<p>When I look at these photos of students on the school website, it doesn't seem real. I just want to know what going to a boarding prep school is really like. I am coming from public school and really am just wondering what the social life, academic life, dorm life, and athletic life(soccer player) is like. Thanks!</p>
<p>Here’s some advice, but on how to best utilize the forum (based on a few years of participation and observation):</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The forum rewards people who do their homework.
What this means is before you start 30 different new threads, try using the search tool. Or even just look at the first few pages of this main section. Pretty sure there was a Culver thread active recently. Via that thread, you could have connected with at least one other prospective applicant AND a current parent.</p></li>
<li><p>The forum ignores people who start too many threads in a short amount of time.
The tip here is to start ONE thread (after doing your homework, of course) and then WAIT to see if people respond. It could take a day or two…it is, after all, a holiday week…and people are do doubt busy getting ready for Thanksgiving, hosting out of town guests, enjoying time with their families, etc.</p></li>
<li><p>The broader/less focused your question, the less traction it will generally get.
See point 1. Asking “what’s boarding school REALLY like” is way too general. First of all, it varies by school. And it varies by student. So you really have to do a lot of reading (during my older daughter’s search/apply process a few years ago, I read EVERY single post on the main threads of two schools she was interested in…and surprise, she was admitted to both…I think in part because we had done our homework on fit).</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Best of luck with your process. If you are applying for the 2014-2015 school year, time is tight. Consider schools that accept the SSAT online app.</p>
<p>Disclaimer I’m not a prep school student but 90% of my friends are because I went to a private middle school where most people went on to schools like Taft, Brooks, Hotchkiss, etc. so I think I can speak pretty well about the experience based on what I’ve heard from my friends.
Social life - Depends on which school you go to. Boarders have it easier than day students. Even if a school says day students and boarders are treated equally- there’s a good chance that’s not true. At least for the several most exclusive ones (once you get down to, like, 60%+ acceptance rate it may be a different story.) It also depends on what kind of person you are. There are so many great kids but prep schools are extremely cliquey so work your way into a group ASAP lol there is no chance- none- that you will find a prep school that is not cliquey. Note: This doesn’t mean the kids are rude or anything- most of them are not. Oh but do keep in mind that since these schools are very small, you will run into kids who do hard drugs. Hotchkiss may be an exception if they still have the 1 strike rule (most schools are 2-6 strikes)</p>
<p>Academic life - Oh brutal lol Just brutal. I mean, when you LIVE at school, you should expect a lot of work. I believe in many schools, study hall is required. I won’t go into hours because that depends on what kind of worker you are. But basically, if homework feels like a drag now, you should expect more. If it’s agony, that’s probably about right ;)</p>
<p>Dorm life - I’m not a boarder but some of my friends are. They love it. Some of them have “day student roommates” which one friend loves (because her best friend is her DSR) and another friend hates. It’s nice that you can go back to your room if you ever forget something for class. Other than that, don’t know much more about it.</p>
<p>Athletic life - Sports are required, as I’m sure you know. Depending on the school, it’s great as long as you’re really serious about your sport. If you’re not and it’s just kind of something you did because you had to, you probably won’t enjoy it because many of the kids are crazy competitive. Someone, correct me if I’m wrong, but if I remember correctly from what I’ve been told you should expect to practice every day for several hours. I don’t think there are any easy sports because you’ll have to do a lot of conditioning.</p>
<p>Overall, it honestly depends on the kind of person you are. Out of my friends, I can’t say that any of them truly love their school, but a solid 70% REALLY like it, the rest aren’t necessarily unhappy but wouldn’t want to stick around for more than the 4 years. Which considering how much money they’re paying, is actually not very good. I think if you’re going to pay 50k you should LOVE the school, not like it, not tolerate it.</p>
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<p>mfarrellsavage: You are posting hearsay that is either exaggerated or in some cases wrong (that is, not accurate for all schools). It would be best if you would encourage your BS friends to provide first-hand information than post second-hand opinion which, in this case, is not doing any readers here any favors.</p>
<p>On each of your points, current BS students have posted their experiences which give more reliable and balanced views to readers seeking useful information.</p>
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<p>Your “information” ranges from partially to completely wrong with respect to my kids’ school.</p>
<p>Furthermore… what is the reason you feel qualified to answer the OP question? Based on your logic, I would be able to perform surgery because I know a surgeon…</p>
<p>I agree with ChoatieMom’s suggestion: ask your boarding school friends to contribute to this board directly. Firsthand knowledge is infinitely more helpful…</p>
<p>The stuff the glossy viewbooks & websites don’t mention:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/1406178-families-entering-bs-world-eyes-open-know-down-side.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/1406178-families-entering-bs-world-eyes-open-know-down-side.html</a></p>