Hidden Gems: Lesser-known Prep Schools

Prep School Admissions
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<p>Hola! It's me again. I might be jumping the gun on this one a little too early, but this year, I am trying to be very prudent in my school selections, so I wanted to make this thread.</p>

<p>Specifically, this thread is for the lesser-known schools. I know that there are SO many boarding schools that are as wonderful as the ones that are mentioned ALL the time on this website. What I need YOU to do is if you know any of these Schools (think outside the box!) then please list them in your post below. </p>

<p>Additionally, something really nice from current and former students, as well as adults, is to provide an in-depth description of the school. How the vibe is, what classes and programs are unique, what sport or art it is particularly strong in, etc. I think if someone provides with me a good description of a school, instead of listing the names and saying, "Look this up!" would particularly pique my interest.</p>

<p>There is also something I would personally like. I would love it if someone can say to me, "So and so schools don't take incoming sophomore applications," or, "So and so school accepts a lot of incoming sophomores." Lets try putting, I don't know, an asterisk for a school that accepts lots of incoming sophomores?</p>

<p>So, to start off the list, I'll name a couple of schools. I don't have any affiliation with a school, so I'm counting on you guys to fill the blanks!</p>

<p>Schools:
Asheville School
Cate School
Episcopal High School
Madeira School
Miss Porter's School (All-girls)
St. George's School</p>

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<p>Burb Parent just told me about Blair Academy - sounds like a great school</p>

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<p>Schools:</p>

<p>Asheville School
Cate School
Episcopal High School
Madeira School
Miss Porter’s School (All-girls)
St. George’s School
Blair Academy
Thacher School
Loomis Chaffee
Northfield Mount Hermon School
Peddie School
Governor’s Academy
The Hill School
Concord Academy
Middlesex School
Taft School
St.Mark’s School
St Andrews School(DE)
Cranbrook Schools</p>

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<p>Good list, but I would definitely take Peddie, Loomis, NMH, and Middlesex off.</p>

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<p>Why ? They’re as rigorous as schools which are on level with HADES schools, but they’re just less frequently discussed on CC.</p>

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<p>The Kiski School
its an all boys boarding school in western pa.</p>

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<p>If Peddie, Loomis, Middlesex, and NMH don’t really belong on this “hidden gem” list, then so do many of the other schools listed. Almost all of these schools have been mentioned at least in a couple threads. For example, SAS is pretty well-known, as is Blair, Cate, Thacher, Taft, Concord, etc. So if those stay up there, so should the other schools listed in the beginning. Those are schools that are not mentioned nearly as much as HADES or GLADCHEMMS. The lesser-mentioned schools deserve a place here as well. Several of these schools aren’t incredibly “prestigious” and “known”, but they aren’t places that no one has heard of. And since this is a thread called Lesser-known Prep Schools, I believe they deserve a place on this list. And I can speak for Peddie, if need-be.</p>

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<p>Millbrook School, Millbrook NY.
Let me put it like this- their physics teacher went to Cambridge, they’ve had the same headmaster for 20 years, and they have a campus zoo! Almost the entire campus was renovated in 2008, and their facilities rival that of nearby Hotchkiss and Kent.<br>
I was also pleasantly surprised by how warm the student body was, and how everyone seemed to LOVE Millbrook. I would recommend it to everyone!</p>

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<p>I would take the Madeira School off the Hidden Gem List. Yes, It may not be too well-known (It is somewhat “hidden”), but I would definitely not call it a jem. I know a few girls who are unhappy there, and they have not told me the best things about it. This is only my opinion. I have not seen any of the bad things that they have told me firsthand.</p>

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<p>(plea to not argue about whether a school deserves to be “on the list” - as I understand it, the thought is to get more information about more schools - if someone has something positive to say about a school, sing out!)</p>

<p>Culver - well known in the midwest, less so in the east - good size, great academics, sports, and arts - 20% international students - fully integrated humanities curriculum (english + history), working on increasing the interaction between the science and math departments, block system has given my student the time to dig deeply into subjects. Horsemanship program for both boys and girls (costs extra if you want to do it, but it’s there). Each dorm has a full time counselor in addition to dorm parent, serving as the primary advisor to the student and hand-holder to the parent. Leadership program: Military for the boys, Prefect system for the girls. The leadership program is real, backed up with curriculum and practical experience. The parts of the leadership program that my student talks about - taking direction from your peers, giving directions to your peers (including your friends), interviewing for the higher positions, responsibility for finishing a job - strike me as things that will translate pretty well to the workplace. Beautiful lake-front campus, and big support from alumni.</p>

