<p>Hi! I'm not new to the forum, and Im sort of a westerner. I didn't see much information about taft here. Is it less popular than other NE schools? anyone can inform me?</p>
<p>btw, im not sure what "NE" stands 4...</p>
<p>NE = “New England”</p>
<p>And if you want to find out about Taft, use the “advanced search” tool . . . you’ll find lots! You can search for the word “Taft” in thread titles only . . . but I’d highly suggest that you also search for it in individual posts. ExieMITAlum has a daughter at Taft, loves the school, and writes about it every chance she gets.</p>
<p>I’m surprised she hasn’t made an appearance in this thread yet . . . but she should be along shortly!</p>
<p>Taft may be considered not to be quite as prestigious as, say, Exeter or Andover, but it has a lot to offer that those schools don’t. From what Exie has reported, it has more of a “small town” feel than the larger schools . . . people are friendly and know who you are. It has some special programs that you won’t find at other schools . . . but it’s that friendliness that stands out for me.</p>
<p>Yep - I’m an Exeter Grad, I interview for them, but I’m now a died in the wool, totally in love Taft mom. They’re nice, the classes are hard, but there is a lot of emphasis on the students and parents as part of the Taft family.</p>
<p>The academics are strong, expectations are high, but it’s just not a pressure cooker. No one is a number or gets lost in the system. My daughter slipped one day and started calling it “home.”</p>
<p>Here’s how Taft has surprised students in the last two years when announcing a day off from classes:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1067528-will-smith-robert-pattinson-announce-headmaster-holiday-taft.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1067528-will-smith-robert-pattinson-announce-headmaster-holiday-taft.html</a></p>
<p>ExieMITAlum- would you care to talk more about Taft and how your daughter’s enjoying it there and what school life is like? It’s one of the three schools I’m applying to, so I already love it, but I’d love to know more! Especially any tips you have about the admissions process!</p>
<p>Yes, would also love to hear more about Taft…now on my daughter’s top list of 3. She is really enjoying learning about Taft thus far.</p>
<p>Hmm. - what to say.</p>
<p>First - a confession - my sibling and I are Exeter alum and are big boosters for them (I’m an Exeter interviewer), but Taft was a perfect fit for my daughter because it the student body was smaller and her leadership skills are showcased well there. She found it easier to navigate politically. And it came highly recommended by the Exeter Adcoms when they discovered it was on her list.</p>
<p>Half the number of students of Exeter and Andover so it feels more intimate. Main academic buildings reminiscent of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts (gothic, buttressed ceilings in the cafeteria, interconnected, etc.). Faculty are extremely friendly. You don’t feel like a number or a source of revenue there. Everyone knows everyone else. Faculty meet regularly to discuss students and keep track of whose adjusting, whose eating properly, how dorm relationships are going, class performance, etc. No one falls through the cracks there (emotionally or academically).</p>
<p>Grade reports are five pages (one page about the student from the dean, one from the advisor, grade reports with comparisons of class and school average, at least a paragraph or two from each teacher). Good mixture of activities but not as much competition for those spots. Classes are sufficiently hard (I was working hard to keep up in the AP Calc class, my husband was smitten while visiting Spanish). </p>
<p>It wasn’t on my radar, initially, but my husband and daughter chose it. During interview rounds it was love at first site for me, and for her. The way students addressed her when they saw her during the interview (as if she were already accepted). I was able to observe student interaction with faculty in the hallways and on the grounds and there was genuine affection. One girl noted that if my D was homesick or missed siblings she could go find a faculty pet to play with, or offer to babysit to get her fix in.</p>
<p>Students are taught to advocate for themselves and develop relationships with faculty. A lot of opportunities for leadership and off-campus projects. School seems flexible - one student wanted to do an independent study with a photographer. It went so well, the school hired the photographer to teach there full time. </p>
<p>Taft is proactive about allowing students to adjust classes based on rigor during the first weeks. You are assigned a temporary advisor and once you get acclimated to campus you can choose your own. My D loved hers and the woman became like a second mom.</p>
<p>We regularly get emails from the advisor, and from the tennis coach. Had jovial phone discussions with the film coach and band director. When on campus, teachers will stop you to talk about your child.</p>
<p>Many opportunities for international exposure. School has regular trips for service (in town, and out of town), took 35 students to South Africa to tour and attend the World Cup. Band and Dance teams toured the Czech Republic over spring break. Film director goes to a different part of the world each summer with a team of students to create a professional production. This year it was a private island in Maine.</p>
