Hey! I’m currently a freshman boarder at Concord Academy! If you guys got any questions about the school, just shoot a comment down below and I’ll try to respond quickly as possible.
Hi there! Thanks for putting this out there. Can you describe a bit about the application process for you? Also if you could talk a bit about diversity on campus?
The application process was pretty straightforward. I made a Ravenna account and did my essays and my PFS for financial aid along with my interviews.
Diversity on campus is really present. I attended a public school in NJ and I was the only South Asian in my graduating class. Coming to CA, I was presented by a large group of South Asians and other people and their cultures compared to my old school. Affinity groups on campus are really active either by informal dinners to hosting dances with other schools. Being a private school, it is still a white majority school but diversity is still present and hasn’t ‘irked’ me. CA is currently at an all time high for financial aid recipients and that’s slated to increase as the endowment grows as we reach our Centennial master plan.
I appreciate you offering to share your thoughts. Thank you very much !
Q: It seems to me that CA does not rank as high Middlesex and Groton but, it has an equally good academic, athletic and arts program. I wonder if you feel the same way. What were your top 3 reasons for choosing CA?
I’ve found my way back to this website as I endure the even more gruesome college process. As a senior and a tour guide, I definitely know the school well at this point! If anyone has any questions about CA, I would be more than happy to answer them, especially from any anxious parents who want the inside scoop.
My impression was that athletics were not as competitive at CA as Middlesex or Groton, isn’t CA an EIL school vs the other two competing in the ISL? Artistically I thought CA had an edge and academically it seemed like CA was just more chill, not necessarily less competitive, but not seeking to be the most academically rigorous out of all the schools in the area. I think that attitude makes CA seem less academically focused. All in all not the place for my oldest but tucked away in my brain for my youngest.
@snapchat and @lovetheprocess I appreciate the offers to answer questions. CA is high on our family’s list after having visited last year. Can either of you speak to the balance of competitiveness versus camaraderie/support among the students? In our observation, students seemed to be driven and high achieving without a cutting competitiveness. Would you say that’s true?
@snapchat - I would say that’s true. My son knows kids from his school that now attend CA and although I would say they all are either great athletes, students or artists, none of them come off as hyper-competitive. You probably couldn’t even guess who was good at what if you didn’t know them.
Hi @Snapchat - it’s good to see you back on CC and sharing your impressions of CA!! We looked at it a couple of years ago because of arts and theatre program…if you can, please share because there are some people we know on CC who are looking at CA because of those programs. Also, what is the weekend scene like at CA? When we toured my kiddo liked that you could walk down the street to “civilization” - coffee shops, stores, restaurants and good transportation into Boston.
@swparenting Hi, just saw this! That vibe is definitely what the school “sells” to prospective students and thankfully it is true! CA does a really nice job of balancing rigorous (and trust me, I mean RIGOROUS) academics with a community that is supportive and collaborative. For example, I honestly didn’t even know which of my peers were “on top” until the college process when suddenly kids I didn’t expect were getting into top schools. I think this is nice though – students and teachers really focus on learning and intellectual curiosity is the common thread between everyone. If all you care about is getting awards, CA is not the place for you. But if you are genuinely excited about academics for the sake of them, then CA will stretch and push you without having to constantly compare yourself to peers.
Does Concord Academy empty out on weekends ?
@lovetheprocess Maybe you could spell out the way CA doesn’t have ANY awards and why that appeals to some kids. I also think there was something unusual about grades ( there weren’t any or there were comments and that represented something grade-wise). I think kids who are interested might like this information.
I’m back after my 2nd-semester hiatus haha. School ended on May 30.
@Publisher For the most part, yes. CA is majority day so lots of the day students don’t come to campus. Boarding students are usually still around and they go on school-sponsored trips out of campus. When we have invitationals o dances, there’s always a big turnout. Student Life has started sponsoring programs for clubs to hold events on weekends, but it’s usually that students plan to go to Boston or another trip during the weekend or just stay in the houses if they board. If you have boarding friends as a day student, it’s not uncommon to go to Boston or a mall trip, come back and spend the night in the dorm with your friends. Those are always a blast.
@Happytimes2001 CA does not award grade honors or anything like that. We also do not offer AP classes because dept. head a few years ago believed that they didn’t allow for in depth exposure of the curriculum. Rather, we have + classes which usually are equal/above AP rigor. CA has a wide range of courses to take to satisfy anyone at any level. Sometimes it boggles my mind how we have so many classes compared to our small school size, but we do haha! The courses are rigorous, even as a freshman I had a little bit of an academic shock, but the school offers A LOT of support to help student, like weekly advisor meetings to the Academic Support Center where you can get tutoring for free.
@Golfgr8 The weekend scene is usually not on campus most of the time, unless it’s a big event on campus like Club Expo, invitational, semi-formal, etc. Most kids leave campus and go on a trip that’s sponsored by the SLO. As CA is situated right on Main Street, there’s is a lot of stores you can walk too. Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, CVS, Cumby’s, the supermarket and the Commuter Rail station literally a 5 minute walk away, (2 if you run on the sidewalk across the public library haha). On Main Street, there is a lot of small charming boutique shops like the Concord Cheese Shop or Main Street Cafe. Be aware, this is Concord and it usually gets very pricey, so a lot of people avoid Main Street and take the walk for other stores. For the most part, “civilization” is literally along the street the dorms are on, so there are no cases of isolation unlike other schools in the middle of nowhere haha.
@bostonbloke I chose CA for a myriad of reasons, but what I really like is the small size and the homelike qualities Everyone is here for everyone and no one is competing for each other unlike some pressure cooker schools. Academically, I think we are the same compared to other elite schools, but the way that they approach academics seems like a much better way. CA also just has nor stigma of trying new things. Never played a sport? Doesn’t matter, just try out! Never been the “artistic” type? Who cares, sign up for the course! There is no judgy attitudes here and everyone is encouraged to try new things, and I really cherish this about CA. There are lacrosse players who double 2 literature classes and is apart of the dance group! You can do anything that is interesting and no one will bat an eye.
If y’all have any questions, drop them below. Sorry for such the late replies!!
Thanks @snapchat for sharing the helpful information and congrats to you upon completing this school year. Concord is a great place to stroll, shop & dine…love the chicken pot pie at the Colonial Inn!!