Category: Private School Admissions

5 Things That Top U.S. Boarding Schools Have in Common

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Throughout the years, my team and I continually visit top U.S. boarding schools.  We meet and maintain longstanding relationships with admissions directors, enrollment directors, heads of schools and administrators to gather real-time information, perform research and gain insider-insight and knowledge about the admissions policies and mission of the schools.

Here are 5 things that we find that are common among top U.S. boarding schools:

  • College Admissions placement:  They send lots of students off to the Ivy League  and highly selective colleges!  Let’s just consider Andover: For the past three years, more than 20 Andover students have gotten into each of the following top schools: Brown University, Columbia University, Harvard University, MIT, Princeton University, Stanford University, and Yale University.
  • Facilities:  These schools build, renovate, and maintain facilities that by their very design encourage community, foster collaboration, and facilitate the powerful mentoring—in the dorm and across campus—characteristic of top schools
  • Academics:  These schools possess outstanding traditions of academic supremacy, and are built on educational models of diverse curricula.  The academics are designed to inspire student intellectual development through collaboration.
  • Small Classes:  These schools assign on average about 9.8 students to each teacher, thus guaranteeing the individual attention each child needs to thrive intellectually, socially and emotionally.  Small class sizes encourage meaningful interaction, as well as learning that extends beyond the classrooms in activities and sports.
  • Culture:  Each school has its own distinctive and unique culture, however, in general, all of the cultures are scholarly, resourceful and develop student character  student knowledge, confidence, and resilience in meaningful ways.  The students at these schools are encouraged to express themselves and to strive for their personal excellence intellectually, artistically, and athletically.  It’s no wonder many of these students are accepted into Ivy League and highly competitive colleges and some become future business, political, art, science, technology and entrepreneurial leaders who participate in a global network of top boarding school alumni.

“Admissions is a competitive sport!  Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe.

Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director and lead admissions expert at Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group’s  Boarding School Admissions Consultants, an affiliate of Private School Admissions Advisors.  Dr. Lowe specializes in providing exclusive concierge-type admissions advisory services for U.S. and international students who are interested in applying to top U.S. boarding schools.  Dr. Lowe helps U.S. and international students gain admissions into top U.S. boarding schools even after they have been wait-listed and rejected.  Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors also visit prestigious and elite private schools, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with heads of schools, directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.

2018 Top U.S. Boarding Schools

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on schools released its 2018 ranking of the best boarding schools in the U.S., specifically highlighting the best schools that prepare students for elite colleges.

My team and I have had the opportunity to visit these top boarding schools and I must agree.  These schools have not only great facilities but also excellent and engaged faculty and administrators.  Why do we visit schools?  See my blog: Why Dr. Lowe Visits Private Schools.

Here is the list of 2018 top 25 U.S. boarding high schools by rank:

  1. Phillips Academy – Andover, MA
  2. Phillips Exeter Academy – Exeter, NH
  3. St. Paul’s School – Concord, NH
  4. Lawrenceville School – Lawrenceville, NJ
  5. Choate Rosemary Hall – Wallingford, CT
  6. Deerfield Academy – Deerfield, MA
  7. Groton School – Groton, MA
  8. Noble & Greenough School – Dedham, MA
  9. Cranbrook School – Bloomfield Hills, MI
  10. Hotchkiss School – Lakeville, CT
  11. Hockaday School – Dallas, TX
  12. Cate School – Carpinteria, CA
  13. Middlesex School – Concord, MA
  14. Thacher School – Ojai, CA
  15. Milton Academy – Milton, MA
  16. Lake Forest Academy – Lake Forest, IL
  17. St. Albans School – Washington, DC
  18. St. Stephen’s Episcopal School – Austin, TX
  19. Hackley School – Tarrytown, NY
  20. Peddie School – Hightstown, NJ
  21. Kent School – Kent, CT
  22. Emma Willard School – Troy, NY
  23. Taft School – Watertown, CT
  24. Concord Academy – Concord, MA
  25. Madeira School – Mclean, VA

“Admissions is a competitive sport!  Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe.

Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director and lead admissions expert at Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group’s  Boarding School Admissions Consultants, an affiliate of Private School Admissions Advisors.  Dr. Lowe specializes in providing exclusive concierge-type admissions advisory services for U.S. and international students who are interested in applying to top U.S. boarding schools.  Dr. Lowe helps U.S. and international students gain admissions into top U.S. boarding schools even after they have been wait-listed and rejected.  Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors also visit prestigious and elite private schools, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with heads of schools, directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.   

