2011 Revisits...

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>For students and parents: please post any thoughts you've had from Spring 2011 revisits here. Thought it might be helpful to have a single clearinghouse for observations.</p>

<p>Some guiding questions to get you started:</p>

<ul>
<li>Basic format/schedule of your revisit day</li>
<li>Did the revisit confirm your interest in the school or did it dissuade you from matriculating?</li>
<li>What specific things about the revisit pushed you in either direction?</li>
<li>Did you learn anything new/surprising about the school?</li>
<li>Something you wish you had learned which you didn't</li>
<li>How was the food?</li>
<li>How were the classes you sat in on?</li>
</ul>

<p>Obviously, it's still pre-April 10, so you may want to be more circumspect about protecting your identity/identity of school...</p>

2

<p>Great thread 7dad. Choate offers a chat page for all newly accepted students. This is a great idea. My son already is looking forward to meet new friends during revisit day. I wonder if there are other schools that offered this. Needless to say, this is a wonderful 1st impression of the school for us. :)</p>

3

<p>B U M P :slight_smile: Seems like an interesting thread…</p>

4

<p>Impressed with the Hotchkiss revisit. What you see is what you get, no show. Very strong Humanities program with equally good math and science program. Many global programs. Strong MUN and Debate clubs. Met nice kids and great harkness discussion in the humanities classes. Met some parents with children admitted to bigger schools like A/E rethinking their decision. I’m surprised to find the right size of the school is also on many parents’ minds, not just the brand name. Great headmaster and admissions staff. Pleasantly surprised. Highly recommend revisits.</p>

5

<p>My wife absolutely hated the idea of sending our son to boarding school. After our visit/revisit to Hotchkiss, she not only want our son to enroll there, but she want to attend the school too. Revisits are critical for both child and parents.</p>

6

<p>

This reminded me of our re-visit at AOF…</p>

<p>At the Avon Old Farms re-visit one concern for the boys is always no girls…one thing they said was
“At co-ed schools when you have a girl friend they want you to have breakfast with them, spend ALL your free periods with them, have lunch with them, join clubs with them, have dinner with them, study with them, and of course spend weekend evenings with them. Here at Avon you don’t have that problem. You get plenty of time to see them on the weekends, but you can focus during the week on school, YOUR sports and activities and your friends.” </p>

<p>I think every single Dad in the room wanted to go to Avon after hearing that. LOL</p>

7

<p>SAS 2011 “Visit Back” Day (parent perspective)</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Basic format/schedule of your revisit day
Breakfast reception in headmaster’s house for families. Kids then paired with current student, parents go to library to hear headmaster speak, then a few panels with teachers/ deans…option to sit in on a class in lieu of one of the panels. Escorted to lunch by Seniors, reunite with child after class. Families go to arts center auditorium to hear singing groups, senior Q&A panel, closing remarks and Q&A with headmaster. Reception (snack before we hit the road) and optional sports spectating/tour of under-construction athletic field house.</p></li>
<li><p>Did the revisit confirm your interest in the school or did it dissuade you from matriculating?
Confirmed interest.</p></li>
<li><p>What specific things about the revisit pushed you in either direction?
Tad Roach in person is as good as his published chapel talks. Kids were extremely articulate and friendly. Staff seemed to be smart and caring. Everyone seemed to embody the spirit of SAS well.</p></li>
<li><p>Did you learn anything new/surprising about the school?
They have a few sports/ECs that we didn’t know about…still works in progress, but at least progressing. Also, I had thought that the school has a service requirement, but it does not…still IIRC, 80% of student body is involved with some sort of service.</p></li>
<li><p>Something you wish you had learned which you didn’t
N/A</p></li>
<li><p>How was the food?
Very good. Lunch served “family style”, which means assigned tables and passed main dishes/salads. Grace was said (yay!).</p></li>
<li><p>How were the classes you sat in on?
N/A…daughter reported that students in the classes she visited seemed really engaged.</p></li>
</ul>

8

<p>bump! Would like to hear more stories from revisits–the good, the bad, the ugly!</p>

9

<p>It’s still early - revisits are going on until at least April 8th to give families to get to multiple schools.</p>

10

<p>Dad is taking DC to revisit next week as he was not at the interview and did not see the school- should be interesting…</p>

11

<p>bump…I know there were a few schools that had revisit days this week…</p>

12

<p>Even though I already know that I’m attending the school, I decided to go on Andover’s revisit day. It was so great! Really, I was so upset that it had to end. I left completely convinced that I had chosen the right school.</p>

