<p>They both have equal SSAT scores and college matrics. It depends on your style of education - do you like certain teachers at L'ville, etc.</p>
<p>Go back to revisits and see what you think.</p>
<p>AHHH!!! i hope i can make my decision after the revisits. its a hard onee.. choate revisits in 2 daysss</p>
<p>
[quote]
btw, this is an interesting thread (i'm not advocating or criticizing it, just thought it was an interesting read / view of one person's opinion) and am posting it because it is relevant to this discussion (Choate vs. Lawrenceville and other preps):</p>
[/quote]
</a></p>
<p>The OP in the above linked message joined CC on the morning of March 15, 2005. He posted here at about 6 a.m. and continued about 10 a.m. He came back at about 6 p.m., probably to see if the flames were still smoldering (all arsonists do that), and added one more post to another thread. That was his entire CC experience. He came here -- perhaps after getting on the waitlist or after his kid brother or sister did -- and trashed Choate.</p>
<p>What I first noticed here was someone who took no responsibility for his own existence, happiness or well-being. It's all about how Choate failed him; how Choate is set up the wrong way; and (except for him apparently) it's full of people who just don't get it and have serious character flaws. In this person's mind, his BS experience was a problem because it wasn't his job to adapt...it was Choate's fault for not transforming itself to conform to his tastes and preferences and social quirks and handicaps. </p>
<p>If his post is not fiction to help move some people off the waitlist for himself or a friend, then consider that one person's paranoia is often better viewed as a mirror reflecting his own values, and not a window looking out onto the world he depicts.</p>
<p>Notice how there's nothing that he takes responsibility for in what seems to be a complete disaster of a high school experience. He complains about Choate being overly competitive...and, with no sense of irony, he advises people to "Look out for #1." But he never allows that, with that sort of attitude, that maybe he's part of the problem...or simply assuming that everyone else is just like him.</p>
<p>This sort of acutely victimized person -- with a serious axe to grind and some sort of unexplained (yet highly suspect) agenda -- is the sort of person that the Secret Service likes to be "interviewing" while the President is visiting his home town...just to be safe if you get my drift.</p>
<p>Now it's possible that he's right on the money. But I'd want to reach those conclusions independently or through other sources. This person is not somebody I would seek out for trusted counsel on something so important as which BS I would want to attend. This is somebody I would not want to turn my back on. He tells us just that. That's the one thing I trust in what he says. Don't trust anyone at Choate. Well, as long as I start with not trusting him I'll probably be okay.</p>
<p>I think it's unfortunate that that sort of post tends to get dredged up here. I'm all for getting down to the nitty-gritty about these schools. But it should be a rational, dispassionate discussion. And I have no association or affinity for Choate. This is not a defense or endorsement of Choate...a school I know very little about. It's just fair warning about who you all choose to give credence to as you gather information about an extremely important decision.</p>
<p>If this is the kind of source you give any real weight to...I am fearful for how you're going about this and urge you to bring in real life people you trust and respect to help you sort through this and evaluate what you should do with what's said in this thread.</p>
<p>Keep your feet on the ground and your head level and watch out for the occasional arsonist whose one-day life at CC has been resurrected after 2 years' time.</p>
<p>Does Choate have a drug problem?</p>
<p>I've heard that.... I know that happened a while ago (if you search Choate on Google and click on the News portion of Google it will come up with it) and loads of NY times articles will appear about it.</p>
<p>I don't think it's THAT heavy. Not as much as at other schools.</p>
<p>I believe D'yer Maker has done a good job of it</p>
<p>"I don't think it's THAT heavy. Not as much as at other schools."</p>
<p>It's the same at every school.some drugs exist. It might be a little bit more of a problem at choate than say as SPS or hotchkiss or other "isolated" schools with high boarding rate becoz it is much easier for day students or kids from schools near cities to get drugs rather than boarders in the middle of nowhere</p>
<p>The larger the school, the more drinking and drugging. The more day students (don't take this the wrong way) the percentage increases to obtain the party materials on and off campus.
Parents cannot stop saying it and students are going to keep hearing it, stay away from the party scene, you'll lose. I commented on this in my maiden post last Friday. The schools are sick of the '70s and will bounce you out quicker than you can say "but I didn't buy it". There are plenty of great kids who have no intention of partying and are busting their butts to get into these schools. Its gotten down to zero tolerance.</p>
<p>i know that drinking is fairly common at andover (on or off campus)</p>
<p>larry lavin went to exeter...
he was a famous cocaine drug dealer..built an empire, and then fell..theres a book about him.</p>
<p>choate really does have a drug problem.. there was this one girl who went there in 1984.. they smuggled $30,000 worth of cocaine (like.. $40,000 now?) from venezuela.. she was the leader of a dealing ring there.</p>
<p>buti don't think any US BS compares to the swiss BS's in terms of drug consumption!</p>
<p>Choate may or may NOT have a drug problem, but let's not use an issue from over 20 years ago as an indication of drug problems today.</p>
<p>ok.. but i am pretty sure they have more of a drug problem than other schools becuse of the proximity to NYC. but i'm sure if you're not into that, you can avoid it.</p>
<p>I could tell you stories about a lot of these schools but its history. None are really no more , no less than the other ratio wise. They all have skeletons in the closet from drugs to other nasty things.
The drugs are there, the students who bring them in won't be for long. For the students that read this, I beg of you to think of the consequences and for the parents to continue asking questions, meet their friends when you visit, keep the lines of communication open. Letting them go down to the Bahamas on Spring break for work well done is one thing, letting them drink margaritas sends mixed messages.
The good news is that there is certainly less of the party scene at BS than at your local HS.</p>
<p>I love how EVERYONE brings up the drug issue at Choate. Honestly, kids are kids, regardless of how intelligent they might be. There really is no issue. If you are using the fact that people do drugs at Choate to suggest there is a drug problem, then by those standards, all New England boarding schools have drug problems. Do people do drugs at Choate? Yes. Is it the majority of the student body? No, it's an incredibly small minority. Sorry if I am sounding overly defensive, but people ask me this ALL the time.</p>
<p>i'm not sure why Choate has this "druggie" rep either. i do remember there was a coke incident at Choate way back when and everyone at rival schools quickly gave it the dubious "Coke Rosemary Hall" nick.</p>
<p>i think it is unfair that Choate kind of gets singled out for this though, i mean drugs are everywhere from your local public HS all the way on up to the elite BS. if you WANT drugs, you can GET drugs - doesn't matter when or where - its a fact of life.</p>
<p>Good point...I was just curious. I went to the revisit today and the kids seemed like a pretty clean cut bunch.</p>
<p>Ok, I think we can all agree it is not a particular school. As tired as I may be of it all, it needs to be discussed regularly. </p>
<p>So 711 did you decide? Of course they were clean cut, all these school are full of great kids.</p>
<p>Just back from the revisits...sitting in the hotel. Choate was prettty awesomeee. I stayed in a chinese classroom for one period and then went with my student host to physics and world religions. The classes were pretty cool although half the time i didnt know what they were talking about... The food was also pretty darn good. love choate!</p>
<p>Helen, please respond to my PM! :)</p>
<p>ohh. and drug problems exist EVERYWHERE .. its just a matter of whether u make the right decisions</p>