They said it was record high application and they did not expect high turn out after revist. However,
almost half of the admitted students registered. That is why they admitted
a lot less students this year. They said this year’s acceptance rate is
24% and the number of application broke the last year’s record.</p>
<p>Bonnied, I don’t know St. Andrew’s except vaguely – a few alumni from the early sixties, a couple of friends’ kids – so I am not really qualified to speak about it, except that everybody I know was quite pleased. The challenge for St. Andrews is that because it’s so far away from the New England prep school heartland, competition with peer schools is more complicated and I think more infrequent. </p>
<p>I have a daughter at St. Mark’s now and I am quite pleased with the school. We initially looked into it because I’d heard good things about it recently from an old boarding school dorm-mate; our own investigations confirmed the positive impression we had of St. Mark’s today. St. Mark’s positives include:a strong new headmaster (who is also an alumnus); great new facilities; the St. Mark’s Math Institute; the athletic program; (and perhaps most importantly) a holistic approach to the kids (this I heard in great detail from my former schoolmate who was a teacher there).</p>
<p>We chose St. Mark’s for these reasons, and haven’t been disappointed. Our daughter has very happy with her experience on a variety of levels. St. Mark’s is a small school, and that has pluses and minuses. The big plus: everybody knows everybody. The big “minus”: everybody knows everybody. What I mean here is that people really do interact because that’s the way the school is structured, and that’s a function of a small boarding school. Kids don’t fall between the cracks. Sure it’s old fashioned, but I am old fashioned myself.</p>
<p>I am also somewhat of a “helicopter parent” and did quite a bit of research about the school, and note that I have read some negative postings about St. Mark’s here and, for example, in Sean Wilsey’s book about St. Mark’s fifteen years ago. These comments are about as relevant, to me, as twenty-year old criticisms of St. Paul’s or Groton. St. Mark’s seems to have gone through a tough patch as it adjusted to the modern age. St. Mark’s is not the only elite boarding school to have addressed these issues. St. Mark’s has also put those issues behind it.</p>
<p>I have a very focused, super straight, academic daughter who tells me what’s going on and I am convinced that dated negatives from a few posters don’t reflect today’s school. My recommendation? Do revisit day. Investigate the school. Talk to the kids. Let St. Mark’s speak for itself to you directly. Everybody is different. But we’ve been very happy and St. Mark’s today is a great place to be.</p>
<p>I like to add a couple of positive points to SMSDAD. My dad investigated SMS
quite a bit as well. He found out that SMS has a major building renovation plan, and they recently reinforced the college counselling office by adding
more counsellor. Many people say that the new head of the school will bring
back SMS to the premere position that SMS used to have a while ago.</p>
<p>I have no direct experience with SMS but a friend from the mid-Atlantic sent her daughter there and was very unhappy with the fact that there were so many parents of boarders who lived very close by to the school (Boston area) and were essentially there at the school at every opportunity, whereas her daughter, farther from home, did not have an advocate on site. She did not give me specific examples of where advocacy for children was needed and how her daughter suffered. This very same complaint can be lodged against any of the Boston-area schools it seems. She just was unhappy with SMS for her daughter, and I suspect would have been with any of the schools in the Boston area. However, it did dissuade me enough not to put any immediate Boston-area schools on our BS search.</p>
<p>This can also be an issue at schools with a high proportion of day students. When my D and I visited Milton three years ago, I came away thinking this is a wonderful school if you live in Boston. Academics-athletics-arts-stellar. But it’s hard to join a school where many of the students live at home and have been going to school together since kindergarten. Weekend activities tended to take place at the homes of day students and the campus could be lonely on weekends. Milton was my D’s first choice school before we visited schools, and I was so concerned about what life would be like as a boarder there that we visited several times. My concerns were heightened, not assuaged, and my D did end up liking other schools more. Try to get a feel for what it is like to spend weekends on campus. I don’t know St. Mark’s so this is not in any way a commentary about that school. When my S was looking at schools this year, we limited our search to schools with about 80% or more boarders.</p>
<p>This may be true. When I visited Concord and Milton, about 50% of the sudents body is day students. I was concerned about the same issue.
Especially, I found that the day students in Concord academy are a lot more
recognized than boarders. Even in Loomis, about 40% of the sudents are day students. However, I know the day students percentage at Saint Mark’s school is not high. It is about 20%, which is not high at all. Day student’s percentage of the most of other boarding schools is a bit higher 20%.</p>
<p>Imnop needs to read this.</p>
<p>Bonnied -
Is your D still leaning St M or is St A still in the running? My D and I are planning a revisit to St Andrews after break.</p>
<p>We’re visiting back both schools.</p>
<p>I have not heard about St Andrew, but I just looked at a book that describes
BSs and
I found out that ST Andrew is a good school as well. But it is a very small
(less than 250 students total), and all of them are boarding and the campus is isolated. If you like rural environment, that is perfect place. SMS
is closer to Boston Metropolitan. Academically, they are about the same. Maybe
St Andrew is a bit higher sat average score. Considering the size(SMS is a small as well, but they have about 360 students), their ssat score is about same. I guess the difference is really the location.</p>