<p>I got to Massachusetts the morning prior to the actual revisit day, and many people did the same thing. We were all given dessert, followed by a student talent show. I have to say, it was so nice seeing the people who I had heard about online in person. I also met a few CCers here by coincidence, which was fun!</p>

<p>The next day, we had an early start and were paired with our revisit hosts. It turns out that mine is good friends with a few people I know, so I saw them throughout the day. </p>

<p>The classes were SPECTACULAR. It was so different from my high school. No one was reluctant to participate, and even the teachers seemed to be having fun. </p>

<p>One of the more awkward points of the day was when I was in a language class that I had no experience in. So for 45 minutes I was just kind of sitting there as everyone was conversing in a language I couldn’t understand. It was still a good time, though, since a few students were nice enough to translate for me.</p>

<p>One thing I wanted to improve? THE WEATHER. Snow in spring is not my idea of fun. </p>

<p>If anyone would like more information, just message me!</p>

13

<p>Episcopal High School 2011 Revisit Day (student perspective)</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Basic format/schedule of your revisit day
All of the visiting families congregated in one building and chatted for a bit. Episcopal had this really nice directory they gave us with pictures of each prospective person at the revisit. Then, there was a short introduction by the headmaster. The students then split from the parents; each visitor was paired with a current freshman. I though EHS did a good job of matching me with a person whom I could relate to. I think the parents went to a teacher’s panel discussion, talked with the headmaster, etc. I attended the student’s second, third, fourth, and fifth period classes. (I didn’t go to first period because EHS did not want people waking up early I guess) I attended chapel a seated lunch (what they usually have) after period 3. After the day was done, the students dropped us off and reunited us with the parents. There was then an informative student panel. After, we could leave or choose to talk with different teachers on an individual basis.</p></li>
<li><p>Did the revisit confirm your interest in the school or did it dissuade you from matriculating?
Mixed feelings, I guess. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t fall in love either.</p></li>
<li><p>What specific things about the revisit pushed you in either direction?
Some of the staff seemed great, while others seemed average. Some classes were engaging, others were not. </p></li>
<li><p>Did you learn anything new/surprising about the school?
The students can get on-campus paying jobs. I thought that was a little weird. I don’t know if I like that idea or not. Students get paid to be official waiters, tutors, mentors, and pizza deliverers. </p></li>
<li><p>Something you wish you had learned which you didn’t
N/A</p></li>
<li><p>How was the food?
Really, really good! Very high-quality meals. Not something you would expect to find in a school cafeteria. The family style was nice, but it did seem rushed. </p></li>
<li><p>How were the classes you sat in on?
The Latin class was by far the best. The teacher was funny, and kept students engaged. It’s too bad I really have no interest in Latin as a subject. The math class was okay - my student took precalculus, which was encouraging because it shows EHS is open for acceleration if necessary. The English classes were doing a Shakespeare monologue for their annual monologue competition. That seemed like fun. They were just starting Their Eyes Were Watching God, which seemed interesting. The teacher seemed stiff, though. In history, they were learning the things we were learning this year, but my guide said there was a way to bypass it. Overall, the classes were good. I think it really depends on the teacher and the specific kids in the class. (Such as - Latin kids were into Latin and engaged; some history students seemed really bored)</p></li>
</ul>

<p>I really like this thread - it helped me reevaluate my day. Now that I think about it, there were some EHS things I really liked!</p>

14

<p>@cassat: Care to answer the following specifically (so people can read apples to apples)?</p>

<ul>
<li>Basic format/schedule of your revisit day</li>
<li>Did the revisit confirm your interest in the school or did it dissuade you from matriculating?</li>
<li>What specific things about the revisit pushed you in either direction?</li>
<li>Did you learn anything new/surprising about the school?</li>
<li>Something you wish you had learned which you didn’t</li>
<li>How was the food?</li>
<li>How were the classes you sat in on?</li>
</ul>

15

<p>@cassat - That sounds great! Haha I was put into language classes I had no experience in - Spanish and Latin - at both of my revisit schools. At least the Latin class was taught in English. The Spanish class was taught entirely in Spanish (which is a great thing - for the students) and I just sat there awkwardly.</p>

16

<p>Sure, SevenDad, sorry I didn’t think to do that the first time!</p>

<p>-Basic format/schedule of revisit day</p>

<p>Students were given the opportunity to come a day early to see a student talent show, which I took advantage of. The next day went like this:</p>

<p>7:30-8 - Breakfast, meeting with various department heads.
8-8:45 - Dean of Admissions and Head of School spoke.
9-2 - Met up with host, went to classes and lunch.*
3-3 - Closing remarks and a student panel.</p>

