<p>I was accepted to both schools but if I don't get off the Middlesex waitlist, I will have to go to one of these schools. Problem is, they are both great! I can't choose! Im going to do the revisit for both in about two weeks. Are there any people who can give me some pros/cons; info on the schools? </p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Some differences that might influence your decision.</p>
<p>Kent: rural, higher per centage of boarders, Episcopal, formal dress
Concord: suburban, more day students, non-demoninational, casual dress, smaller than Kent.</p>
<p>I have a feeling that a visit will tell you which one you would prefer. We may do the revisit for Kent as well.</p>
<p>Isn't Kent know for stronger athletics as well? Don't know if you play a sport, but that may help make the decision, too.</p>
<p>My parents also noticed that, and asked about it when they were interviewed. They had seen some really old "kids", maybe 20 years old, that had done repeat years and had been recuited for their athletic ability. I have done soccer for some time now and swimming as well. Im interested in joining the crew team, but the other "kids" are big and scary hahahhahaha.</p>
<p>Do they have PG's? Most bs have kids that have repeated a year...it is very common.</p>
<p>Yeah they do, which is why the "kids" are so big, lol, Im getting a hoot calling them "kids", hahhahaha, Yeah it is pretty common. Concord does not have PG'S and frown upon kids who repeat a grade, it's very academic. The sports program is ok, but dismal compared to Kent, I also like the Town of Kent more then the town of Concord.</p>
<p>We visited Concord Academy a few years ago and stayed in the town overnight. The town is gorgeous & quietly elegant. Concord Academy attracts a lot of students who are interested in the arts. It was about 50% boarding students at that time, but family friends living in that town believe that it is now over 50% boarding. I don't know. Enrollment of about 350 students--similiar to Groton--and a beautiful but somewhat small campus ( 25 to 30 acres is my guess).Kent's campus is huge & stunningly beautiful in the fall. Most recently I know faculty & their family that lived and taught at Kent. Never heard a bad word. The Kent School, like Groton & St. Paul's School, is affiliated with the Episcopalean Church (which to me is a good thing, it may not be for you). My only concern with Kent is the significant number of PG (post graduate) students. An old edition of Peterson's lists Concord Academy at 26 acres, but that may have changed in the last few years. The number of PGs has no reflection whatsoever on academics as there tend to be many strictly PG courses such as PG English.It has more to do with the size & maturity of the PG athletes and their effect on the social structure of the school. Of course, there will be good & bad, but PGs are typically male athletes preparing for Division I collegiate athletics.</p>
<p>It's 20 acres, it is elegant but Kent seems to have more of a shine to it, lol. Yeah it is way smaller then Kent, which is a pro for Concord and a con for Kent.</p>
<p>Aussie....kids don't repeat a grade because they didn't do well. I'm talking about someone who repeats the grade they were in before they entered the school. BS like it when you do that and encourage it. These are often 4.0 students in honors programs, not kids who need remedial classes. The top bs have many "repeaters". There was actually an article on this, maybe WSJ? </p>
<p>Also, you can't equate having PG's as placing less value on acadmics. Many of the most "prestigious schools offer a PG year: Exeter, Andover, Deerfield, Hotchkiss, Loomis, and Choate. </p>
<p>And, I am sure many upperclassmen are "big" as well. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, I hope your find your niche, Aussie. It sounds like you have some nice schools from which to choose.</p>
<p>I mean that because of the school is more into academics, it's main goal is that. They state it on their website. They just dont like grade repeaters, on any basis. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Concord has a more "alternative" feel than many other boarding schools and easy access to Boston and Cambridge contribute to this.
Concord has increased its support for sports in recent years--members of the class of 2007 are playing on college teams in sports like soccer, basketball, lacrosse, tennis, and alpine skiing, for the most part at NESCAC schools. They have also acquired a nearby farm to add 10 more acres of athletic fields to the campus.
The school is accurately seen as very academic---the school's core value is "learning for learning's sake" and average SAT scores are really high---but it's at the same time very informal. The revisit day will give a good sense of this.</p>
<p>Concord has better academics than Kent, in my opinion. It's closer to a city, which can either be a plus or con for you.</p>
<p>Kent is more like BS, and Concord is more like homeschool. This is another
view from different angle.</p>
<p>Kent gets quite "dark" i've heard... because of where it is situated, behind a mountain, the light dims early, but you would be getting the "boarding school experience" there.
Concord academy, i've heard, is quite beautiful, but it is mostly day students.
I say revisit :)</p>
<p>Concord Academy is in the process of acquiring more land in Concord, some 12 acres: CA</a> to buy farm land - Concord, MA - The Concord Journal.</p>
<p>It will still be smaller than Kent, after it completes the purchase.</p>