<p>The school is in the School Year Abroad consortium so they help subsidize students selected for the program so the out-of-pocket costs are the same as tuition. All the students are still listed in the directory and we still get all the parent communications.</p>
<p>Food is amazing. Another parent told me the new chef has won awards. College discussions were starting at sophomore year. About 150-160 in the graduating class, 125 colleges came to the recruiting fair.</p>
<p>This is too open ended. What do you want to know specifically?</p>
<p>As for interviewing - be yourself. Not what you think they want. They are a “what you see is what you get” type of school. The people aren’t phony - they’re really like that all the time. They tend to choose students they like and would fit with the campus vibe. The Adcom said “we have to live with the students 24-7 - so we look for kids we’d love having on campus.” There are shy kids, boisterous kids and everything in between. There are jocks, and non-jocks. Artistic kids, dance fanatics, and music fans. There are math geeks, etc. It’s a good mix - but like I said, small enough for the school to feel intimate in terms of relationships, but large enough for the school to feel huge (walking from building to building and to the gym is a workout!).</p>
<p>I once heard “Taft takes care of its own,” and having finished our first year there - I believe it. I am smitten.</p>
<p>Wow, can not wait to show my daughter when she gets home from school. Thank you for a great view of Taft…They are coming to our town in Nov. and my daughter hopes to interview with them then as we now live a bit far from the East Coast.</p>
<p>Thanks for so much information ExieMITAlum!!! <3 On the day I received the viewbook from Taft I spent one or two hours reading it and start to love Taft!! Thanks for the great view…</p>
<p>One more question 
Is it very competitive in taft? or more supportive?</p>
<p>Doing an interview when they’re in town will be helpful. May get more time than when on campus. If you can ever catch a cheap fare on Southwest into Hartford (about 45 minutes) or Boston (about 3 hours) I would recommend going and using it as an excuse to look at one or two others in the NE area for contrast. </p>
<p>Otherwise, if accepted do save up to go to revisit day (which is a full day experience and you can sit in on classes while your daughter is whisked away). Holiday Inn Express in Waterbury is cheap, clean, has free breakfast and only 10 miles from the school.</p>
<p>@Leminte - it is supportive with some degree of competitiveness. My D never had a sense that students were keeping track of who got what grade. The students do work hard, but they’re not hyper intense about it.</p>
<p>Thanks for the in-depth insite on Taft. And so you’re saying that revist days are a good investment? Being from the South, it’s an extra effort to fly up there; especially to miss more school and work for my parents… maybe if I caught them during my spring break (theirs might be another week). Elaborate more about the revist days? </p>
<p>And would you say they’re more sports oriented than other schools you considered? Or less so? Do you think there’s a place there for kids who don’t play sports? I hate to be one to list excuses for why I don’t currently play any sports: fractured ankle, which is underdeveloped from a childhood injury, former gymnastics/tumbling/competition cheerleading exacerbated the injury, but I still attend occasional yoga classes at the Y have taken a break with intense physical activity given my situation, though i might be ready to try sports again, and I do have a great interest in playing volleyball or something new… does that sound to excuse-y or complicated? I wish there were a simple explination; the main point I want to get across is that even though I don’t play sports now, I have in the past and I want to in the future. How does that sound?</p>
<p>First - if you’re planning to spend 3-4 years of your life at a boarding school it’s worth the investment to visit the campuses. Too many students post here that they went to a school based on reputation and what they got, wasn’t what the expected. </p>
<p>So it’s subjective. </p>
<p>I will say, however, that I was in your situation - not a lot of family resources - and went to Exeter sight unseen. </p>
<p>Revisit days may also help parents feel more comfortable about the experience. My husband had no prior experience with boarding schools and was still a bit apprehensive. Once on campuses for revisit day he kept texting me with “wow” and by the time he returned home, he had met some of the faculty and had people he could call if he wanted more info. Was happy to send the deposit two whichever school she chose after that.</p>
<p>But don’t stress out about that. Many families can’t afford to do a campus visit or a revisit. Think of all the foreign students who have a much longer distance to travel. It all works out in the end with a little luck and a lot of faith.</p>