<p>*In the middle of the day, there were “mini classes” available specifically for the revisit students. I sat in on Intro to Acting, which was great. The other options were Biology, Meet the Math Team, and English.</p>

<ul>
<li>Did the revisit confirm your interest in the school or did it dissuade you from matriculating?</li>
</ul>

<p>Definitely confirmed my interest. Everyone seemed so happy and excited to be there, which was what I looked for in my future school! College matriculation and all that means nothing if it meant I would have to sacrifice my happiness. </p>

<ul>
<li>What specific things about the revisit pushed you in either direction?</li>
</ul>

<p>Everyone seemed to really care that the revisit students were happy, but they didn’t put on a show. They showed the students exactly what the school was like on a normal day. My revisit buddy was extremely helpful as well, and introduced me to a lot of her friends. It gave me the impression that I was going to become part of one large community. The wonderful academics and extracurriculars, plus the extensive theatre options, just added to my love of the school. </p>

<ul>
<li>Did you learn anything new/surprising about the school?</li>
</ul>

<p>The theatre program surprised me. I never realized how much money was spent on costumes alone for some productions! Like the current production used $10,000 just for costumes. The fact that Andover puts emphasis on art, not just science, math, etc. was such a nice realization for me. Other than that, I consider myself well-versed on what Andover offers!</p>

<ul>
<li>Something you wish you had learned which you didn’t.</li>
</ul>

<p>I wish I had asked more about the social part of Andover. Thankfully I did ask about the weekly (or biweekly) dances, but the typical teenage girl in me wanted to know more about the other weekend activities. </p>

<ul>
<li>How was the food?</li>
</ul>

<p>Amazing, as usual. I went to Andover’s Summer Session, so I had already experienced the great food. They served french fries and fried fish, as well as salad, pasta, pizza, and quite a few other options. </p>

<ul>
<li>How were the classes you sat in on?</li>
</ul>

<p>I wish I could transfer in right now. The English class was shocking to me. Some of the things they openly discussed were quite controversial by public school standards. Can’t wait for next year! The Chinese class I sat in on was also interesting, even though I didn’t know what they heck was happening… It was better than Calculus though… As a geometry student, I had no idea what was happening! But one of the best things was the acting workshop I went to. I’m definitely interested in taking that in the upcoming years!</p>

17

<p>Woohoo, Cassat!</p>

<p>I had the pleasure of meeting Cassat in person during the talent show and then again during lunch the next day, and I’m very pleased to hear such favorable feedback of the program.</p>

<p>I’ve posted this in plenty of other threads, but it seems extra appropriate in this one; during lunch periods over the past week, Blue Key Head auditions were held. The current Blue Key Heads have concluded their term and need to hand over the torch. BKHs are campus spirit leaders who attend matches and other events to lead cheers and pump up the crowd - they are NOT to be confused with cheerleaders. I have posted some of the audition videos I recorded yesterday and the day before in my gallery, so if you were unable to attend revisits, check them out to get a taste of Big Blue spirit! The videos are at the bottom of the page and, of course, take place in Paresky Commons Lower Right.</p>

<p>[MobileMe</a> Gallery](<a href=“http://gallery.me.com/thurstonsmalley/100011]MobileMe”>http://gallery.me.com/thurstonsmalley/100011)</p>

18

<p>St. Mark’s School Revisit Day (Student Perspective)</p>

<p>Basic format/schedule of your revisit day</p>

<p>8:15 – 8:45 – Arrival/Registration
8:50 – 9:35 – Students attend classes with student host, parents attend a panel
9:40 – 9:55 – Students attend an all-school meeting, parents have a break and are escorted to classes
10:05 – 10:50 – Students attend classes with student host, parents attend classes
10:55 – 11:40 – Students and parents reconnect in the auditorium for a panel about school and community life
11:45 – 12:45 – Lunch with faculty, students, and varsity coaches
12:45 and after – Optional dorm visits and campus tours</p>

<p>**Did the revisit confirm your interest in the school or did it dissuade you from matriculating? **</p>

<p>Definitely confirmed my parent’s and my interest in the school! We thoroughly enjoyed the day at the school!</p>

<p>What specific things about the revisit pushed you in either direction?</p>

<p>From what I observed the students seemed to be much friendlier and approachable than students I saw on my tours to other schools. They seemed to genuinely care about each other and the closeness of the community was visible. I love the size of the school at around 340 students; it allows everyone to at least know each other’s name and something about one another. The school gathers twice weekly in all-school meetings on Wednesday and Saturday half days, has chapel twice a week, sit-down dinners two times per week, and I believe I heard something about sit-down lunches. All of these times when the school gathers as a whole really connects the student body in a way that I believe is impossible or rather difficult at some of the larger schools. </p>

