Harrow v eton

[nokissymum]

i started a thread before about people's experiences with Harrow and got a few responses but felt maybe I needed to word it differently.

I am hoping their are mners here who have more insight into both schools, what are the differences and why one and not the other. Thank you.

It's the other way around Nokissymum - intake dictates university destination.

Oxbridge has a narrower range of courses than many other universities, so is not, as you rightly suggest, the only measure, (but it's still a good one)but if a school has a larger number of leavers going to universities in the top 10 of the league tables, then its intake is probably more academic than a school with fewer going to those institutions. We are splitting hairs here really, though Yellowstones's figures suggest Eton's intake is quite a bit higher academically. Good teachers, as Grovel points out, will support a student in getting good grades in subjects they are not naturally good at, but Harrow's teachers are unlikely to be slouches in this regard.

grovel you made me laugh

colleger thanks for the advice about applying to both ds is an august child so not sure wether he will be to apply to both, but if it's physically possible, might give it a stab.

You do come across a bit biased towards Eton though and why did 4 headmasters scream not to apply to Harrow ?

Yellowstone, my DS who left Eton two years ago told his housemaster that he was going to university to have fun and do just enough work to get a 2:1 (ie that academic considerations were definitely secondary). His housemaster sensed that he meant it and steered him away from Oxbridge (despite my DS having As and A*s across the board in A levels and GCSEs, and a "better than 50% chance of getting in").
Frankly I was impressed that the school was not obsessed by Oxbridge and that the right decision was reached.

Of course I am biased towards Eton, wouldn't you be biased towards the school your son was at?

I have explained why four Headmasters advised against Harrow and no he wasn't at 4 prep schools. This was the feedback after interview, entrance tests and trial days at some of the schools we looked at.

Regina what you've said now makes perfect sense.

Personally I'm not splitting hairs over final destination, for us we prefer ds to go to the university that has the best facilities and reputation for what he wants to study, that might not necessarily be Oxbridge.

So long as the school he goes to can support him in achieving his goals, this is all that matters. I was just a bit worried that he might be penalised for not mentioning a flair for languages or the classics!

grovel I'm sure that Eton is spot on with university and career advice. Your son sounds as though he's got his head screwed on too. A school should want to get it right for each pupil and I doubt any of the truly good schools push anyone to those two universities unless they feel it's a comfortable fit. It's not in their interest and most definitely not in the interests of a reluctant or marginal pupil.

colleger ahh! I didn't realise DS was at eton! I obviously wasn't reading properly I was wondering if you had shares in there lol!

I didn't see either where you explained why the four heads advised against Harrow, I read your list of school comparisons.

You seem to know a lot about both schools anyway so do you think the pre test dates will work out for an august child ? Thank you.

Apply for as many schools as you like - it's what they expect. The process narrows down as you start paying deposits...hate to think what I spent on holding places we didnt ultimately take.

In a nutshell waiting for flaming - Eton these days is for cleverer boys, Harrow for boys who aren't so bright. So choose based on how academic you think your DS is - I'd always recommend making sure they are in a school where they will be comfortable and not in the bottom quarter as that would be miserable.

Oh and on the August child - the way Eton at least does it takes account of the month of the birthday - my DS is also August and went up for interview later and was assessed against other late birthday people.

Your child will sit the pre-test in May/June of Y6 with a decision in mid-July. Harrow's test is in the Autumn of Y7 so you will have had to have registered DS before he even sits the Eton pre-test. Of course by then you will have an offer or a rejection. A rejection from Eton will not go against you for Harrow but an acceptance might as they will assume you will take up the Eton place so it would be good to have made up your mind before the Harrow test or not sit it at all if you accept the Eton place.

I saw that documentary about Harrow that was on a while ago. I'm probably going to put DS in for that scholarship those boys were competing for.

