Is Attending a Prestigious Private and Expensive Boarding/Prep School a Guarantee for Ivy League Admissions?

The notion that attending a prestigious private and expensive boarding or prep school guarantees admission to Ivy League or other elite universities is a common misconception. In reality, while such schools are highly selective and produce excellent graduates, they do not offer a foolproof path to prestigious institutions.

A Fifty-Fifty Scenario

The statistics show that the top-performing prep schools send around half of their graduates to the 'top 15' universities and liberal arts colleges. This means that half of the class may not enroll in 'top 15' colleges, despite their graduation from these prestigious schools. Of those that do apply, roughly half of them are accepted by Ivy League institutions, although specific proportions can vary by location.

Geographic Differences

For instance, some prep schools in Massachusetts send a disproportionately high number of students to Harvard, while Choate often sends a dozen or more to Yale. Meanwhile, the Hun School in New Jersey frequently sends students to Princeton, and some California schools favor Stanford. These variations highlight that geographical factors can significantly influence admission outcomes.

Public Schools with Remarkable Performance

It's also important to note that many public schools can perform almost as well as their private counterparts. In my daughter's prep school, about 33 to 38 students typically go to the 'top 15' universities. This was above average in our athletic league, but not the best. Some schools only sent around 10 graduates, while others excelled with a rate of 38.

Examples of High-Performing Public Schools

Some of the best public schools I have seen include the Bronx Science, which typically sends about 6 students to Ivy League institutions, and Scarsdale NY high school, with approximately 10 graduates admitted. These examples illustrate that performance is not solely a function of whether a school is private or public.

School Leadership and Performance

The leadership of a school plays a crucial role in performance metrics. When a well-respected Headmaster retired and was replaced by someone focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the school's performance, while still good, saw a drop in the percentage of students admitted to the 'top 15' universities. This underscores the importance of having an effective and supportive leadership team at these institutions.

The True Value of Prep Schools

A significant return on investment for prep schools comes from their ability to boost the outcomes of the bottom quintile of the class. These schools have abundant resources and smaller student-teacher ratios, which allow them to tailor curricula and build profiles for individual students. For instance, a student who might struggle in a public school can gain access to professional services and support through the walls of their school, making them better prepared for college.

Supporting the Struggling Students

This approach not only helps students achieve their full potential but also ensures that they are mature and college-ready. As illustrated by one of my bottom quintile classmates who managed to get into Columbia University based on his rowing abilities, these schools provide a level of support that can significantly enhance an applicant's profile. While not all students attend Ivy League schools, prep schools do maximize outcomes for lower performers and help prepare them for higher education.

Conclusion

While prestigious private and expensive boarding or prep schools are valuable educational institutions, they do not guarantee admission to the Ivy League or other elite universities. However, they do provide a strong foundation and additional support that can significantly improve a student's chances of success in higher education, particularly for those who might have otherwise struggled in a public school setting.

Keywords: Ivy League, Private boarding school, Prestigious universities