Hi there, I have been reading this board for a few days and have decided to join to ask a few questions. The information available is a bit overwhelming - so many choices!
I suppose it would help to describe DD. She is currently in 6th grade at a private christian school where she has attended since kindergarten. Frankly the schools in our area are poor, at best. I am happy with her education so far at her private school but we have been discussing BS lately and are looking to get our feet wet. She is no genius, but is considered “gifted.” Further, she has been heavily involved with dance since age 2, classically trained in ballet by Russian instructors, and just now started pointe. She is interested in basketball and has taken golf lessons for several summers, but dance takes up 4 nights a week so at this point that is her biggest commitment. At school, she loves science and English and takes art. She definitely loves school spirit weeks and the sense of community that brings. She is definitely a girly girl and a fashionista and treasures her relationships with her friends.
What we are looking for: we live in the MD-DE-VA area. I would MUCH prefer a school in this area, but one can’t ignore all of the wonderful schools in the northeast such as Choate and Hotchkiss. I am fine with either all girls or co-ed. A revered dance program is an absolute must for her. I think she would also prefer a school that has chapel, etc as she is heavily involved with her church. Lastly, she would be a FA student so I want somewhere that she will feel comfortable, that she could get a nice FA package without feeling inferior or left out. Cultural diversity is important to her as well. I am interested in any and all suggestions on the east coast. So far I’ve briefly read about the Episcopal High School, Madeira, St. Andrews, St. Pauls, etc. I would love to hear from parents, students, etc about any of your children with similar interests and what schools you think we should add to our list.
Lastly, what suggestions do you have to prepare her for BS at the 6th grade level?
Coupla things if you have the energy. (But before that: NJ NJ NJ. Insert New Jersey joke here, but the NJ schools, especially Peddie and Blair punch above their weight and both have an undeniable, animating inferiority complex–that is a compliment, by the way, but probably needs to be clearly stated for those of you who…as always, consider the source–that, though it manifests in slightly different ways at the two schools, makes those schools dynamic and lively in the best possible ways. Lawrenceville is good too. And there’s schools in PA, but anyway, they key is to not fixate on New England schools simply because that’s what everyone tends to do.)
1st: Since you have plenty o time, start looking during 7th grade. Go to the open houses which seem to be littering the landscape these days. Build your list of school to which you will apply, and then get the interview process started as soon as the class starts during your 8th grade year. That’s pretty much it. It was one thing, I guess. But since you need FA, make sure you follow the CC Prime Directive and cast a wide net and only apply to schools you(r kid) would happily attend without a second thought.
I’ll second the Open House idea and suggest you attend some dance concerts - always open to the public. There are so many great schools – a big part of this process is figuring out what feels right.
Besides attending open houses (which I recommend in 7th grade, if feasible), I would think that in the DC metro area there are various secondary school fairs that may be attended by NE and other out-of-area schools. There are a few annually around us (in CT) that some California and other non-New England schools attend; I’m guessing you may be able to find one in your area that includes a range of schools. A fair gives you the opportunity to walk around for a couple of hours and be pitched by various school representatives and at least get a human behind the marketing materials, and it’s a good, completely low-pressure opportunity for your daughter to ask some questions and see what may (and may not) appeal to her.
I know one boy from our hometown went to Andover and was able to go from their dance program to Boston Ballet as an intern. He has delayed college to dance so it seems their dance program may be particularly strong?
Chemm: Andover has really caught my eye! Their dance program looks good. I also love SPS too, DD has danced in the Nutcracker for the last 6 years for our local ballet theatre.
Thank you all so much for your suggestions so far. I’m feverishly researching. I think open houses next year, or maybe if any have summer programs for middle schoolers, are a great idea!
Over time, you will get a better idea of whether your daughter would do better in a large school or a small one. Large schools do have a lot more going on, but sometimes there are more resources, opportunities, and teacher attention available to the individual student at a smaller school. For dance, as a first step, make sure it is available to all students as an after-school activity all year (as a substitute for a sport). I assume most schools allow that, but that might be an easy way to weed out a few. As a fellow mid-Atlantic parent, I suggest you visit Andover and SPS and decide whether you can stand that drive several times a year (and probably not going to dance concerts because of it).
^^^
Read @SevenDad 's thread! We found it invaluable when ds started the process!
You can also contact the schools to see if you can be in contact with a student who has experience with dance while at the boarding school. They may be able to tell you first hand how to find different dance opportunities even outside of a school dance team or performance group.
Thanks twinsmama, I am more worried about the distance of a New England school for her, not for my travel purposes. I have a pretty flexible schedule that I make with my line of work and it wouldnt be a problem for me to get there, but I wonder how she’d feel being so far away.
