<p>Can you please help me compare those two schools?</p>
<p>I have two sons who attend/ed NMH, so I can give lots of insight there, but I know nothing about Culver. What are some specifics you are interested in?</p>
<p>Culver Academies would tell you that they are very different than the northeast boarding schools, although I wasn't convinced of that. I had a conversation about a year ago with thier head of school. He said they truly develop the whole student in terms of (kind of YMCA like) spirt, mind and body. His feeling (and he had come from St. Paul's) was that the NE schools had gotten away from the "spirit" even if they still have a chapel, etc. I'm not stating that as fact, just what he told me.
Other than that, there is the obvious, Culver, for both genders, has a uniform. Boys is it milirary style. Girls was a plaid skirt, not sure of the top, but kind of Catholic-school like. NMH has little/no dress code.
Culver appeared to me to be very formal and structured and many ways. NMH is much more an informal school. Many of the teachers go by their first names, I doubt that is the case at Culver. This isn't saying NMH doesn't have structure, but in a different way I think.
From an academic standpoint, I would imagine they are similar.
Culver is larger than NMH is now.</p>
<p>Nowadays I'm leaning more towards coed schools.
Is Culver Academies a boys' school?
I am interested in NMH, but they are so hard to get in...
:@</p>
<p>Culver Academies is co-ed. I was confused at first becuase they say they are "Culver Military Academy" (boys) and "Culver Academy for Girls" as if they were 2 different schools located on the same campus (kind of like the Web schools) but all the classes are co-ed, only the leadership systems are single gender.</p>
<p>Some comparisons that come to mind:</p>
<p>USMC vs Hampshire College</p>
<p>Bob Jones University (BJU) vs Wesleyan</p>
<p>Boy Scouts of America vs Gay-Straight Alliance</p>
<p>Huckabee vs Kucinich</p>
<p>Indiana vs Massachusetts</p>
<p>Incidentally, for those you not familiar with Indiana, its where Prince Charles spent his honeymoon.</p>
<p>I think NMH was a lot more liberal in the past than they are now....maybe something to do with the campus consolodation as the Northfield campus was the more "left" of the two, while the Mt. Hermon campus was known more as the prep/jock campus. In any case, I think it is fairly staid. Every ceremony we have ever attended...and they have many ceremonies... from Opening Convocation, Founder's Day, "The Signing of the Book", Christmas Vespers, etc. etc.....is largely religious (Christian...actually, Episcopalian) in nature. There is not a strict daily dress code, but there are numerous occasions on which "formal dress" is required. As a whole, the student body dresses casually, but is fairly conservative and nicely dressed (pleasing to parents). Yes, some teachers don't mind being called by their first names, but they are in the minority. My son has addressed all of his instructors by Mr./Mrs./Ms. or in the case of coaches, "Coach X".</p>
<p>I just got off the phone with my older son (he graduated NMH in 2003) and I asked him about the first name thing. He said there were only a couple of people who let students call them by their first names while he was there. So, even then, it wasn't as laid back as people think.</p>
<p>We were told on our tour at NMH this year by an admissions officer and our tour guide (and confirmed by several current students) that over half of the teachers request that students call them by their first name.<br>
On our tour, they were almost apologic about having any kind of religious "ceremony" or former affiliation.<br>
I'm sure it simply depends on the classes/teachers you happen to have. </p>
<p>In any case, I was really just saying that from an outside person who has observed both schools, Culver is more conservative - being mid-west and having a strict dress code/uniform are just 2 examples of it.</p>
<p>Thank you all!</p>
<p>By reading your posts, I understand that CULVER is more formal/conservative than NMH.</p>
<p>Absolutely....NMH does not seem to have the rigid structure of Culver (just from reading about it). But....from the experience of having two students attend, one a four-year who graduated in 2003 and the second a current Freshman, I can definitely tell you that there are just a handful of teachers who go on a "first-name" basis and every ceremony involves prayers, the school song "Jerusalem" and the school blessing "The Lord Bless Thee and Keep Thee". We only live an hour away, so are on campus at least once a week for sporting events and we do attend all of these ceremonies.
I always thought that was at odds with the whole "diversity" thing they espouse because it really is traditional Protestant. However, I like it, because it is what my boys were used to at home.</p>
<p>LindaS.....this is not to dispute your post. Maybe half of the teachers do go on a first-name basis, or maybe they just want to come off as sounding laid back....I am not sure, but it has not been our sons' experience (and we have known many instructors and coaches over 5 years). As far as the religion thing, of course they don't tout a certain religion, but I can tell you, from experience, that all of the ceremonies do have heavy Protestant overtones. Christmas Vespers is basically a Worship Service modeled after the tradtional service of lessons and carols and the Annual Concert of Sacred Music on Mother's Day is similar. Did you happen to see the monument to Dwight Moody across from the new dormitories? The inscription on that is also religious. It would have to be, because of who Dwight Moody was, of course, but the school is very proud of that, I believe.</p>
<p>littlepanda, nmh isn't that hard to get into. the acceptance rate is 51% i believe? it's considered a safety school by a lot of people.</p>
<p>Well....that still means they turn away half. My son was a straight A student, 85%SSAT's, vice president of his class, head of his school's peer mediation group, traveled out of country for community service with his youth group, only freshman on Varsity soccer (and highly recruited by NMH) and plays for a nationally ranked club soccer team, but we were still very much on edge and not sure until we got the acceptance. Nothing is certain. My older son graduated from NMH, and even though it doesn't attract the numbers that some of the schools do, it is still a top-notch institution. LOL, I am such a promoter of that school....we really have been so pleased with it though. My younger son refused to even consider any other schools.</p>
<p>coolgirl2010, 51% means that 5 of 10 gets admitted...
With my status, you'd be worried with 70%.
It's different for everybody.
:)</p>
<p>I hate to rain on your parade, but there are some discrepancies with the admit rate at Culver between BoardingSchoolReview and Petersons...</p>
<p>I thought I remembered seeing it here...</p>
<p>And as I remember from visiting the school 3 years ago, it was very selective then.</p>
<p>The good news is that it is not quite as selective as AESDCH et. al.</p>
<p>Sorry to join this a bit late -- my son is a 4-year senior at Culver -- happy to answer questions about it.</p>
<p>Goaliedad - those stats have been out of synch since my son went to Culver 4 years ago. I think the 49% is closer to reality than the 20%.</p>
<p>We visited Culver a few years ago and were very impressed. They wouldn't touch WildChild at the time, though (can't fault them for that...). It is one of the most impressive physical facilities I have seen, and I do think they strive for a balance of academic, discipline, athletic and moral excellence.</p>
<p>If I'm not mistaken, the current Head of School at Emma Willard School, Trudy Hall is the past Head at Culver. Just thought that was interesting. She is a wonderful, inspirational (if daunting, in a good way), leader for the girls at Emma.</p>
<p>Yes, MomofWildChild, it was also the "moral excellence" that they emphasized when I was spoke with them.</p>
<p>The setting is beautiful on the lake. I was struck, however, that the two itself is either the multi-million dollar homes ont he lake, the schools, or apparatnely quite poor (based on the homes I saw). Didn't appear to be much of a middle class. </p>
<p>The current head has been there about 5 or 6 years - CanyonCreek may know better. </p>
<p>I think it is a great school for many kids. My son would likely do very well there (out of our geographical range). However, I also think that it is very different from NMH and that a kid that would do well at Culver might not at NMH and the reverse is also true.</p>
<p>Just looked it up, Trudy Hall from Emma Willard was:
Dean of the Culver Girls Academy, Dean of Faculty of the Culver Academies.</p>