Marlborough waitlist - is there any chance a space will come up?

[Cocodmackie]

Hello my son has been offered a place at Sherborne boys for 2028 entry and waitlist for Marlborough College. Marlborough is our number 1 choice but wondering if it’s even worth waiting? Don’t give you a rank as to where your child sits and the likelihood of even getting a place. Anyone have any advice please. I think I need to look at some other boarding schools as Sherborne logistically isn’t ideal for us. Many thanks

I guess it depends how many children have been offered places that consider Marlborough their plan B, and so will not take up their offers if their plan A school works out.

If Sherborne doesn't work for you logistically then you should definitely carry on looking for other schools while hoping that Marlborough comes through with an offer in the meantime.

I would also suggest that you do not accept the place at Sherborne if you do not intend to take it up in the end. There will be other families in your position but with respect to Sherborne (i.e. on the waitlist for Sherborne) and allowing one of those to be offered the place that was allocated to your DC may earn you some good karma!

Good luck with Marlborough.

Sherborne doesn't have a waiting list so that's not really an issue but it also takes the pressure off the OP because she won't lose the Sherborne place by waiting.

Marlborough waiting list isn't a case of "dead's man shoes" so you don't have a position as such. The way to get a place is to keep calling and be extremely keen. Has the prep head called admissions to recommend your DS? I not, ask him to do so- at least that was the advice I was given when DS was waitlisted. If you just politely wait, you probably wont get a place.

Thank you for the advice. I’ve emailed our prep head and he’s referred me to the deputy head academic so will see what they say. Our head isn’t very proactive nor supportive unfortunately 😔 but I will email admissions an express our interest. And keep place at Sherborne as my son really liked it but just so far west I would rarely get down there with two other children, one in prep, one in primary.

No worries- also I just wanted to clarify that while I was given this advice from others who followed it successfully, I didn't actually pursue the place at Marlborough as we decided we preferred a different school - we were in a situation where we had to apply blind due to covid so hadn't visited. However, I was told by DS's new prep head that the reason he was likely waitlisted was because his old prep head wouldn't have made a recommendation (overseas so not familiar with the system).

I should imagine that Marlborough will have a few more places open up (or not) in July this year, when an announcement is made by the Waleses. It 100% shouldn't matter and to 80% of the families with places, it won't but it only takes one or two.

I've heard that there is a lot of movement at all schools right up till end August, so i'd be surprised if there wasn't a space. And I've heard particularly that the wait lists are smaller this year than ever before - to the extent that some schools don't have any wait listers at all for the first time ever. How true this is, though, I can't say.

If you're in London, althought the schlep to Sherborne is a doozy (though better if you're in SW London and have easy access to the M3), there is a direct train right into town, which there isn't for Marlborough. So he could get a train for the exeat weekends and save your energy for the concerts/sports etc?

Thank you, super helpful. Yes you’re right the train would be most useful indeed.

Yes there is a chance

amongst my relatively small circle I’ve spoken to two sets of parents over the last week who are planning on dropping their Marlborough offers if they get offers from Eton.

Bit of a strange combo to apply for, but that’s what they have done!

Also I’m hearing of a lot of parents who are withdrawing from the Oundle process at the moment.

Oundle have inviting DC for interview but many DC are already holding one or two offers from schools much higher up the DC wish list and have decided they don’t want to go through the Oundle process now.

The royal “press” seem certain Price George will either be for Eton or Marlborough, so it could indeed influence the market. I’m friends with someone who is indeed waiting to see which way the Wales’s go. Her rationale is that several of the royal kids’ godparents were school contemporaries of William and Catherine.

Good point

we know quite a few people who have gone for this rather strange combo and the hope for a royal connection is the only one that makes sense

Thank you that is interesting. Guess it all depends on how many they put on the waitlist and where he is ranked 🤔 of course they don’t share such details but they must have a system, one pulls out, well first on the list is little Johnny so to speak.

My understanding is that they will have an idea of who will be offered but it will also depend on who pulls out as they need to fill spaces in houses and that will depend on gender, but also other things like personal strengths/ not having big concentrations from one prep in a single house. However, to be on the "shortlist" you need to be a keen bean. If they don't hear from you then they'll assume you're not that bothered, or have accepted something else- we never officially left the waiting list. Other factors, like being clear that you're flexible on house may also help.