Top Boarding Schools that offer the Best Soccer Programs

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Many U.S. as well as international middle school and high school students are actively involved and compete in soccer as an interscholastic sport.  As a result, many parents seek boarding schools that support soccer.   By visiting schools and conducting our research we are able to determine which top school or schools best match our client objectives. (See: Why Dr. Lowe Visits Private Schools?.

Here is a list of top U.S. boarding schools offering soccer as an interscholastic sport:

  • Blair Academy – Blairstown, NJ
  • Canterbury School – New Milford, CT
  • Cate School – Carpinteria, CA
  • Choate Rosemary Hall – Wallingford, CT
  • Deerfield Academy – Deerfield, MA
  • Groton School – Groton, MA
  • The Gunnery – Washington, CT
  • The Hotchkiss School – Lakeville, CT
  • Kent School – Kent, CT
  • Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, CT
  • Loomis Chaffee – Winsor, CT
  • Middlesex School – Concord, MA
  • Milton Academy – Milton, MA
  • Northfield Mount Hermon – Mount Hermon, MA
  • Peddie School – Hightstown, NJ
  • Phillips Academy Andover – Andover, MA
  • Phillips Exeter Academy – Exeter, NH
  • St. Paul’s School – Concord, NH
  • Taft School – Watertown, CT
  • Thacher School – Ojai, CA

“Admissions is a competitive sport!  Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe.

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director and lead admissions expert at Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group’s Private School Admissions Advisors.  Dr. Lowe specializes in providing exclusive concierge-type admissions advisory services for U.S. and international students who are interested in applying to top U.S. boarding and day schools.  Dr. Lowe helps U.S. and international students gain admissions into top U.S. private schools even after they have been wait-listed and rejected.  Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors also visit prestigious and elite private schools, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with heads of schools, directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.   Dr. Lowe provides parents with the knowledge they need to decide where there children should attend and the admissions strategies they need to be admitted into their top-choice school.

Wait-listed at Top Boarding Schools (Repost)

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Since the last week in March, my firm has been receiving continuous inquires (phone calls and emails) from stunned and stressed-out parents because their children are wait-listed!  We have been receiving many inquiries from parents whose children have been wait-listed from ALL schools to which they applied.

The top U.S. boarding schools have the most competitive admissions process because they actually are stepping stones to the Ivy League colleges and universities.  Therefore, their non-acceptance rates are high (even for high-achieving students).

WAIT-LISTED means that “we love your child, but we don’t have spot available today, tomorrow or perhaps never”.  Two factors are important to consider:

  • SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT in your child’s application process.  Parents make a lot of mistakes on their child’s application.
  • In many cases, wait-listed may mean “perhaps never” or “forever”. Top schools rarely reject students outright.  They would rather state – wait-listed rather than wait-listed perhaps never!

Many parents are mistakenly drawing from their skills as corporate executives, tiger moms, financiers, etc. rather than accepting the benefits of a consultant’s professional skills and years of experience in private admissions diplomacy and understanding real-time nuances and changes needed in private school admissions to top schools.  Many parents also fail to fully appreciate and understand the human element of diplomacy in the selection process and decisions in private school admissions.

When parents call our firm to inquire about our services the first thing they ask is what is your price?  Your fees?

It’s amazing that 95% of parents who are willing to spend $240,000 or more over 4 years on private high school education for their children waste time attempting to haggle fees for an exclusive advisory service that will guarantee that education!  I have discovered that parents who are shopping for services based on price, have already made the decision to not invest in expert advice that will help their children.  They ultimately end up saving $240,000 in private high school tuition or worse pay $240,000 for a third-tier school education. Our market is specifically the 5%, parents who hire us and their children get into top schools! 

“Admissions is a competitive sport!  Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director and lead admissions expert at Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group’s Private School Admissions Advisors.  Dr. Lowe specializes in providing exclusive concierge-type admissions advisory services for U.S. and international students who are interested in applying to top U.S. boarding and day schools.  Dr. Lowe helps U.S. and international students gain admissions into top U.S. private schools even after they have been wait-listed and rejected.  Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors also visit prestigious and elite private schools, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with heads of schools, directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.   Dr. Lowe provides parents with the knowledge they need to decide where there children should attend and the admissions strategies they need to be admitted into their top-choice school.

