5 down, one to go! We are almost done with our school visits/interviews and I must say that working with an advisor seems to be worth the $$. All of the schools we have visited seem to be great fits for Son and we liked them all.
We visited Blair Academy and The Hill this week and have also looked at Tabor, Portsmouth Abbey, Pomfret and will be looking at Mercersburg.
Does anyone have any idea about how many students really stick around for the weekend at any of these schools? And also, how geographically diverse is the student body? From our tour guide at Blair, I got the impression that the majority of the students were from NY and NJ, and that many clear out after the Saturday Classes. But maybe I misunderstood, so I am asking the real experts! Thanks!
I have to say, I loved absolutely everything about Blair except for the fact that such a high percentage of kids were from NJ/NY. Not only from NJ/NY, but from within an hour’s drive of the school. So yes, I think certainly many kids are gone Sat night/Sunday. Related to that, though, was the strong impression I had of some helicopter parenting going on. I attended parent panels on both the Open House day and on Revisit Day. Not surprisingly, the parents on the panels lived relatively nearby, even if their kids were boarding students. On both occasions, I felt like the majority of the questions asked by the prospective parents were about how they were struggling with the decision to send their kid to boarding school and whether they would be able to stay involved in their kids’ lives. The parents on the panel (who I recognize were at least in part just trying to sell the school) went on and on about how involved they still are, that they’re on campus all the time, and that was what really sold them on Blair was that they could be so near by. They also talked quite a bit about how they’d become such good friends with other parents, and saw them all the time for drinks, tailgates, etc. As we don’t live close enough to do that, I worried a bit that it would all seem a bit exclusionary for those not within the hour or so drive range (though honestly, the people did seem really lovely and I’m sure it isn’t really that way at all). But at the end of day, it just felt to me as though it was more akin to a private day school, where some kids happen to live on campus, rather than a true boarding school feel to it. But again, I totally loved everything else about the school. My daughter came very close to going there, and if she had, I’m sure we would have had no regrets.
Not doing a scientific analysis, but the make up of The HIll seems to be mostly PA, NJ, and NY, but I think there are like 27 states represented? Something like that. There are some closed weekends where the kids can’t leave campus, and I just sent a text asking what the weekends are like otherwise, but since today was a Headmaster’s Holiday, kid is probably still in bed. They always have a ton of stuff planned to do on the weekends, so much so that I am totally jealous, and want to go up there just for the weekend activities. If he ever gets back to me, I’ll let you know the insiders view of the weekends.
I think most kids stick around at Mercersburg, the exception being the one long weekend each term, when kids who can go home mostly do so. However, even then, there are a lot of kids who live too far away to go home, and many others who have to stay because of sports or rehearsals.
We could make a career out of looking at schools, however Son would never get out of 8th grade! Had no idea there were so many, which is why 1) we initially had some that were not good fits and 2) I am glad we hired someone to help us narrow down the choices. The good news is even if he only gets accepted at one, it will be a good one for him.
DS is at a different school and we live an hour away. We are fortunate to be able to visit for his birthday, sporting events (when he is on a competitive team), band concerts, etc. However he no longer likes to come home for long weekends. He likes staying on campus, having no requirements and hanging out with his friends. Weekends vary with activities but often a movie, a dance, concert, speaker, mall trip, etc. as well as sports. Sometimes there is a theme for the weekend.
Keep in mind that at most schools, you can’t just go home every weekend. You’re allowed a certain number of weekends, starting with “very few” Freshman year Add in sports commitments and in some cases, Saturday classes. On weekends at Cate, there are Saturday classes roughly every other week. Kids go to Carp to the beach, and Santa Barbara to shop and eat (the school provides buses). There are usually quite a few outdoor activities offered: camping, hiking, SUP, surfing, bike riding, scuba etc. I don’t think that you should worry too much about the schools on your list “emptying out” on weekends.
In terms of geographic diversity, the fact is that boarding schools do attract kids who live within a reasonable driving distance to the school. So they will be heavily skewed with kids from their region. In a way, I wish that schools would report on regional distribution, instead of by state/country.
If you have Saturday classes, you will forget what a weekend even is. Saturday is class and sports, dinner, and maybe a dance or trip or activity. Sunday is spent working.
Not on your list, but general info on Choate:
This parent is happy there are no Saturday classes. They did have Saturday class for Parents Weekend, but that was the only time, and the students had been given Wednesday off. Boarders need special permission to leave the downtown area on weekends. If going to a Day Student’s house, written permission is needed as well. Many Day Students spend most of the weekend on campus. (until curfew)
It’s important to ask at each school. Also ask at revisit days. However, each student’s impression may vary, depending on whether or not his friends remain on campus or not.
Even if all students remain on campus, the campus will seem much quieter on weekends. Students catch up on sleep, take part in trips off campus (to the movies, the mall, the nearest city, cultural activities, etc.), and travel for away games (on Saturdays). Sometimes parents travel to campus to take their kids out for lunch or dinner. Sundays are often homework time.
Regarding Saturday classes, count me as a big fan. @stargirl3 had it exactly right. Saturday classes keep the students busy, making it much less likely they will get into serious trouble. Sure, Saturday classes add days to academic year for more learnin’ & stuff, but really, it’s mostly about minimizing time and opportunity for shenanigans and nonsense. Now, if you have to drive your kid to that stupid school every stupid Saturday until they can drive themselves in a year or two, then you have a legit reason to not love Saturday classes more than anything. There’s something classic and elegant about the six day class schedule with short days Wednesdays and Saturdays for sports, and it’s a shame that so many schools have drifted away from that tradition.
I like Saturday classes. It teaches students to do homework every night, which is a great advantage in college. The breaks and vacations are also longer, because the school can fit in 4 more days of class per month.
@Periwinkle Yep. And sometimes those shenanigans get kids tossed or worse; the idea is to minimize the chances of adolescent stupidity and/or tragedy. Saturday classes make boarding schools special; two day weekends are for day schools and public schools.
CRH also stopped Saturday classes but kept a short Wednesday as well. As far as shenanigans, I am often on campus on weekends and seems to me that CRH does not have many problem kids. Have not spotted anything questionable yet. There are always exceptions, but my DD reports that they keep a tight leash on the kids.
Prospective students and parents should be well informed about the number of class days of schools. Parents of children who need to be kept out of trouble may choose those programs with Saturday classes. Could be a better fit for their child. However, a sizeable number of top tier schools do not feel they need that added control over their students. It is a personal decision for each student/parent.
Add in sports commitments and in some cases, Saturday classes. On weekends at Cate, there are Saturday classes roughly every other week. Kids go to Carp to the beach, and Santa Barbara to shop and eat (the school provides buses). There are usually quite a few outdoor activities offered: camping, hiking, SUP, surfing, bike riding, scuba etc. I don’t think that you should worry too much about the schools on your list “emptying out” on weekends.