You need to get into admissions and ask about his ISEB results if they’re not high then seek elsewhere. Push your Sep head academic to do this if you feel awkward. Keep pushing. Security and scrutiny will be absolute nightmare if George does go I would’ve thought that would put people off!! Slightly scrapping the barrel to say class peers were godparents!!

Thank you. Have emailed them to express our strong interest without hopefully sounding like begging 🤣🤦‍♀️ part of me feels like this is a sign and maybe I just need to look elsewhere. 🤔

Hmm yes didn’t realise you could get the Issb results. I’m waiting for the dep head academic to call me but really unimpressed with the lack of support from our prep school. When you say “seek elsewhere” do you mean look at other school? I have thought that perhaps this is a sign, if they don’t want him first time round then should I just look at other options.
agree I am hoping the prince doesn’t go next year, that does put me off. Although my son wouldn’t be starting until 2028, it still would mean many coming purely for that reason which is off putting. For us it’s mainly logistics and of course it’s an amazing school having a campus but then in a town. My daughter to follow 2 years later wants all girls so was thinking of St Mary’s calne or down house which isn’t too far from Marlborough. Thank you

Do you know when the Eton offers are due to come out? I thought Marlborough was the last one.. yes I suspect those boys who applied for the Radley, Eton, Harrow schools, with Marlbough as 4th option would take them over Marlborough. Figures crossed. We didn’t apply for those schools as DS although super bright, on paper is middle row. He excels in classics, history, English, science, A team sports, singing. Kinda disappointed he must not of sold himself that well or ISEB must not have been the best. Hard to know really. Shame you don’t get given feedback

Eton make their offers in tranches - tranche 1 has just come out, tranche 2 come out in May and tranche 3 come out in July (done by birth date)

@Cocodmackie Whilst you know your daughter better than I do, I would take the "all girls" thing with a pinch of salt. My daughter was exactly the same (completely adamant in fact) and then did a U-turn right at the end of Year 7 and decided to go to the same co-ed school as her brother, which was kind of awkward given they weren't even aware of her existence. Not saying your DD will change her mind but it's worth considering options for if she does. Also, both SMC and DH really are effectively weekly now bar internationals, so think about the logistics on those, especially if you have one child at Marlborough which really is still very strict on weekends. HTH.

One thing worth knowing about Marlborough specifically is that house allocation plays a big role in when offers come through — it isn't purely about position on a list. If a house has a specific gap that fits your son's profile, that can move things faster than you'd expect. Being explicit with admissions that you are flexible on house is one of the most useful things you can do right now, more useful than general expressions of interest. I post more on the boarding school process at @boardingschoolguide if it helps.

Thank you. We haven’t been asked to provide any house preference so I’d assume they would offer a place if one came up in any house. I was told via feedback that he interviewed very well but academically wasn’t as strong as others who applied. Not sure therefore where on the list he placed but told there won’t be much movement before year 7. All a very frustrating and stressful process. I need to look at other schools now and then the poor boy will have to sit further exams, interviews etc for yet another school. He’s happy to go to Sherborne I just didn’t love the school with the sports fields 15min walk away, a place he will be a lot with the amount of sport he plays. Going to look at Teddies and Canford although I hear Teddies the traffic is a lot and Canfod is pretty south, not sure if they have transport to London and Home Counties.

Sorry is your guide on here or social media?

@Cocodmackie Canford have exeat / end of term buses to London and Winchester (plus Southampton airport for the Jersey kids so he could jump on train there if he wanted).

Teddies is also great but my impression is that there are not many who stay at weekends - however, that's a problem almost everywhere other than the handful of v strict full boarding schools. Let me ask my friend whose DC go there as the school will almost certainly be wildly untransparent on this (as they all are).

ps I realise my post upthread was ambiguous- I meant the school wasn't aware of her existence, not that her brother wasn't 😂

agree I am hoping the prince doesn’t go next year, that does put me off.

Op, why does the Prince going to Marlborough put you off?

What is the oundle situation? Thank you

only because it attracts parents who only want to send their child to the school because the royals might be there, social climbing types, not the royals themselves of course. Maybe too the extra security implications 🤔🤔

Thank you for answering my question.