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<p>I am looking for a boarding school on the east coast for my daughter. In particular I need a school that attracts quirky, artsy kids. Putney is certainly one of those, but can someone help me with others. She is extremely bright and a talented writer, but definitely does not belong in a traditional, structured environment. Instead she needs an academically challenging school that welcome kids who are idiosyncratic at a young age. I'd appreciate any suggestions.</p>
<p>Try looking at The Masters School. I'll be going there next year, and what primarily attracted me to it was its great arts programs. From what I know by talking to current students, everyone is very liberal, and artsy. It's in New York which, if I am interpreting your username correctly, will be close by.</p>
<p>Maybe CRMS in Colorado?</p>
<p>I would definitely recommend Putney -- it sounds like a perfect match. CRMS is another thought, although I would say the academics are not at the same level as Putney. If you are willing to look further from the East Coast, I would strongly suggest you check out Midland -- definitely a good fit for a student who has strong academic talents buts needs the freedom to really shine. We visited Midland and talked with them at length -- it remained a top choice up until another school had better FA.</p>
<p>You might want to look at Concord Academy and Milton Academy. Both are schools that have very strong writing curricula and, while not as "non-traditional" as Putney, definitely make room for kids who are outside the mainstream in terms of their interests. </p>
<p>And here's a question to ask for a quick analysis of how quirky the student body is at any one school: does it have an Ultimate Frisbee team or club (even if your daughter isn't interested in the game)? If it does, then it is likely that the school has a pretty decent population of kids with "outside the box" interests, at least to the extent that it is worth a closer look for things like structure, expectations, school personality, etc.</p>
<p>Smile Dog: Hah! Looking for Ultimate Frisbee is a great idea.</p>
<p>I don't know how 'quirky' you think your daughter is - we all have different standards and perhaps its just that she's not super-traditional. I found the atmosphere at George School in Newtown, PA to be very laid back. The kids main occupation during their free time is Four Square. The campus has a look almost identical to Swarthmore (if you know what that looks like - same architecture, same rhododendrons and curving paths) but with horses. Some kids do the IB program there, but there is a nice range of kids. </p>
<p>Unlike some schools we looked at, they require art all 4 years. Also there are lots of alternatives to traditional sports, like yoga and frisbee.</p>
<p>George School, as many people have read, just received a huge gift $128 million, which they are using to build a new student center with a green roof and they are increasing the amount of FA available.</p>
<p>I would echo the Putney sentiment. While NMH is very strong in the arts, they certainly don't have the numbers of "quirky" students they did back when the Northfield campus was still open. They are probably a bit less traditional than some and it might be what you are looking for.</p>
<p>If ultimate frisbee is the yardstick -- check out NMH. </p>
<p>Another consideration is to look at schools with a larger student body -- which would allow to multiple types of kids to thrive. A smaller school with a heavy emphasis on sports, for example, wouldn't work since your student would stick out like a sore thumb. However -- a larger school (like NMH) might be a possibility, since they are large enough to have kids who are sports fanatics, dedicated to drama, and/or quirky individuals with a passion for writing.</p>
<p>I was going to say something about NMH and ultimate as well (except if laxtaxi finds it, she will be all over me!) ANYWAY....my son was just telling me how the sport was invented at NMH. I was just looking that up and did find that it was adapted from a form of frisbee football played at an NMH summer camp. Most sites credit the actual invention of the sport to a school in NJ. It is indeed a very big sport at NMH; two of my older son's friends (they are brothers) were national champs in the sport.</p>
<p>Another school to check out -- although it is not on the east coast -- is Fountain Valley. good emphasis on the individual, good emphasis on the arts, lots of quirky kids (quirky, not weird) -- and solid academic classes. they have excellent matriculation, particularly considering they are not a sports stronghold and don't have the legacies you see at the east coast schools.</p>
<p>If your student needs FA, make sure and add in a few schools that are not east coast. The geographic diversity can mean alot of extra dollars in FA if your student is a strong fit for the school.</p>
<p>My info says that ultimate frisbee was invented elsewhere, but NMH is where the frisbee helmet was first used.</p>
<p>Concord is a good choice.</p>
<p>Another uncoventional alternative is Simons Rock, which is affiliated with Bard College. I don't think you can start until you're either a sophmore or a junior. It's kind of combined high school/college program. I know a couple of people who've gone through it and they are very bright and very quirky. Bard has a very strong arts/theater program and tends to attract arty/quirky kids.</p>
<p>Finally, I wouldn't discount more traditional boarding schools. Many of the larger ones definitely have their share of quirky kids. Choate - the school I know the most about, is very strong in the arts (theater, art, music, etc.).</p>
<p>I agree with prpdd; Concord Academy is an excellent school for artsy kids ...
Take a look at Concord.</p>
<p>I agree with the Concord Academy and NMH suggestions, but think your daughter could consider schools that welcome quirky kids rather than just schools (like Putney) that are known for quirky kids. I think you will find more possibilities than you realize. You can probably cross formal dress code schools off the list. I would look for schools with a good % of minority students and students on FA as they are showing a commitment to diversity, even if not your child's brand of diversity. School visits will be important to get a feel for the place.</p>
<p>I agree with Grejuni on George School. When we were looking three years ago, George was the only boarding school that we looked at that required an Arts course every year! There is a very strong arts program. In the end we decided that our daughter needed a stronger science program, but overall the school seemed to have many opportunities.</p>
<p>Not to add a 'cold shower' or anything, but do be wary of labeling a kid, even your own, as 'quirky.' This word is more loaded than you might expect. It can be a code word for many negative traits as you'll find if you google it. In our litigious society, nobody wants to say in writing 'this kid is a troublemaker' or 'this kid is emotionally disturbed' so they say 'quirky'.</p>
<p>...In our litigious society, nobody wants to say in writing 'this kid is a troublemaker' or 'this kid is emotionally disturbed' so they say 'quirky'....</p>
<p>This is an asinine and ill-considered comment. One person's "litigious society" is another person's haven for protecting one's rights or the rights of one's family If it was your kid who was being discriminated against unfairly, you're either a liar or a really unique individual if you say you would let it go rather than seeking redress for the wrong.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the suggestions. Has anyone heard of the Cambridge School of Weston in Massachusetts or the Buxton School, also in Massachusetts. Both seems arty and open to students with diverse interests?</p>
<p>I'm going to ignore laxtaxi's attack...I didn't say what he/she says I said as anyone can see. </p>
<p>Here's some reasons why not to label your kid or any kid as 'quirky...' </p>
<p>[Diagnosing</a> developmental delays<a href="see%20sidebar%20review">/url</a></p>
<p>[url=<a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/40748%5DYou">http://www.newsweek.com/id/40748]You</a> and Your Quirky Kid | Newsweek Health for Life | Newsweek.com](<a href="http://www.childhoodaffirmations.com/general/child/1-4/diagnosis.html%5DDiagnosing">http://www.childhoodaffirmations.com/general/child/1-4/diagnosis.html)</p>
<p>Is</a> Your Kid Quirky?, If So, Find Out What To Do - CBS News</p>
<p>Try Ashevill School in North Carolina.</p>
<p>It'a a magicl Wonderful place, a perfect enviornment for Artsy, Quirky kids (like me!)</p>