<p>I loved the tour I had at the end of the day. The two students were amazingly nice and willing to answer whatever questions we had. They were articulate and just interesting to be around. I remember kind of zoning out at one point in my tour and realizing how well I would fit into the community at St. Mark’s. Although I didn’t have the opportunity to re-visit any other schools I am so glad that I had this kind of epiphany moment. Today confirmed everything that I hoping for and more. St. Mark’s has all of the things that I was looking for in a boarding school and it felt amazing to know that everything that I experienced today will be mine in just several months. The school seems like a great place to spend one’s high school years! </p>

<p>It doesn’t seem like anyone else on this board applied to St. Mark’s this year but students who are reading this now that are applying to boarding schools next year, definitely check out the school! It’s not as well known as other schools and it’s not an “acronym” school but you will definitely regret your decision if you don’t bother to even browse through the school’s website. It’s really an amazing school!</p>

<p>Did you learn anything new/surprising about the school?</p>

<p>Next year the school is implementing a new Chinese program. They will offer Chinese 1 and Chinese 2. The continuation of the program will be based on student’s interest. </p>

<p>I hadn’t seen a dorm room on my tour so I was really surprised to see how spacious they were today. All of the 3rd formers (freshmen) and most of the new 4th formers (sophomores) are placed in the dorms on west campus, which allows them to bond on their first year at the school and become close friends. My tour guide was a new 4th former and talked about how welcoming the school is to new students. </p>

<p>Something you wish you had learned which you didn’t.</p>

<p>N/A. If you do your research on the school’s website, ask the right questions on your original tour/interview, and see a student’s typical day on revisit day, it’s hard to not learn pretty much everything you need to know before making a decision. </p>

<p>How was the food?</p>

<p>I’m really not sure about the food. We didn’t eat in the dining hall instead we ate in the lobbies and areas surrounding the auditorium. The food that we did eat was really good but I’m not sure if it’s an accurate representation of the everyday food that is served. But from talking to current and former students the food isn’t really something to worry about. There is always something for everyone and there are many options for students to choose from. </p>

<p>How were the classes you sat in on?</p>

<p>I sat in on a Spanish and pre-calc class. The Spanish class was entirely in the language and it was hard for me to keep up even though I’m in the same level class as the one I sat in on. I was really impressed with how strong some of the student’s Spanish skills were. In the pre-calc class everyone was involved. Each student put their solutions to the homework questions on one of the many boards around the room. Everyone was engaged and no one could hide. Both classes were impressive and the class size was even more phenomenal. The Spanish class had 10 kids and the pre-calc class had around 8 students. Compared to my public school where the class size varies from 20 to 30 kids, this was definitely a major plus!</p>

19

<p>Andover revisit day!

  • Basic format/schedule of your revisit day
    Well I don’t remember exactly but Cassat answered this part well. It began with a little breakfast before multiple speeches were given. My favorite part was when Dean Fried said that none of us were here on accident. My dad sort of looked at me and laughed ;). After, we met with our student hosts and they took us to their first class. Then there was a chance to go to other classes like intro to acting, or to go explore the observatory, but my student host just introduced me to the rest of the team that I was going to be playing on next year. Then we went to the other classes and then to lunch, which was AMAZING. After the last class we met up with our parents at the chapel and there was a Q&A session with students and other speeches.
  • Did the revisit confirm your interest in the school or did it dissuade you from matriculating?
    It definitely confirmed my interest. I loved everything about it! However, my dad doesn’t want me to make a final decision until i visit Choate next week.
  • What specific things about the revisit pushed you in either direction?
    The classes were amazing. After the day I told my parents that it would be so hard for me to stay at my current school after going through something so much different than what I’m used to (and better)! I felt like I was wanted there by the way the coaches and other students treated me. They WANTED to know my name and where I was from, and other things like that.
  • Did you learn anything new/surprising about the school?
    I learned that every new 9th grader was in the same english class and history class, and that these two classes were pass/fail for the first trimester.
  • Something you wish you had learned which you didn’t
    Nothing really.
  • How was the food?
    Surprisingly amazing. Everything was freshly cooked and tasted great!
  • How were the classes you sat in on?
    The classes I sat in on were so much different than what I was accustomed to. The kids made me feel extremely comfortable and they looked like they were genuinely liking the classes. I sure liked them!</p>

<p>All in all, Andover seems like the perfect place for me, and my revisit just confirmed that!</p>

20

<p>Zdoub - It would be terrific if you could post again after the CHOATE revisit to list your impressions and contrast/compare with the ANDOVER visit. Thanks!</p>