It’s Getting Tougher To Get Into Top Private Schools

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

This year, we have been receiving calls from devastated parents who had applied to top private schools and are now discovering that their children on the “forever” wait-list or rejected.  There have been increased calls from U.S. as well as international parents.

We have received calls from families have received “forever” wait-listed and rejection letters from top boarding schools:  Andover, Exeter, St. Paul’s, Lawrenceville, Deerfield, Choate, Loomis Chaffee, Hotchkiss, Taft, Kent to name a few.  We also heard from parents who applied to the Westchester/Fairfield County schools:  Rye County Day, Hackley, Greenwich Academy, Brunswick, Masters; the Manhattan elite schools:  Dalton, Horace Mann, Trinity, Collegiate, Chapin, Brearley, Packer, Columbia and Riverdale.

So what’s causing the increased number of families on to be “forever” wait-listed or rejected from top private schools:

When parents call our offices, the first question we ask: Did you hire an educational consultant? The answer is usually “no”.  The second question: Did you hire a consultant whose expertise and specialty is placing students into elite private schools? The answer is always “no”.  Third question:  Did you hire a consultant who visits elite private schools and understand the specific admissions policy of each school? The answer is always “no”.

I don’t have the time, the professional experience or expertise to figure out how to do my own taxes correctly, so I pay a top accounting firm for expert advice and counsel and to assist me in filling out and filing tax forms.  I prefer to engage a specialist.  I certainly don’t hire a math teacher or a plumber to do my taxes.  To me, it’s a question of your priorities.  It’s simply a choice whether to give your child a competitive advantage so that he/she will not be  “forever” wait-listed or rejected.

This year, eight of our clients each received acceptances from Andover, Exeter and Choate.  Three of our clients who applied to the ten schools were accepted to all ten.  All of our international clients were accepted to their top choice boarding schools, including, Andover, Choate and Lawrenceville.  We must be doing something right!

“Admissions is a competitive sport!  Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director and lead admissions expert at Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group’s Private School Admissions Advisors.  Dr. Lowe specializes in providing exclusive concierge-type admissions advisory services for U.S. and international students who are interested in applying to top U.S. boarding and day schools.  Dr. Lowe helps U.S. and international students gain admissions into top U.S. private schools even after they have been wait-listed and rejected.  Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors also visit prestigious and elite private schools, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with heads of schools, directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.   Dr. Lowe provides parents with the knowledge they need to decide where there children should attend and the admissions strategies they need to be admitted into their top-choice school.

Wait-listed at Top Boarding Schools

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

It’s the last week in March, and my firm is receiving continuous inquires (phone calls and emails) from stunned and stressed-out parents that their children are wait-listed!  We have been receiving many inquiries from parents whose children have been wait-listed from ALL schools to which they applied.

The top U.S. boarding schools have the most competitive admissions process because they actually are stepping stones to the Ivy League colleges and universities (See: Top Private High Schools with the Highest Percentage of Graduates Accepted to Ivy League Universities).  Therefore, their non-acceptance rates are high (even for high achieving students).

WAIT-LISTED means that “we love your child, but we don’t have spot available today, tomorrow or perhaps never”.  Two factors are important here:

  1.  SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT in your child’s application process.
  2. In many cases, wait-listed may mean “perhaps never”.

With regard to SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT:  Parents make a lot of mistakes on their child’s application. (See: Common Mistakes Parents Make When Applying to Private Schools).  With regard to WAIT-LISTED:  Top schools rarely reject students outright.  They would rather state – wait-listed rather than wait-listed perhaps never!

Many parents are mistakenly drawing from their skills as corporate executives, tiger moms, financiers, etc. to match my professional skills and years of experience in private admissions diplomacy and understanding real-time nuances and changes needed in private school admissions to top schools.  Many parents also fail to fully appreciate and understand the human element of diplomacy in the selection process and decisions in private school admissions.

When parents call our firm to inquire about our services the first thing they ask is what is your price?  Your fees?

It’s amazing that 95% of parents who are willing to spend $240,000 or more over 4 years on private high school education for their children waste time attempting to haggle fees for an exclusive advisory service that will guarantee that education!  I have discovered that parents who are shopping for services based on price, have already made the decision to not invest in expert advice that will help their children.  They ultimately end up saving $240,000 in private high school tuition or worse pay $240,000 for a third-tier school education. Our market is specifically the 5%, parents who hire us and their children get into top schools! 