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<p>Asheville School
Blair Academy
Cate School
Concord Academy
Culver - well known in the midwest, less so in the east - good size, great academics, sports, and arts - 20% international students - fully integrated humanities curriculum (english + history), working on increasing the interaction between the science and math departments, block system has given my student the time to dig deeply into subjects. Horsemanship program for both boys and girls (costs extra if you want to do it, but it’s there). Each dorm has a full time counselor in addition to dorm parent, serving as the primary advisor to the student and hand-holder to the parent. Leadership program: Military for the boys, Prefect system for the girls. The leadership program is real, backed up with curriculum and practical experience. The parts of the leadership program that my student talks about - taking direction from your peers, giving directions to your peers (including your friends), interviewing for the higher positions, responsibility for finishing a job - strike me as things that will translate pretty well to the workplace. Beautiful lake-front campus, and big support from alumni.
Cranbrook Schools
Episcopal High School
Governor’s Academy
The Hill School
The Kiski School (All-boys)
Loomis Chaffee
Madeira School (All-girls)
Middlesex School
Millbrook School, Millbrook NY.
Let me put it like this- their physics teacher went to Cambridge, they’ve had the same headmaster for 20 years, and they have a campus zoo! Almost the entire campus was renovated in 2008, and their facilities rival that of nearby Hotchkiss and Kent.
I was also pleasantly surprised by how warm the student body was, and how everyone seemed to LOVE Millbrook. I would recommend it to everyone!
Miss Porter’s School (All-girls)
Northfield Mount Hermon
Peddie School
St. Andrews School (DE)
St. George’s School
St. Marks School
Taft School
Thacher School</p>

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<p>thanks circle midnight!</p>

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<p>This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I can’t wait to see this thread grow.</p>

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<p>Brooks School: N. Andover, MA. On a lake. Top notch facilities, great study abroad programs, prestigious internships in the Boston tech/medical sectors.</p>

<p>Pomfret School: Beautiful rural campus, yet close to Boston, Providence, Hartford. Strong Athletics & academics. Great community feel. Unique Digital Arts programs, and significant commitment to the arts in education. Incoming Head a longtime Dean at St. George’s and an Andover fac brat from childhood. Highly regarded.</p>

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<p>I don’t think it makes sense to applicants if we just list all the schools. Please tell us why they are “gems”.</p>

<p>If you are an alum, a current parent/student, or someone that has FIRST-HAND information about this school, please consider starting a thread like <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/966356-st-andrews-school-delaware.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/966356-st-andrews-school-delaware.html&lt;/a&gt;, which is much more convincing and informative.</p>

<p>Also, though some would argue that Milton Academy is not “hidden”, I’ve seen a lot of students/parents that ruled it out after learning it’s 50% boarding/day. Some didn’t even visit!
If this really was that horrible, why wouldn’t Milton expand either the day or boarding population?</p>

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<p>Glad to see Brooks & Pomfret
also
Suffield Academy
Tabor Academy
Westminster
Kent
Avon Old Farms
Cheshire Academy
Gunnery School
Lawrence Academy</p>

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<p>Prep2011, [Milton</a> Trustees Consider Closing Lower School: Desire to Focus on Upper School | The Phillipian Online](<a href=“http://phillipian.net/articles/milton-trustees-consider-closing-lower-school-desire-focus-upper-school]Milton”>http://phillipian.net/articles/milton-trustees-consider-closing-lower-school-desire-focus-upper-school). The alums mounted a successful campaign to raise money to save the lower school. Milton Academy has a new head.</p>

<p>A few posters on this site have publicly stated they don’t like the 50% day/boarding split. That doesn’t mean the distaste is universal. In the greater Boston area, there is often a greater demand for day spots than boarding spots, so Milton may be more selective than other schools. If any parent or student has up-to-date information about this year’s admissions season, why not post it?</p>

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<p>Hopefully, the admins will eventually create a subforum that can house individual threads for the various schools suggested. I fear that threads posted in the general forum will soon find their way to the third, fourth, and nth pages smothered by the normal inflow of “I want to go to ACRONYM ACADEMY, how do I do it?” posts…</p>

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<p>My daughter applied as 9th grader, all A’s in middle school w/honors, many ec’s and community service, ssat score 89% great interview and told she was a great fit and an athlete and got waitllisted, she is going to St Marks and was accepted everywhere else she applied.</p>

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<p>My fav. hidden gems on the East are:
Blair
Canterbury
Cheshire
EF International
Governors
Kimball Union
Millbrook
New Hampton
Pomfret
Tabor
Suffield
Westminster
Williston
Hill
Masters
Mercersburg
I consider the following schools to be a bit more well known on CC and are also wonderful schools:
Brooks
Loomis
St. Georges
St. Marks
St. Andrews, Del
Taft</p>

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