<p>As for sports - my D’s school is big into sports as much as the other schools. There are a lot (and I mean a lot) of options for doing a sport and often three different levels (Varsity, JV and Thirds). There are also a lot of different outlets for a non-athletic kid, for instance doing volunteer work or the school play, etc. And non-competitive options within many of the sports. You can find those options on the website and in the view book.</p>
<p>When my D felt stressed she went to Yoga classes or meditation. So I know they offer it. You’ll find plenty to do - and if they don’t have it - find a faculty advisor and start it.</p>
<p>Boarding school is about being proactive and advocating for what you need. That’s one of the benefits - flexibility and resources not available at local schools.</p>
<p>As for revisit days - its anecdotal. I did the interview trips so my husband forbid me from going on revisit days because he wanted an unbiased trip without my running commentary :-). Revisit days are more extensive. The parents go in one direction, you spend the day with your student host. You visit the dorms, attend a class or two, eat in the dining hall, meet other students in your class. Revisit days give you a full day to see the school in its normal rhythm. </p>
<p>In contrast, during interview season, you don’t get to sit in on classes, and the tour is about an hour. Still very good, and the Adcoms see you up close in personal before they sit down to choose the next student body, but revisit days are held to help you decide which school is the best fit of your options if you’re unsure at that point or have not visited before.</p>
<p>It is true that Taft has a similar feel to Hogwarts. Ask to see the tree house class room during your tour or revisit day :)</p>
<p>Taft is a fantastic school! Best combination of top notch academics with strong community support.</p>
<p>reading this makes me really like taft! haha thanks for this! But do they have a good swim program do you know, because that’s really important to me</p>
<p>No pool at Taft, sorry.</p>
<p>(and I LOVE the treehouse!)</p>
<p>Treehouse??! ExieMITAlum could you elaborate it? I mean it’s really cool!</p>
<p>Thanks again ExieMITAlum for all of your contributions to this thread. And we will definitely attend any and/or all revisit days at schools dd is fortunate to be accepted at. We are trying to pinpoint a wk we can visit the first week of Dec but it is hard to do with 2 other kids and our work schedules. I just wish we lived closer and could just pile in the car. lol</p>
<p>@ Miuffett. You’re welcome. If my D were applying today I’d be saying it was horrible so we wouldn’t have the competition But now that I’m a Taft mom, I can safely say I really enjoy how hard they work to make parents out of state still feel included. We visited in January. Coming from the midwest - I wish I were in driving distance too. ALthough if I were, my D would have opted for a school in California to prevent impromptu visits. :)</p>
<p>@Leminte
Taft’s “treehouse” is the film and video editing classroom. The instructor took a classroom and transformed it into this magical multi-level place. The school is so traditional that when you stumble on this room (off the beaten path so ask to see it even if to peek in the door) it comes as a nice surprise:</p>
<p>[Inside</a> the “Treehouse” at Taft | Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/overview/319489382/]Inside”>Inside the "Treehouse" at Taft | This room in the theater ar… | Flickr)</p>
<p>My s was admitted to Taft, as well as Lawrenceville and a few lesser know gems. We are doing revisits to most. Taft seems a bit more “contained”, for example with the dorms on top of and in the same building as the academics. And I had the sense that it may be a bit more of a pressure cooker. Some of the posts you’ve made have helped somewhat to alleviate that feeling. I have been told that there is a bit more of a homogeneous/“preppy” feel than perhaps some of the other schools. This made some intuitive sense to me given the denseness of the physical space (which by the way is nonetheless beautiful) and the small size of the student population. This decision is difficult and we are fortunate to have choices for him. I just wonder if kids feel a bit more claustrophobic at Taft. Any insights will be helpful.</p>
<p>Exie- The generosity of all of your past posts have been helpful.</p>
<p>Sevenoaks- my child was admitted to Taft and Lawrenceville a few years ago and ended up choosing Taft. We loved how everything was close and you were not running from class to class in the freezing cold. We also felt more “at home” at Taft. I can tell you it is hard but not at all a pressure cooker. Teachers are always available for help and encourage students to come see them if they need help. It is a preppy/sporty school and that is what actually appealed to my child. I wouldn’t say its claustrophobic either. The sports complex is a nice short walk away so you are getting out of the main building for sports every day and the library and Math and Science building are a short walk too. One thing I can say is the kids at Taft are really nice kids and for our family that has been the biggest bonus. Good luck with your decision. I know it is hard.</p>