I have found it difficult to find good comparative info for Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Radley et al. We'll have to make the registration decision this year and dont know whether we shoud just apply to as many as we can. DS will need an almost full bursary so I know it's going to be an uphill struggle. Does anyone know which schools are the most generous, bursary-wise? (I've heard good things about Eton in this respect)

Also what school would most suit an academic, sporty alpha-male but who is utterally unmusical/arty/dramatic?

Also forgot to add- are they all as strict with year entry cut offs as state schools? ie the 31st Aug/1st Sept divide, do Sept boys sometimes go in a year early?

Also is it easier to get a bursary at a not so academic school, eg Millfield, because they want to boost their league table stats/uni destinations?

It will be much easier to get a full bursary at a less selective school and potentially a single sex school.

My son was accepted a year early at three top schools but in the end we opted to put him back in his year group because we wanted him to be at the top of his game, especially in a robust school such as Eton. If your son has been at a state school then he will be way behind academically if attempting E or W, even if he is a genius so I would not advise trying to get him in a year early and coming from a state school Eton/Win Coll would probably say no.

Traditionally Harrow was the one you went to if you were a bit thick. It is doing better than it used to but there's no contest in terms of which is better regarded in terms of academics and the Oxbridge entrance results reflect that difference. if youi look at the FT schools league table you always get Eton in the top 10 or even higher. I see North London Collegiate my daughter's school is usually in the top 5 but then girls as we all know are pretty superior to boys.....

media.ft.com/cms/b3cbd9d6-31d1-11df-9ef5-00144feabdc0.pdf

Whereas Harrow 52, 86, 60 etc that type of position.

Then there are also all the other factors above. Many chidlren who board are psychologically damaged for life. To pay fees to damage your child and they obtain worse results than the better day private schools is a tragedy.

On year of entry stuff Prince Harry at Eton was allowed in a year older out of age range I think due to his August or whatever it is birthday.

Well it only took 41 posts to get the token "boarding will destroy your child's life" comments.

Do you enjoy being up in your "High and Mighty, aint I the best parent in the world" perch Xenia?

Some children are so badly treated at home boarding school is by far the better option. Most 13+ children at boarding school are okay but I don't think I'd risk mine being one who wasn't. Luckily we live in a country where we are free to post our views and free to choose a school whether boarding or no lessons or home education or fundamentalist muslim or Jewish state or private. I'm glad we have those choices.

Xenia "paying to damage your child" ? What utter nonsense, where do you get all this drivel from ? And whilst we're at it, the fact that it's been pointed out that Harrow has come 52, 86 in position in the past does by no means make it a poorly achieving school, it is still one of the best.

I don't believe Harrow or eton are no 1 in terms of results, clearly they are not, but those of us who wish to send our children there clearly have considered other benefits of these schools that your top day schools may not offer.
"many children who go to boarding school are psychologically damaged for life ?

"Harrow was the one you sent your child to if they were a bit thick"? are you on drugs ?

And Xenia, what was the point about mentioning NLC, it's ranking and that your daughter goes there on a boys boarding school thread. Do you want us to all gasp at our cleer your DD is?

clever

To be fair to Xenia, my FiL said that in his day there were a fair number of rich but dim boys at Harrow. Lots of them eschewed university and went straight into the army, the City (Lloyds in particular) or land management. That was true of other schools as well but he felt that Harrow had a higher proportion. Hasn't been true for the last few decades though.

It's rather irrelevant trying to knock a school based on information/practices of yolks ago, it's silly and petty!

We have not decided firmly on either school but as of today i can assure Harrow is not for thick boys.

If we were to look at "boarding" as of 30yrs ago, probably no one here would send their child to boarding school. things have moved on a he'll of a lot since then, I know many children who are boarding or have boarded and it's been one of the best times of their

And Xenia you're just contradicting yourself now, first it was most are damaged for life and now it's most 13+ children are okay...which one is it ?

"I'm glad we have got choices" so am I and I am exercising that choice, so please keep your ridiculous ideas to yourself.

Sorry about the typos! But I'm sure you get my point.

swc the "thick boys" comment is in response to Xenia's post of 15.34