<p>My daughter would like to go to a boarding school. She will be a 10th grader. She wants a school with good academics, artsy students, and a ballet program. Any recommendations?</p>
<p>Go to the prep school forum - it's on this site, too. Lots of helpful people there.
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/</a></p>
<p>If you are looking for a serious ballet program, check out Interlochen Arts Academy. It is pretty intense, but tops for artistic young people.</p>
<p>Which boarding schools are outside the "top 10," but still good, and have ballet?</p>
<p>There are many, many boarding schools outside the top 10 that are excellent. The MAPL schools are an example (Blair, Hill, Peddie, Mercersburg etc) You would have to check their websites or call them to inquire about the ballet programs. It would help to know what area of the country you are interested in, what your daughter's academic strengths are, whether you would consider a girls' school etc. Also look at Williston, Northfield Mt. Herman and Cushing.</p>
<p>Walnut Hill is a boarding school in Massachusetts that specializes in performing arts programs. I do not know if they have ballet, though.</p>
<p>You might want to look at Concord Academy in Concord, MA--it has a strong arts program, including one in dance. Its dance facility is quite professional and the CA summer dance program gets rave reviews. Unlike Walnut Hill, which is in a suburb of Boston like CA, CA doesn't have a primary focus on the arts. There are, however, quite a few students attending CA who are drawn to the performing arts programs that the school offers. CA is not in the same ball park academically as places like The Groton School, but it does have a good academic reputation. I'd say most CA graduates go to the top 25 LACs and national universities. My stepdaughter graduated from CA and in her class there were 5 or 6 kids who went to the Ivies. Some of her friends ended up in places like Bowdoin, Amherst, Davidson, Emory, Tufts, Oberlin, Hamilton, and Connecticut College, etc.</p>
<p>You might consider the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The ballet program is top notch, although competitive and it does require an audition. Ethan Steiffel is the new Dean of Dance. Walnut Hill has great academics but the dance is not as strong. Many of the students at the School of the Arts go directly into professional companies. Those that don't, typically get into top schools and conservatories,</p>
<p>Walnut Hill in Natick Massachussetts has a strong ballet program and very good company and college placement upon graduation.</p>