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The historic metropolitan area offers a wide range of academic and cultural activities. Just as impressive is the area's selection of private schools which cater to almost every need.

A fine transportation network and the fact that the Big Dig is finally finished make Boston a wonderful place in which to live and go to school. After graduation, there are thirty-seven colleges and universities to choose from. Head north a few hours and you will find excellent skiing in the winter and a host of recreational activities in the summer. Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard to the east and south are treasures in their own right. Boston's accommodations and restaurants are decidely world-class. Perhaps one of these fine schools should be on your short list.

• Boston College High School, Boston
• Cambridge Friends School, Cambridge

Litchfield County, Connecticut, is home to a couple of dozen excellent schools catering to just about every need. The setting about 90 miles north of New York City is convenient to one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. Picturesque vistas, rolling hills, ancient stone walls as well as quaint New England villages and towns dot the county's landscape. Plenty of acceptable restaurants and accommodations can be found for those inevitable parents' weekends and other family occasions.

• Saint Peter School, Torrington

The number of organizations offering scholarships for private school students is limited. In addition to the list of organizations below you should also check to see if your state has and Scholarship Funding Organizations. Apptoximately 14 states have SFOs. Most admissions officers will be able to advise you about scholarships available in your area.

• Capital Partners For Education (DC)
• School CHOICE Scholarships, Inc. (KY)
• Vermont Student Opportunity Scholarships (VT)
• YES Opportunities, Inc.

You applied to several schools. But your first choice didn't accept you. Instead, it waitlisted you. What exactly does this mean? And why do schools waitlist applicants? What do you do now?

What does waitlisting mean?

Schools typically offer places to more applicants than they have places for on the theory and experience that they will receive enough acceptances to fill all their seats. Calculating the actual yield from the acceptances which they have sent out is something that experienced admissions officers know how to do almost instinctively. For example, let's say the school has places for 100 students. It could send acceptance letters to 100 applicants. But what happens if only 75 of those families accept the places which have been offered? Having 25 empty seats will wreak havoc with any private school's finances.

That's where the waitlisting comes in. The admissions officers know that if they offer a certain number of applicants over the actual number of places that they have available, that they will receive the necessary yield of acceptances. For example, using our hypothetical 100 places available, the admissions office sends out 125 acceptance letters. The admissions staff know that historically they will receive 90-100 acceptances when they send out 125 acceptance letters. But what if circumstances conspire to produce the number on the low end of the yield scale? Say they only receive 90 acceptances? That's where the waitlist comes into play. The school will send out 125 acceptances. It will make up