“Admissions is a competitive sport!  Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe.

Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director and lead admissions expert at Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group’s Private School Admissions Advisors.  Dr. Lowe specializes in providing exclusive concierge-type admissions advisory services for U.S. and international students who are interested in applying to top U.S. boarding and day schools.  Dr. Lowe helps U.S. and international students gain admissions into top U.S. private schools even after they have been wait-listed and rejected.  Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors also visit prestigious and elite private schools, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with heads of schools, directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.   Dr. Lowe provides parents with the knowledge they need to decide where there children should attend and the admissions strategies they need to be admitted into their top-choice school.

Rejected or Waitlisted from Boarding School? Something Wasn’t Right

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

March 10th, the date designated for boarding school notifications this year, has come and gone.  My firm’s regional offices in Manhattan, Greenwich, CT, Woodbridge, CT, White Plains, NY, Fort Lee, NJ, Princeton, NJ, Boston and Los Angeles are inundated with numerous phone calls from disappointed, unhappy and anxious parents (who were not our clients).  International parents, from Moscow, another from London, another from Lagos, another from Guangdong Province and another from São Paulo have already scheduled meetings to fly over and meet me in our Manhattan offices.  All understand the importance of continuing the process in pursuit of the goal:  admissions to a top private school for their children.   Their next mission in pursuit of this goal is to determine what to do next.

If your child was REJECTED (or WAIT-LISTED, which means that “we love your child, but we don’t have spot available today, tomorrow or perhaps never”), what can you do at this stage in the process?  SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT!

From my observation, there are six crucial potential missteps during the application process:   (1) Parents assume that it’s all about connections.  (2) Parents and students don’t prepare enough for the interviews.  (3) Parents start too late in the admissions planning process.  (4) Parents assume that their skill sets and/or titles give them an admissions edge.  (5) Parents and students listen to incorrect advice from chat rooms and online communities.  (6) Parents make the mistake of retaining an inexperienced educational consultant who is not versed in the admissions policies, diplomacy and politics of top boarding school admissions or does not even visit schools.

In all cases, after careful research, I endeavor to discover the details as to why and how a student was rejected (or wait-listed) and what mistakes were made.  I use the information I gather in conjunction with the current admissions policies of each school and the long-term working relationships that I have established with schools to re-energize a student’s application, make recommendations to improve the student’s profile and properly connect the dots within their application and beyond.  By careful navigation, it is possible for students to be reconsidered and admitted.

“Admissions is a competitive sport!  Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director and lead admissions expert at Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group’s Private School Admissions Advisors.  Dr. Lowe specializes in providing exclusive concierge-type admissions advisory services for U.S. and international students who are interested in applying to top U.S. boarding and day schools.  Dr. Lowe helps U.S. and international students gain admissions into top U.S. private schools even after they have been wait-listed and rejected.  Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors also visit prestigious and elite private schools, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with heads of schools, directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.   Dr. Lowe provides parents with the knowledge they need to decide where there children should attend and the admissions strategies they need to be admitted into their top-choice school.

Why Dr Paul Lowe Visits Private Schools

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Not all private schools are created equally!  The choices and options can be confusing.  And, like most important decisions, the choice of a school should be the result of careful and thoughtful planning.   That’s why I make the effort in to visit private schools.  My team and I spend 25% or more of our time visiting schools.

By performing visits, I get to know schools and what will be the best fit for our client’s children as well as understanding the real-time missions and admissions policies.  I look beyond the brochures, websites. virtual tours, videos, and the fast-and-furious independent school fair meetups.  A school visit is imperative!  I talk with faculty, students, parents, and yes, even the maintenance crew.  What a school promises and what it delivers may be different.  I get to understand the nuances in each school and get a chance to talk with admissions officers, enrollment officers, headmasters, parents and board members.  We also develop established longstanding relationships with schools.  My team and I visit the top day and boarding schools 4 times annually.

In addition to experiencing the school hardscape, by visiting schools, I discover  the true vibe of the school and the presence of the “Happy Factor”: Are the students (and faculty) happy?  What is the happy vibe or rhythm on the school campus?  Student happiness matters when it comes to learning.

With regard to school facilities: How well is the school maintained?  Are the facilities outdated?  Are the facilities student-friendly?  Do the school’s facilities accommodate your child’s interests?