We were in a similar situation to yours and DS had decided at age 9 he wanted to go to BS. So, I finally relented when he was 11 (I could tell he meant it) and during the summer (we are from too far away to attend open houses and the like) we would visit campuses informally and gather as much information as we could. Many schools he was able to cross of his list just by the location, environment, set up of campus, etc. Several schools were huge surprises (like the one he is attending… ). DS is over 2500 miles away, and from the packed schedule he has, I don’t know if 200 vs 2000 miles really makes a difference. I think if you find the school that is the right fit-- your DD will do well! Deerfield had a great dance program, if my memory serves me right (DS does not dance…so I’m not too well-versed in that area). Good Luck on your research! It is definitely not too early to start! Just remember to keep an open mind throughout the process-- my son’s current BS was really not on the radar – we just happened to drive by one day and stopped…He loved the campus, which made him research the school…Now, he is absolutely thriving in a place we never even thought we would apply to! CC can be overwhelming- just remember to take everything with a grain of salt. There are several people with different experiences and opinions. Used correctly, this forum is a wealth of knowledge. I wish I had stumbled upon it as early in the process as you have!
Chatham Hall? We have friends who sent their daughter there. She LOVED it. It is small, nurturing, and has a surprisingly large endowment for such a tiny school…
Throwing my 2-cents in@ dance programs (again) for the OP. My DD dances and we have looked at several schools that offer dance. Please be a smart consumer of marketing materials. One school we looked at early on had a very slick view book and video that appeared to show a sophisticated dance program. When we read the online materials for performing arts, however, there was no write-up on dance. When we visited the school we learned that there was no formal dance program and no dance studio - just an after-school option for dance during the winter, with a part-time instructor. So, if you need a formal dance program or a “company”, do your homework. Please also ask about the commitment one must make. For example, is it a full-year commitment? Do dancers have to choose between a sport and dance? What type of dance is offered? Are there try outs and when? What type of videos do they want (one wanted a performance video and class video). Some schools have awards for dance. Many schools offer outside performance and travel opportunities for the dancers — some to Europe.
I’ll throw in Miss Porter’s for girls and Groton for 8th grade. Choate and Hotchkiss are gems and yes, Andover catches everyone’s eye, but you have to think about a range of schools if you are serious about getting in somewhere. Let me also put St. George’s on your map. Lovely, lovely campus with good college matriculation.
Range is definitely important. I can’t tell you about other schools, but as a Choate students, I can tell you that your daughter would be able to practice dancing all she wants here. Students can apply for the Arts Concentration Program, where their sport is replaced with their art and they spend a large amount of time working with instructors to improve their art. Not sure about the specifics: just something to keep in mind.
Let me also add that your daughter definitely would not feel inferior or left out in terms of her FA situation: I don’t even know who’s on FA in my grade, except for a few close friends.
Once your daughter get in to a school, she won’t feel inferior or left out. However, no matter how qualified she is, getting in to any BS is very difficult with FA, simply because BS are not as rich as colleges. You need to apply many schools in wide range of prestige, among others. You get to choose only after and if you get in to multiple schools.
I will echo the advice to research carefully. I know kids who started at acronym schools and transferred to Walnut Hill because they really wanted the intensity in dance, and academic demands really didn’t leave room for dance to be as central as they’d wanted.
There are also schools with well developed modern programs but not so much classical ballet.
I also know kids who have made dance their focus and are doing that FT in NYC and attending school for professional children.
What I am saying is that you may want to start by figuring out where dance, and specifically ballet, fit on the priorities before you start working through options.
I Agree with the comments about financial aid. We received FA and not even DS’ teachers or coaches know. I had to inform one coach because the school was going to pay for his Spring Training. So, there won’t be any inferiority issues, IMO
). DS is over 2500 miles away, and from the packed schedule he has, I don’t know if 200 vs 2000 miles really makes a difference. I think if you find the school that is the right fit-- your DD will do well! Deerfield had a great dance program, if my memory serves me right (DS does not dance…so I’m not too well-versed in that area). Good Luck on your research! It is definitely not too early to start! Just remember to keep an open mind throughout the process-- my son’s current BS was really not on the radar – we just happened to drive by one day and stopped…He loved the campus, which made him research the school…Now, he is absolutely thriving in a place we never even thought we would apply to! CC can be overwhelming- just remember to take everything with a grain of salt. There are several people with different experiences and opinions. Used correctly, this forum is a wealth of knowledge. I wish I had stumbled upon it as early in the process as you have!