<ol>
<li>what did you do on the first day?</li>
</ol>
<p>only question i have</p>
<p>WOW i really hope i get in. sounds even more fabulous that i had thought, if thats possible.</p>
<ol>
<li>i wrote a really long post about my first day a while back...i think sept 5th or 6th
you can look for it if you want to see it </li>
</ol>
<p>long story short we arrived, had campus tours by our "older siblings" and bought things in the bookstore...then we went to our dorms and dropped off all the stuff and met your roommate, then lunch with your "older sibling" and your parents/family
then your parents left and you had like free time to unpack, set up your room, go on the computer....etc. then we had dorm introductions with the seniors (it was just us and them at this point) and we played name games
we learned the rules of the dorm and talked about things and just hung out
then we went to a harry potter themed dinner and ate as a dorm
we came back to our dorm and then we had a first night service in the old chapel and announcements in the new chapel, we learned our class word
came back to the dorm...played games and made smores on our head of house's grill
and...then went to bed?
it was a really long and tiring day but a lot of fun!</p>
<p>Ok... so my questions might sound kind of stupid, but if im going to LIVE somewhere (like BS), i need to really think abput living.</p>
<ol>
<li> What is the food generally like?<br></li>
<li> Is there time to just calm down and relax for a bit?</li>
<li> Are the dorms comfortable? (like an Ok matress, heating, maybe some air conditioning)</li>
<li> Have you or someone you know gotten a really bad roomate? (like steals or is a HUGE slob and won't pick up after themselves even when asked)</li>
</ol>
<p>Well... if annyone answers... thx so much. i know these questions are a bit silly, but i do want to clear some of this up as reassurance about my possible future decision (as long as i get in somewhere!!! lol)</p>
<p>I go to SPS</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I personally love the food because there is a ton of variety and dessert everyday :) But you can always order out if you want other food.</p></li>
<li><p>Yeah in the late afternoons I usually find time to relax and Sundays are really relaxing days because everyone basically stay is sweats all day since it is basically our only day off.</p></li>
<li><p>Well most people bring matress padding and the heating and air conditioning are perfect because we have a thermostat in our room which is pretty sweet.</p></li>
<li><p>It's impossible for everyone to be best friends with their roommate. But I haven't really heard about much stealing except for the lost carton of ice cream every once in a while. The worst I've heard about is people having messy roommates or like clashing styles or something but nothing big. But having a not so perfect roommate really helps you grow as a person and you learn that you can't always get what you want.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>bump..........</p>
<p>wow. this was a great idea =]</p>
<p>I know!!! That's why I bumped it! It's such a good idea</p>
<ol>
<li>How do you learn how to manage your time?</li>
<li>If you have a room mate, then how was your room mate chosen?</li>
<li>What's dorm life like?</li>
<li>What were some of your major hooks that [you think] got you accepted?</li>
<li>Are there many international students in your school?</li>
<li>When did you get your admissions letter (if you remember)?</li>
<li>Do you absolutely love life at boarding school? Is it as awesome as it appears to be? (I mean challenging, great relationships with peers and teachers, etc.)</li>
<li>Is it really competitive at your school? (and which is your school?) Does the competition ever get ugly?</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I go to SPS...</p>
<ol>
<li>How do you learn how to manage your time?
This is actually one of the hardest aspects of boarding school life. You are always around your friends, and all you are concerned about at first is making new ones. Almost EVERYONES grades drop their first term...and most teachers/advisors understand how hard it is. I learned that during the winter once I felt more settled and comfortable with my friends, I didn't need to go out as much. I still could manage my time better, but I know I'm learning...</li>
<li>If you have a room mate, then how was your room mate chosen?
Room mate's are chosen by interests. I have a room mate, and at the beginning of the summer you fill out a request form that basically asks if you want a single or a double, what types of things your interested in...etc. I don't know anyone who absolutely hates their room mate, although most room mate pairs are usually not very close. It is nice to have someone outside your group of friends though...I may be a little off on this judgement because we don't have study hours/lights out at St. Paul's or times when we need to be in our room, so you can not spend any time with your room mate here. (Everyone does though)</li>
<li>What's dorm life like? Dorm life is SO amazing...one of the best parts of school, no doubt. You get SO close with everyone, and you learn to like them. It also mature's you because you learn to get along and earn respect for all different types of people from all over...My dorm is so much fun. My favorite night was probably our XMAS party when we ran around in crazy spandex dancing and trading presents then settled down to watch love actually as a dorm...best night.</li>
<li>What were some of your major hooks that [you think] got you accepted?