When I visit a school as a consultant, I ask questions as to the real year-to-date college matriculation numbers, not  just numbers over the last 5 years. After all, you are paying for your child’s high school experience, as well as adequate college preparation to meet their (and your) college admissions goals.  After all of your child’s hard work and your monetary investment, you don’t want your child to just get into safety schools!

Other consultants may depend on telephonic interviews, group speed meetings in central locations, or simply read literature and review websites and repeat it to families.  Alternatively, by my physically visiting schools and actively interacting with school admissions personnel, senior administrators and students, my clients are placed in the most appropriate school for their (and their parents’ happiness.  Our approach will ensure your child’s best possible start for a successful future by placing them in their top-choice schools.

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director and lead admissions expert at Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group’s Private School Admissions Advisors.  Dr. Lowe specializes in providing exclusive concierge-type admissions advisory services for U.S. and international students who are interested in applying to top U.S. boarding and day schools.  Dr. Lowe helps U.S. and international students gain admissions into top U.S. private schools even after they have been wait-listed and rejected.  Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors also visit prestigious and elite private schools, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with heads of schools, directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.   Dr. Lowe provides parents with the knowledge they need to decide where there children should attend and the admissions strategies they need to be admitted into their top-choice school.

2018 Top All-Girls Boarding High Schools

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

All-girls private high schools have a deep understanding of how girls learn and succeed.  They also provide the resources for girls to reach their full potential.  These schools provide a nurturing learning environment that encourages curiosity and independence and motivates girls to thrive and succeed.

Many international families call my firm to inquire, specifically, about independent, college-preparatory boarding schools for girls. They are seeking advice on which schools will provide an excellent U.S. education as well as placement in elite and prestigious U.S. colleges and universities.

Here is a list for parents seeking to send their daughter to a top U.S. boarding school for girls pursuing academic achievement and success.

  • The Hockaday School – Dallas, TX
  • Miss Porter’s School – Farmington, CT
  • Westover School – Middlebury, CT
  • Dana Hall School – Wellesley, MA
  • Miss Hall’s School – Pittsfield, MA
  • Emma Willard School – Troy, NY
  • The Madiera School – McLean, VA
  • Garrison Forest School – Owings Mills, MD
  • The Ethel Walker School – Simsbury, CT
  • Foxcroft School – Middleburgh, VA
  • Chatham Hall – Chatham, VA

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director and lead admissions expert at Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group’s Private School Admissions Advisors.  Dr. Lowe specializes in providing exclusive concierge-type admissions advisory services for U.S. and international students who are interested in applying to top U.S. boarding and day schools.  Dr. Lowe helps U.S. and international students gain admissions into top U.S. private schools even after they have been wait-listed and rejected.  Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors also visit prestigious and elite private schools, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with heads of schools, directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.   Dr. Lowe provides parents with the knowledge they need to decide where there children should attend and the admissions strategies they need to be admitted into their top-choice school.

Top Manhattan Private School Kindergarten Programs

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Private preschools have become an institution in Manhattan.  Tuition can be as high as $50,000 and that’s just for a few hours a day for school.  There are often more than 1000 applications for 60 spots in kindergarten at many schools.   Often the kindergarten programs are feeders to top secondary schools and these secondary schools send off students to Ivy League and highly selective college and universities.

Here is a list of top private school kindergarten programs in Manhattan:

  • Dalton School
  • Trinity School
  • Collegiate School
  • Riverdale Country School
  • Chapin School
  • Friends Seminary
  • Dwight School
  • The Spence School
  • Brearley School
  • Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School
  • The Avenues

On or about Friday, February 9th parents will be notified whether their child is accepted or rejected from kindergarten programs in Manhattan.  After that, the real competitive process begins!

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director and lead admissions expert at Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group’s Private School Admissions Advisors.  Manhattan affiliate: Manhattan Private School Admissions.  Dr. Lowe specializes in providing exclusive concierge-type admissions advisory services for U.S. and international students who are interested in applying to top U.S. boarding and day schools.  Dr. Lowe helps U.S. and international students gain admissions into top U.S. private schools even after they have been wait-listed and rejected.  Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors also visit prestigious and elite private schools, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with heads of schools, directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.   Dr. Lowe provides parents with the knowledge they need to decide where there children should attend and the admissions strategies they need to be admitted into their top-choice school.