@gkim931 Hi! Current boarding school junior here. Although I don’t attend any of the schools you mentioned, I do go to an amazing (in my opinion) all-girls boarding school, Emma Willard School, and can answer some of your general questions. Yes, the academics are rigorous, especially for juniors. I cannot remember the last night I had less than 4-5 hours of homework as a third-year. However, you are eased into it, and it doesn’t start at this level immediately. The classrooms at Emma are pretty small (my biggest class: AP Bio, with 16 students; my smallest: AP Latin with 6 students) and the food is a significant step up from that of my public school. And, YES the teachers love their students!!! They treat us with such great care and respect. I really couldn’t have asked for a better environment. They will give you whatever extra help you need, and go above and beyond that.