HAHA I have no idea how to answer this...my amazing looks and well-rounded-ness?
just kidding...I'm really into sports but also really into singing and ceramics...My grades weren't bad, my SSAT was an 87% (sort of low, but it didn't bother me.)</li>
<li>Are there many international students in your school? SO many...personally I think it would be SO hard, but they all love it, although they do get homesick at times. </li>
<li>When did you get your admissions letter (if you remember)? Sitting in English class on March 10th at my old school...My best friend opened it because I was too scared haha</li>
<li>Do you absolutely love life at boarding school? Is it as awesome as it appears to be? (I mean challenging, great relationships with peers and teachers, etc.)
Yes, I definitely love it. Not going to lie, it's SO hard at times with the work and the drama from living with your friends and getting sick of people, but you have to learn not to let the unimportant silly things get to you...My advisor is SO sweet, she's amazing...we talk to her all the time.</li>
<li>Is it really competitive at your school? (and which is your school?) Does the competition ever get ugly?
I'm not a very competitive person, so I can't answer this very well...there definitely is challenge (i see it more in sports now than academics, but i'm sure that will change) but I haven't seen it get ugly (yet)</li>
</ol>
<p>Do you know anyone who got accepted with a "low" SSAT score? (low meaning <80%)</p>
<p>Okay, I've got questions!</p>
<ol>
<li>Were you expecting an acceptance? If so, why? If not, why?</li>
<li>What were your 'paper' stats? GPA, SSAT etc.</li>
<li>Was the school you're attending your top choice? If it was, has it lived up to the expectations so far?</li>
<li>What was your interview experience like?</li>
<li>What other schools were you accepted to?</li>
<li>Lastly, how is it!? Are you enjoying yourself? Anything you would have done differently?</li>
</ol>
<p>Bump. =] 10 characters</p>
<p>bump... :)
and can other ppl anwer my Q's? (thanks sailor_chica... SPS is one of the ones i'm applying too... can others answer too??? thanks!!!)</p>
<p>bumppppp, this is easily the best thread</p>
<p>I wish everyone from the TSAO/ISL (because that pretty much covers all our schools on cc, doesn't it?) would give at least a brief summary on their school. That could be archived for later applicants :D</p>
<p>Have a look at BoardingSchoolReview.com. They have alumnus reviews posted for most schools.</p>
<p>Glitters,
My son does not "do" message boards, but he is a bs student. I think I can answer some of your questions based on his experience. He is a sophomore.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>How do you learn how to manage your time? I cannot specifically answer this as he had good time-management skills already. He was used to a pretty busy schedule before bs with lots of sports and ec's. The academics are of course much more demanding, so he he has learned to squeeze schoolwork into every spare moment (not just study hall). He has learned this, on his own, by not getting the grades he hoped for.</p></li>
<li><p>If you have a room mate, then how was your room mate chosen? As a freshman, he filled out a questionnaire provided by the school and was assigned a roommate. As it ended up he did not really have much in common with this person. He selected a roommate for the following year. They are friends and will room again next year.</p></li>
<li><p>What's dorm life like? Can't really answer that. Whenever I visit, there are often boys in the hall playing various sports...in the hall! The dorm parents host pizza parties, etc. </p></li>
<li><p>What were some of your major hooks that [you think] got you accepted? He had excellent grades, essays, interviews. His brother had graduated from the school. The big hook was athletics...recruited for Varsity in 3 sports, but specializing in one.</p></li>
<li><p>Are there many international students in your school? Yes. At least 20% Asian. Smaller amounts of students from other countries.</p></li>
<li><p>When did you get your admissions letter (if you remember)? Notified by e-mail at midnight (a few seconds after) on March 10th. It was a fun notification with music and a video clip. He cried. The hard copy, in a big packet with financial aid notification and a drawsting bag with the school logo arrived via regular mail the next mailing day after the 10th (I don't remember the specific day of the week...this was 2007).</p>
<ol>
<li>Do you absolutely love life at boarding school? Is it as awesome as it appears to be? (I mean challenging, great relationships with peers and teachers, etc.) He absolutely loves it; he tells everyone who asks it is all he exptected and more. He has been dreaming of attending this particular school since he was a little boy as his older brother was a four-year student there and loved it as well. </li>
</ol></li>
<li><p>Is it really competitive at your school? (and which is your school?) Does the competition ever get ugly? The academics are extremely demanding and rigorous. It is very difficult to get an A. He works very hard and long hours. His school, however, is not cut-throat competitive at all. My son is very competitive with himself.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>i have a few:
a) was it not as good as you expected? not too much better as your old school?
b) did you have any regrets? did you miss your parents a lot?
c) how many schools did you apply to? which ones were you accepted to?
d) what made you pick -schoolnamehere-?
e) "sell" your school, why is your school great.</p>
<p>bump :) </p>
<p>(10char)</p>