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JUST WONDERING HOW TOUGH IT IS TO GET INTO THE VARIOUS PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOLS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HEAR THE OPINIONS OF MANY PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN THE NEW ENGLAND AREA

By Drusba (Drusba) on Wednesday, February 19, 2003 - 08:43 pm: Edit

Well here in the midwest (Illinois and surrounding), it is fairly easy to get into private high schools. In fact, in this area of country, no one really considers private high schools as being elite. I guess we have just never been sold on the idea like in the east.

By mike johnson on Wednesday, February 19, 2003 - 08:49 pm: Edit

thanks for your feedback

By La Maman on Wednesday, February 19, 2003 - 09:03 pm: Edit

You can buy a guidebook to independent secondary schools (I think Peterson's publishes it--check out their web site about private schools) and get some ideas about various schools, how selective they are and what kinds of testing requirements, etc., are in place. (There's a big difference between being admitted to the elite independent schools and other kinds of private schools, particularly the religiously affiliated ones.)

The elite New England private schools, and others in the big metro areas (NY and DC) can be very difficult to get into--some of them have acceptance rates that are as low as some of the mega-selective colleges. It's important to visit any that are of interest (in fact, they all require visits and interviews) to make sure that all of those that are applied to would be a good fit for your child. That's the bottom line--finding the best learning environment for your particular student.

So, if you're looking at applications to the top schools, a very strong academic record in middle school, strong scores on either the SSAT or the ISEE (check the particular requirements of each school), and some good extracurricular interests will make the foundation for the application. Beyond that, the applications will require essays, teacher recommendations, etc., just as are required for applying to college. For private high schools there is usually a parent application/parent interview component as well.

It's an intense process and requires a lot of time and thought. And money. Good luck.

By Prep school mom on Wednesday, February 19, 2003 - 10:09 pm: Edit

To La Maman,
What do you consider to be a strong score on the SSAT? Does the 86th percentile overall do it? Or is that too low for the elite schools?

By Mike Johnson on Wednesday, February 19, 2003 - 10:16 pm: Edit

i think that is a perfect score for an elite prep school, it definitely does not seem too low, it also will not be the highest scores they will be recieving. As long as the applicant has many other great qualities he/she should be just fine.

-does any one know what the average SSAT scores are for Belmont Hill students

By Dwaynehoover (Dwaynehoover) on Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 12:39 am: Edit

belmont hill is real easy to get into...you'll get in with a 70 percentile.

By Bhs4life (Bhs4life) on Saturday, March 22, 2003 - 05:08 pm: Edit

how do u kno

By Tenisghs (Tenisghs) on Saturday, March 29, 2003 - 12:33 pm: Edit

Drusba, I somewhat disagree.

I live in Detroit, and many parents and students know the ELITE PRIVATE SCHOOLS and the typical, parochial schools. Getting into the ELITE independent schools like Detroit Country Day, Cranbrook, ULS, Roeper, etc. is tough. While the average private school (which is parochial) in the MidWest is easy to enroll, the elite private schools are not.

And these elite private schools yield many students into TOP 100 schools. There are only 78 people in my class, and already I know some peers that have been accepted to Duke, Stanford, Columbia, UPENN, UMich, George Washington, Boston Univ., Colby, Kenyon, etc.

By Sar (Sar) on Saturday, March 29, 2003 - 06:38 pm: Edit

Are you considering this b/c of college admissions?

If possible, you might consider sending your child to one of the three specialized public science high schools in New York City--especially Stuyvesant High School (HS 475). All your child needs is a high score on the Entrance Exam, which is similar to the SSAT, I think... unless they changed it recently. Almost every standardized test is changing up here...
You also have to be living in NYC.

By Bhs4life (Bhs4life) on Saturday, March 29, 2003 - 08:30 pm: Edit

sorry Tenis...those schools dont't even compare to the New England private schools.

By Annie (Annie) on Tuesday, April 01, 2003 - 12:52 pm: Edit

Hi Mike-We have a daughter at Deerfield, and a son applying for prep school in the fall. We've visited at most of the local schools, and know children attending many, so just post which school you're most interested in, and I'll do my best.

By Gianscolere (Gianscolere) on Tuesday, April 01, 2003 - 07:00 pm: Edit

TENISGHS: Are you the same person on the AOL Message Board that was admitted to Northwestern? I noticed you are using the same screen name. Congratulations again on your many college acceptances!

GENERAL MESSAGE
There is a message board under the "High School and Pre-college Issues" on this website that pertains to "New England Prep Schools." Some of these schools are, but not limited to:

(Note: They are not necessarily located in New England states like Lawrenceville in New Jersey.)

