<p>I am a soon-to-be 9th grader looking to enter a boarding school in the 10th grade (2015-2016 school year). I was just wondering which schools have strong humanities and arts programs (specifically music and dance).</p>
<p>Here are some schools I am considering:
1. Exeter/Andover (which of these has stronger humanities/arts?)
2. St. Paul's School
3. Mercersburg Academy </p>
<p>What other schools have really strong humanities and arts programs (and please tell me if I am wrong about the above schools! :) )?</p>
<p>If you’re looking specifically for an arts school, there’s Interlochen. Hotchkiss has excellent humanities and an interesting curriculum for them. </p>
<p>I think most schools tend to have strong humanities at this level, because everything about their academics is excellent. Focuses on the humanities can’t really be found because the schools are well-balanced and try to allow each student to find the right path for them. Arts programs vary from school to school, but they also depend on the discipline (music might be strong in one school, while dance is at another). </p>
<p>@pdl100 Thanks for your opinion! I’ll definitely be looking into Hotchkiss. Just looking at their website, their music and dance programs looks like something worth looking more into.</p>
<p>Concord has strong humanities program (but as mentioned above, so do a lot of schools). It also has a very strong performing and visual arts program, including an excellent dance company and a variety of classical and contemporary music ensembles. Classical students work with an in-residence professional chamber group. Performing arts productions are often collaborative; for example, theatre productions usually include some combination of dancers and live vocal and instrumental music.</p>
<p>Deerfield has been putting lots of focus on the arts (great new arts center, separate chamber music hall, new dance studio, theater, rehearsal space, art gallery and studios, several new music groups, including regular chamber and honors chamber, regular orchestra and honors, several singing groups, new facility has 9 new Steinways, you can have practice time rather than sports if you want-- although the various groups meet outside of sports time, they’re setting up master classes for next year, etc.). Some of the schools you listed have music and dance, but the music is a little weak. Go and really visit them, and ask ahead to hear and watch something-- dance, chamber music, whatever, so you can judge for yourself. On the other hand, some of the “arts” schools have much weaker academics than the schools you’ve listed. I do have to say that Concord is a school that really excels at both academics and the arts, and has a more “artsy” feel than many of the big acronym schools (including Deerfield)–yet has really great academics. You should make sure to look at it, as photodad suggested.</p>
<p>Well Lawrenceville is known for their humanities program and also Andover/Exeter are two separate schools that are just rivals with each other. Other than that they aren’t affiliated and were just founded by two different members of the same family. </p>
<p>Mercersburg Academy is extremely strong in humanities. Lately they’ve really been focusing on the arts; most notably with the Burgin Center for the Arts. Definitely look into it.</p>
<p>Hotchkiss has the most beautiful arts/music center that we’ve seen. But hotckiss is very, very difficult to get admitted into, and the school is in the middle of nowhere. But it’s a very scenic nowhere.</p>
<p>Agreed with the statements above. Hotchkiss is an amazing school, but the coverage is just horrible. and it is in the middle of nowhere.
They do have an amazing PAC (performing arts center, and I like how most of the buildings are together indoors.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, Andover has a stronger Humanities program, while Exeter has a stronger STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) program.</p>
<p>Yeah, I don’t mind losing cell service as long as I can get connection once in a while :P. On the Hotchkiss website, it said something about a signature humanities program… looks great! I know this thread is about top humanities but how would Hotchkiss’s math and science compare to other schools?</p>
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