Ready For A Life-Changing Education?

Considering boarding school is a family decision. Ask your child questions about their dreams, what they’d like to do, what their hopes are. Listen to your child and the needs they express. Parents can encourage the whole family to go visit and see a few schools – no decision needs to be made right away. Often, after getting onto a campus where a student feels very comfortable, they will self-identify with schools that seem to be the best fit for them. As parents, your involvement with your student doesn’t end when they enroll in boarding school, and it often makes the bond stronger between parents and their children.

Most schools have events and activities to kick off the school year, specifically designed to build connections between new students, existing students, faculty and staff. From dances to bonfires, every school plans beginning-of-the-year activities in order to get students involved early and often, making friends among the school community at every level.

Dorm parents play an integral role in helping with homesickness, as they live with their families (and often pets) in every student dorm, available to talk to every day and evening. If homesickness lingers, all schools have counseling support for students to help deal with the transition from living at home to living on a boarding school campus. Most schools also have strong peer counseling programs, in which older students take a leadership role and work to bring younger students into the fold at a comfortable pace.

This question may have come from some old stereotypes of boarding schools. In admissions, we look at character, citizenship, teacher recommendations and grades. When our schools are making admissions decisions, they consider whether a student will succeed academically and also whether they will contribute in a positive way to the school community. Some schools have more qualified applicants than spots available, so requirements do focus on good character and demonstrated ability to live and learn in a community in a respectful way.

Our schools work carefully to build a student body from all economic levels. Schools designate financial aid budgets in order to accept students from families who may not be able to pay the full tuition on their own. Ask about financial aid options for your family during the application process, in order to make sure that if you do need assistance, you qualify by each school’s posted deadlines for submitting the required paperwork.

Boarding schools are focused on helping our students lay the groundwork for lives full of great choices and great options. Our schools foster the development of student skills like persistence, discipline, hard work and curiosity. We encourage kids to grow in ways that colleges are going to respect on an admissions basis and on a community-building basis. Kids who go to boarding school understand how to manage their class load, how to get their homework done without their parents forcing them to, how to seek out adults when they need help and how to become their own advocate. We prepare kids for success in college and beyond by making learning together in a community big fun!

Each school is unique, and while most weekdays are fairly structured, there is typically an hour or two of free time each evening. Some schools have Saturday morning classes. But there are many opportunities and events in dorms and classes as well for students to just be teenagers and relax among friends.

Risk takers by nature, boys find a new comfort level with nontraditional subjects and activities when they are encouraged to do so by trusted mentors within the safety of a close-knit community. Young men, who may not step up in the presence of girls, take on leadership roles at all-boys schools, often heading community service programs or serving as mentors to younger students. Learn more about the ways that all-boys boarding schools teach students based on the way they learn best.

Each school has a unique campus look and feel, and level of formality. Not all schools require uniforms. Some schools maintain a level of formality because it’s a special tradition on campus. For instance, dining together for “family style” meals, where students serve their table of peers and faculty, just like they would at home. Visiting several school campuses will be critically important to get a glimpse of what campus life would look like and feel like for you and your child.