Phillips (Andover)
http://www.andover.edu

Phillips Exeter
http://www.exeter.edu

Milton
http://www.milton.edu

Lawrenceville
http://www.lawrenceville.org

Hotchkiss
http://www.hotchkiss.org

Loomis Chaffee
http://www.loomis.org

The Hill
http://www.thehill.org

Deerfield
http://www.deerfield.edu

Choate Rosemary Hall
http://www.choate.edu

Taft
http://www.taftschool.org

St. Paul's School
http://www.sps.edu

These schools are especially hard to get into. For instance, at Milton 10 applicants compete for each opening, so the median SSAT score for accepted students stands at the 91st percentile. 1,380 apply for about 140 spaces.

The mean score for Phillips/Andover is 93 and 87 for Phillips Exeter. Hundreds of straight-A students are denied admission each year because of space limitations and the unusally talented applicant pool.

So, in a sense, the application process for these schools is similar to the college admissions process. They generally require test scores, teacher recommendations, transcripts, essays, and interviews.

By Tenisghs (Tenisghs) on Tuesday, April 01, 2003 - 07:38 pm: Edit

sorry Tenis...those schools dont't even compare to the New England private schools.
-------------------------------------------------
They are still excellent schools if you live in the Michigan area. They do not have easy enrollments.

By Bhs4life (Bhs4life) on Tuesday, April 01, 2003 - 08:09 pm: Edit

wat do u mean annie

By Annie (Annie) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 05:51 pm: Edit

Mike had asked for opinions on NE private schools, and I'm happy to help him with my opinions if he can narrow the field a little

By Harvardmom (Harvardmom) on Thursday, April 03, 2003 - 03:04 pm: Edit

There are many excellent day independent schools in New England. My daughters attend a NE independent day school, and we have friends who left our school to attend Exeter. My daughter is having great success in her college application process; can't imagine Andover, Exeter, Milton, BB& N, or Deerfied would have made any greater impact. My daughter has been accepted to Harvard, Yale, Georgetown & UChicago. She is a NM Scholar and was the valedictorian of her junior class and her school's entire upper school last year. I personally don't believe the boarding prep schools are better for young people; boarding away from home is a difficult enough adjustment for 18+ year olds - with 15 year olds and younger, it's doesn't promote the greatest of academics. For years, my husband was employed by English owned companies, whose executives were famous for sending their middle and high schoolers off to boarding schools; none of these managers' children made it to Ivy Leagues here in the US or the top schools in England; state schools, Georgia Tech drop out, etc.

schools are any better than a rigorous day independent school. Both my daughter and her
Exeter friend were accepted to Georgetown EA,
her Exeter friend did not apply EA to Harvard but RD decision to Harvard.

By Upenn06 (Upenn06) on Friday, April 18, 2003 - 11:36 pm: Edit

I'm a graduate of Deerfield Academy (class of 2002 baby) and I just want to encourage ANYONE looking at new england boardings schools to consider D.A. (if it's not already on your list).

It's probably the hardest school to get into (andover and exeter are academic equals, but they have significantly student bodies so there are physically more spaces), but if you think you have what it takes and you're passionate about learning in and out of the classroom, apply to Deerfield!

It was the best 3 years of my young life. I only wish I'd gone as a frosh instead of waiting until sophomore year.

-e

By Autodidact (Autodidact) on Saturday, April 19, 2003 - 12:38 am: Edit

One young lady from our local school enrolled out of state in a private prep school. She is not a National Merit Finalist despite the $20,000+ a year. I don't think it's necessary to go private if an intelligent, diligent student is willing to apply themselves--and if they're not it's a major waste of both time and money. I prefer to spend my time and money with my daughter than on her.

By Upenn06 (Upenn06) on Saturday, April 19, 2003 - 10:15 pm: Edit

autodidact, fair enough.

but if you're reading this chat, it's obvious that you're at least curious about private schools.

By Autodidact (Autodidact) on Sunday, April 20, 2003 - 12:21 pm: Edit

Upenn06: I'm interested in education in general. Do parent and child both post under this name?

By Autodidact (Autodidact) on Sunday, April 20, 2003 - 03:30 pm: Edit

Upenn: Sorry, no need to answer that last question, I misread a post (too quick a pass)on another thread.

By Poutana (Poutana) on Friday, January 09, 2004 - 03:40 am: Edit

I am a former student of Exeter and all I would like to say to Autodidact is dont use the exception to argue the rule. Great one girl you know isnt a National Merit Finalist, she was also one of 1,000 students at the school, competiting not only against the brightest in the state, but the brightest children in the world. Going to boarding school helps you not only in college admission but in networking later in life. You would be suprised to learn how much weight the name carries and how helpful the college advisors are at a school like that. I honestly believe Exeter has the best curiculum of any high school in the nation and while you can name one student who got into an Ivy league I can name about 25 from my class who go into harvard, another 25 who got into Yale and so on. I have classmates who are know Rhode Scholars and Fulbright Scholars, students in the math olympiad, you name an acedemic competition and and i assure you I can name you an Exonian who was in it