Ten Schools Admission Organization

Ten Schools Admission Organization

Abbreviation	TSAO
Formation	1952
Type	Educational consortium
Purpose	Admission outreach and collaboration
Region served	Northeastern United States
Membership	10 boarding schools
Website	www.tenschools.org
Remarks	Founding schools: Andover, Choate, Deerfield, Exeter, Hill, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville, Loomis Chaffee, St. Paul's, and Taft.

The Ten Schools Admission Organization (TSAO), established in 1952, is a collaborative consortium of ten highly selective college-preparatory boarding schools located primarily in the Northeastern United States. ^[1] The organization coordinates collective outreach and domestic and international recruitment efforts, while maintaining shared admissions standards, such as a uniform enrollment decision deadline of April 10. ^[1]

Sociologists have identified the member institutions as part of a "select" tier of American secondary schools that play a significant role in the socialization of the American elite and the maintenance of class cohesion through rigorous academic and social "crucibles." ^[2] As a group, the member institutions are characterized by their substantial financial endowments and their historical status as "feeder schools" for the Ivy League and other highly selective universities. ^[3] Collectively, the schools award over $125 million in financial aid annually to support a diverse student body. ^[4]

Overview

Member institutions cooperate in their outreach to prospective students, sharing resources at domestic and international admission fairs. ^{[5] [6]}

Although several TSAO schools no longer publish their endowment figures, in 2016 the TSAO contained ten of the twenty wealthiest traditional college-preparatory boarding schools in the United States, as measured by total size of endowment. ^[7] Seven TSAO members are also members of the Eight Schools Association, another group of large college-preparatory boarding schools.

At times, TSAO schools adopt common policies with respect to applicants and admitted students, such as a uniform deadline to accept or reject offers of admission. ^[8] The TSAO does not have a uniform policy with respect to standardized testing, and two of its member schools remain test-optional as of the 2024–25 application cycle. ^{[9] [10]}

With one exception, every TSAO member educates both boarding and day students, and offers a postgraduate year. St. Paul's School educates only boarders, and admits neither post-graduates nor incoming seniors. ^[11]

Member schools

TSAO member institutions

School	Location	Established	Enrollment (2021–22)	Campus type (NCES)	PG year (approx. students)	Standardized test required?	Source(s)
Choate Rosemary Hall	Wallingford, CT	1890	868	Suburban	Yes (15–25)	No	[12] [9]
Deerfield Academy	Deerfield, MA	1797	666	Rural	<!--number not published-->	Yes	[13] [14]
The Hill School	Pottstown, PA	1851	520	Suburban	Yes (14–20)	Yes	[15] [16] [17]
Hotchkiss School	Lakeville, CT	1891	622	Rural	Yes<!--number not published-->	Yes	[18] [19] [20]
Lawrenceville School	Lawrenceville, NJ	1810	818	Suburban	Yes<!--number not published-->	Yes	[21] [22]
Loomis Chaffee School	Windsor, CT	1914	736	Suburban	Yes (20–25)	No	[23] [24] [10]
Phillips Academy	Andover, MA	1778	1,187	Suburban	Yes (~20)	Yes	[25] [26] [27]
Phillips Exeter Academy	Exeter, NH	1781	1,064	Suburban	Yes (~24)	Yes	[28] [29] [30]
St. Paul's School	Concord, NH	1856	542	Town	No	Yes	[31] [11] [32]
Taft School	Watertown, CT	1890	601	Suburban	Yes<!--number not published-->	Yes	[33] [34]

See also

• Eight Schools Association
• Saint Grottlesex
• Boarding school
• College-preparatory school

References

1. "About Us". Ten Schools Admission Organization. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
2. Cookson, Peter W.; Persell, Caroline Hodges (1985). Preparing for Power: America's Elite Boarding Schools. Basic Books. ISBN   978-0-465-06269-0.
3. Shi, Ying (2020). "Who Benefits from Selective Education? Evidence from Elite Boarding Schools". Economics of Education Review. 74 101947. doi:10.1016/j.econedurev.2019.101947.
4. "Home". Ten Schools Admission Organization. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
5. "Houston, TX | October 6 | 1:00 p.m." Ten Schools Admission Organization. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
6. Hurst, Mitch (2023-09-02). "Above Board". The North Shore Weekend. Retrieved 2024-08-25– via Issuu.
7. Martin, Emmie; Loudenback, Tanza (2016-02-21). "The 20 richest boarding schools in America". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2023-05-07. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
8. "Ten Schools Admission Organization Post-Admission Contact Agreement" (PDF). Phillips Academy. January 2021. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
9. "Frequently Asked Questions". Choate Rosemary Hall. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
10. "Testing Policy". The Loomis Chaffee School. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
11. "St. Paul's School". Gateway to Prep Schools. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
12. "School Detail for CHOATE ROSEMARY HALL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
13. "Enrollment Data (2021-22) - Deerfield Academy (00740805)". Massachusetts Department of Education. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
14. "Admission". Deerfield Academy. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
15. "School Detail for THE HILL SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
16. "Postgraduate Program". The Hill School. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
17. "How to Apply". The Hill School. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
18. "School Detail for THE HOTCHKISS SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
19. "About Our Connecticut Private School". The Hotchkiss School. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
20. "Hotchkiss Will Require Standardized Testing Beginning in 2024-25 Admission Cycle". Hotchkiss School. 2024-05-07. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
21. "School Detail for THE LAWRENCEVILLE SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
22. "Application Process". The Lawrenceville School. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
23. "About". The Loomis Chaffee School. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
24. "Post-Graduate Applicants". The Loomis Chaffee School. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
25. "School Detail for PHILLIPS ACADEMY". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
26. "2022-2023 Profile for College Admissions Offices" (PDF). Phillips Academy. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
27. "How to Apply". Phillips Academy. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
28. "School Detail for PHILLIPS EXETER ACADEMY". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
29. "Postgraduates". Phillips Exeter Academy. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
30. "How to Apply". Phillips Exeter Academy. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
31. "School Detail for ST PAUL'S SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
32. "Application Process". St. Paul's School. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
33. "Taft by the Numbers". Taft School. Archived from the original on 2022-02-15. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
34. "Apply to Taft". Taft School. Retrieved 2024-09-02.