<p>My son was accepted to all 3 and going for revisits. He is a good student. He plays lacrosse. He is into art. Which one is better for art? Which school has better lacrosse coach for developing players for college? Which one has more diverse student body not just in classroom but in activities? Any insight to help him choose? He doesn't want an unfriendly snooty school. He did get some money from one school for academics, but no fa. Thank you!</p>
<p>Loomis has a good lacrosse program, I think. It's very sporty.</p>
<p>I'd personally choose Choate.</p>
<p>Choate has a great art program. Also, my friends family(like 10 people from her family) have attended Choate and they are all AMAZING lacrosse players. They are the star lacrosse players and play in these tournaments and state tournaments. I am guessing Choate has a good lacrosse program based off of this, not too sure.</p>
<p>Oh, one more thing to add. Choate was not snooty, when I visited. My guide was HILARIOUS and was really nice/welcoming. I also know this girl who goes there, and she is so sweet.(she loves Choate). My friend(lacrosse girl)dad attended Choate and he is SUPER friendly. So, just adding that.</p>
<p>choate any day
but it depends on ur son, fit is more important. However, objectively, westminster and loomis are not on the same tier with choate</p>
<p>None are snooty, but big difference in size between Choate / Loomis vs. Westminster. Westminster being less than half the size of the other two your son should shine athletically.
Revisit and go to their websites and check out the stats / scores for the previous years. Remember, in the end its what's between the ears that counts, not the stick in the hand.
If I had to choose, Ok Choate but don't get lost there, its big.</p>
<p>Yes, that's a factor. Choate is much larger than the other schools. If your son wants a smaller environment, he should check out the others.</p>
<p>Loomis, imho, boarding ratio is too low if your son will board. Choate is more widely respected. Ihave always heard good things about Westminister but don't konw much about it.</p>
<p>Three very different schools, so I'm glad you're going to revisits. I've heard that Westminster is a closely-knit community. It is much smaller than the other two. They are supposed to be good at watching the kids there -- something to consider if your son is boarding. You should be able to ask the schools directly about their college recruitment track record for lacrosse. Choate is well known for the arts as well as academics. I've heard that the science program at Loomis is very strong. Congratulations on having 3 wonderful choices!</p>
<p>Academics - Choate, Loomis, Westy
Arts - Choate, Loomis, Westy
Lacrosse - Loomis, Westy, Choate
Diversity - Choate, Loomis, Westy
Campus - Westy, Loomis, Choate
Location - Westy, Loomis, Choate
Prestige factor - Choate, Loomis, Westy
Nickname/Mascot - Westy, Loomis, Choate (Martlet, Pelican, Wild Boar)</p>
<p>Nice list, fun. ;)</p>
<p>I would probably choose choate... but that's me.</p>
<p>Campus - Westy, Loomis, Choate</p>
<p>For me, campus: Choate, Westy, Loomis ( I count facilities in the campus factor)</p>
<p>The lacrosse coach at Loomis is awesome. That said, he is not a young guy. He's been at Loomis since the late 50s i believe. I think he develops a wonderful young man, as well as an excellent lacrosse player. Loomis is the best of the three for lacrosse. </p>
<p>Academically -- Choate and Loomis are better than Westy.</p>
<p>Loomis is the most diverse, especially when you count in the economic diversity factor. </p>
<p>My experience at Loomis (back in the dark ages) was that the school was much more diverse than my public school in all measures -- religion, economics, race/ethnicity -- the only place we were NOT diverse was smarts!</p>
<p>And the campus is gorgeous -- the isolation of the island is awesome. Nothing like it when the freshet comes up in the spring to make it a literal island!</p>
<p>Choate has the best academics of the three by a long shot.</p>
<p>Personally, I think all these schools are all so very close academically. It will/ should come down to how you feel about each school after your revisit. Although the prestige factor may be important to all in one way or another, most of these BS's mentioned on CC are worthy and will provide excellent educations. I wish you well and good luck. Personally, I loved everything about Loomis except the boarding/ day student ratio. That would be the deal killer for me and was ultimately for D#1. If I'm not mistaken, Westy has a similar bs/day ratioo as Loomis.</p>
<p>our s was a boarder at Loomis last year and the percentage of boarding to day students (about 60/40) is not a problem at a large school. There were over 400 boarding students which is more than the enrollment at many bs. The day student families do a lot to help support the athletic programs by hosting team BBQs and helping the boarding students in many ways.</p>
<p>The lax coach at Loomis is amazing. He does so much to develop character and team spirit on and off the field. He is also one of the toughest teachers (think AP Economics) at the school. Although Loomis may be thought of as "sporty", academics and college matriculation are given much more emphasis at LC.</p>
<p>As far as the art department goes, our s only experienced the photography (traditional/digital) and the resources were excellent. There were many wonderful exhibitions by students in other forms of art at the end of each term.</p>
<p>Visit all three schools and help your son find the best fit for his interests and personality. He will get an excellent education at any of the three schools. Our s had a wonderful experience at Loomis because it was a great fit for him.</p>
<p>What school you choose would def. depend on what kind of experience your son is looking for. So, while I havent had a ton of experience with the other two, I know a little about Choate. I know someone at home who goes there, and she LOVES it. She got into Princeton this year, so..yeah. She had nothing bad to say AT ALL. The music is outstanding, and hte campus is pretty neat. My tour guide was very interesting, she had just come back from a term abroad in France. </p>
<p>The one thing I am not sure about...I heard from someone that Choate has a really serious drug problem...Could be a rumor??? Not sure, so don't quote me on that!</p>
<p>Abkat, what you heard about was a drug scandal that went on in the mid-80's. Choate has zero-tolerance for anything drug-related, and it resolved in immediate expulsion.</p>
<p>While every boarding school does have drugs, I assure you that you will find no more at Choate than you will at any other boarding school.</p>