In simplest terms, boarding school ranking is too complicated and inaccurate.  Be glad there isn’t one.

A number of boarding schools place high numbers of students in competitive colleges and benefit from large endowments.  However, the idea of ranking independent schools top-bottom/best to worst misses the point.

Just as there is a college for everyone, there is a boarding school for everyone.

We don’t have a boarding school ranking list because every school appeals to and works best with a different kind of student.  Dare we say each school is unique in the kind of student who will do well in its environment.

Toss the notion of hierarchy out.

How then to think about schools?

1. Figure out what kind of student you are and the kind of environment that is most likely to support your success.  What kinds of programs or activities do you need?
2. Read catalogs and materials closely; ask questions of the schools.  What kinds of students go to this school?  Does a student like me do well here?
3. Think of a school application in terms of match or fit.  Is this school a good match for me?  Does this school fit my abilities or provide what I need to be successful.

A ranking really doesn’t matter at the end of the day. The most important thing is to dig deep to determine (as best you can) if a school fits where you are and what you need in your life as a student.