<p>I like in the North West--more specific, a farming area of the North West. Here boarding school is comparable to Harry Potter, A Seperate Peace and Zoey 101. It's this mystical creature that's misunderstood in entirety. </p>
<p>I'm not sure what made me first start reseaching. I'm really not, but now that I know more it just irratates me when I tell someone that I'm looking into BS and I get the response, "You, but you're a good student?!" or "You're not the military type," or "That's only for troubled kids!". </p>
<p>Do you live in an area where BS is greatly misunderstood, and if so how do you deal with it, and how did you find out the reality (well, besides CC that is).</p>
<p>I do get kind of irritated when people either</p>
<p>a) say “send you off”
b) say, "maybe I’ll go , I was looking at BS (when they obviously wouldn’t get in in a million zillion years)
c) say, “why would you wnat to go THERE?”</p>
<p>I know what you mean about the stereotypes. They can get pretty annoying.
I live in South Florida and I’ll tell someone that I’m applying to some boarding schools and they instantly say “but why would you want to go there?” and I’d say something along the lines of “Because it’s a fabulous opportunity to grow academically and socialy…” but they don’t really listen to that. </p>
<p>Most people just assume that your parents are sending you off to a boarding school, or that a boarding school is a place where everyone just sits around and does nothing because the school is in the middle of nowhere and there is absolutly nothing to do. It really bugs me.</p>
<p>me: “I’m actually not coming back to (name of current school) this September.”
friend: “Really? Where are you going?”
me: “A boarding school in the east coast”
friend: “Oh. I’m sorry…”</p>
<p>What Transition said, “Most people just assume that your parents are sending you off to a boarding school” is really true. Well, where I live at least.</p>
<p>ya I get what your saying but that IS the standing stereotype like Im going (if i get in) becasue my dad got simply sick of me so i mean i guess im contributing to that stereotype… but its nothign to be sorry for… its a new beginning!!</p>
<p>yess, i do!!!
i live in the south and i go to a super big public school.
so… when i told my counselor about boarding school when i turned in my recs for her to fill out she was like, “so… you’re moving?”
and when my friends/peers find out about boarding school they’ll probably end up saying something like:</p>
<p>a. why? isn’t boarding school for delinquents?
b. oooh… boarding school? (in a disgusted tone)
c. why’d you go there?</p>
<p>I can tell you in our area, people see it as a privelege to go to boarding school. They are mostly highly regarded. Those stereotypes are from decades ago.</p>
<p>In my school, when I told people I was going, I almost burst out laughing when they said “oh thats cool, I want to look into that!” and these are kids who are in low classes, and who believe getting a B is amazing…</p>
<p>“What did he do?”
“I know you guys argue, but that is just typical teen stuff, you can’t send him away for that”</p>
<p>You’ll never change others opinions, but you can politely enlighten them that boardering schools come in a variety and some just suit your learning style and the school career you desire.</p>
<p>Oh - & we live in the mid-Atlantic, but in a Blue Collar working class town. Our public high school sends <50% of kids to college & that # includes Community College.</p>
<p>also, when i tell people about the amazing social and academic opporotunities, as well as MX’s (the school i’m going to) college matriculation stats, they just look at me funny. </p>
<p>a conversation between me and a stupid popular girl:
her:aren’t you going to boarding school?
me:yeah…
her:yeah, my parents were talking about sending me away too.
me:ok
her:is your mom moving too?
me: um, no. I’ll live in a dorm
her:Cool!
her friend: my mom would be like, “No! You’re going to do drugs!” and I’d be like “so? who cares?”
etc.etc.</p>
<p>Omg, it is comedy. Here is a conversation with a kid with a 2.7 GPA (and that is like a 0.1 GPA at your school)</p>
<p>Me: Hey man, what’s up…
Him: Nothin’ much, what classes you taking next year?
Me: Prayin I get to get the hell out of here and into a boarding school
Him s hit dude! I am looking into that too
Me: Hmmm… where to?
Him: I was looking into Andover or Middlesex. I heard a few years ago our Freshman val went there
Me: Go for it buddy! </p>
<p>I had a sad conversation with my GF when I told her I won’t be coming back next year, though. At least she understood.</p>
<p>Wow. I’m really glad I’m not the only one who gets irratated by these kind of misunderstandings. </p>
<p>My school councelors have no idea what boarding school is all about. I was telling my grade level one (who I no longer talk to since I’ve had issues with her) about applying and I keep getting this, “But this school is just as good”, “Why would you want to go?” “That’s such a waste of money”. </p>
<p>Ok, no, our school isn’t as good. We don’t even have working sinks in the bathroom. Why would I want to? Does that even need to be asked? And, how the heck is it a waste of money, especially if I were to recieve substantial financial aid? It’s horrific the lack of knowledge here. I have a teacher who I’ve been keeping updated, two actually, and neither of them knew anything about BS. None of my teachers had ever heard of the SSAT for that matter.</p>
<p>My friends all know that I’m going to Andover next year, but they have no idea how good it is. About 25 kids each year go to this all boys day school named St. Johns. Just some conversations…</p>
<p>KID: Why would you want to go to Andover
ME: Cuz I want to go to private school
KID: Why don’t you want to go to St. Johns, they have wicked good sports. You’re a big lax player right? They have awesome lax.
ME: Yah, but I want to go to a better school, dude.</p>
<p>and the reason I didn’t get into SPS
(conversation between me and interview)</p>
<p>HIM: Are any of your friends considering boarding school?
ME: No, they are all looking at day schools.
HIM: have you told your friends that you are looking at boarding schools?
ME: Not yet. They wouldn’t understand why.
HIM: How will they react when they find out?
ME: Probably like “Dude, what did you do. Man I feel so sorry. I can’t believe your parents are trying to get rid of you”</p>
<p>haha and there’s this one REALLY REALLY REALLY annoying (and rather unpopular) girl in my class. she always lies about her mom (apparently her mom is like the most accomplished person on earth, but it is obvious that the girl is lying). When she found out I was going to BS, she was like:
Her: OMG how could you make our parents spend that much money!?!?!?!
Me: well first of all I got FA, and second of all it’s like an awesome once in a lifetime opportunity. very few people get accepted and my chances of getting into an ivy, specifically Harvard, my dream, would skyrocket.
Her: this school is just as good! and HArvard doesn’t care whether or not you went to some fancy boarding school!</p>
<p>nothing I told her could convince her otherwise.</p>
<p>soooo jealous. I feel really sorry for her, though, no matter how much she annoys me. She has very few friends and is constantly being made fun of. On the other hand, if she was nicer or less absurd, she might at least not be made fun of. </p>