<p>Is anyone here familiar with Cushing Academy? I'm thinking about applying for its rolling admissions. So far I gathered that its a second tier BS with a strong emphasis on sports.
Any info on academics, reputation, residential life, matriculation, etc. will appreciated. :)</p>
<p>I was going to apply to Cushing. My dad babysat a couple of the teachers there so I was really welcomed when i visited. It's a really small school, with an average matric. i think it's a great school</p>
<p>Cushing is a wonderful school and one of the few that will take (a couple) kids midyear and is able to be a little more flexible with admissions. It is a nurturing environment with good academics and athletics.</p>
<p>Sullivan, Cushing is actually not a small schoo. 400 student, I believe, which is fairly large for a boarding school</p>
<p>I meant like campus wise</p>
<p>I would consider 400 students small.</p>
<p>So its a nurturing environment but is just average in academics?</p>
<p>-bump-</p>
<p>It's kind of a silly question but are the academics "good" or great?
Is Cushing considered a competitive good school or an average boarding school?</p>
<p>Check out their college matriculation list and their average SAT (but keep in mind the SAT average goes down with a large percentage of internationals).<br>
I think Cushing has strong academics. It's not Exeter, but it's fine.</p>
<p>What do you find so good about that list?
Cushing is, WADR, a third tier school in almost every respect.</p>
<p>Lust look at their WTBY amd Bunkel...oh never mind,</p>
<p>Cushing is OK to good academically, and college matriculation is pretty good. The school has a very warm, friendly atmosphere, and the athletics there are exemplary.</p>
<p>Their matric list is a heck of a lot more impressive than most of the public schools in the area.</p>
<p>Jeez, I would hope so...</p>
<p>Well, you asked what she found good about the list. If it's a lot better than the public, then I suppose the school must be somewhat academically credible. I'm sure it's a good fit for plenty of kids.</p>
<p>I get a little frustrated by the seeming need to rank these prep schools academically. All the ones discussed on this forum offer an excellent education and are filled with kids whose parents are committed to the education of their kids, and kids who know they need to work hard to remain in the school. The faculty are dedicated and are willing to live in (often) small towns with a rather limited sphere in order to teach. The faculty and their families are heavily involved in the lives of the students and in residential life. The quality of classroom teaching is extremely high. There are always exceptions, but I believe the quality of education at any of the boarding schools we discuss here is superior to just about any public school and many private day schools. Some of the boarding schools take only the absolute top testing students, others are more committed to accepting a range of abilities and value some diversity. There are differences, but this does NOT mean you get a "bad education". That's why I have trouble "ranking" or even saying that one school is "better" than another. Unless you can show me a school with terrible faculty where the kids all test poorly and colleges hate to accept the students, then don't worry about the education you will get at Cushing, NMH, Blair, Williston etc.</p>
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<p>D's friend goes there- and I think she loves it!</p>
<p>Well Said, MomofWildChild!</p>
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<p>Couldn't agree more MomofWildChild!<br>
I hate the "ranking" myself (even though I fell victim to it as well when we first started the search)and the questions that are always asked "which is stronger academically?" My answer - ALL OF THEM.
For example, my son is taking honors Algebra 2/Trig - that's the appropriate class for him. Honestly, I don't think there will be a difference between his class at AOF and what he would be taking at Deerfield had he remained on and been accepted from the waitlist. We looked and he won't "math out" at AOF. If he would, that is when you need to look at different schools with a variety of advanced offerings. Yes, Deerfield has a amazing science building with a wide range of science offerings. Way more than where he is going. He can only take 3 or 4 so does it really matter? </p>
<p>We have several friends who have gone to Cushing and loved it. One is currently at an Ivy, the others are going to good colleges (can't remember where exactly, but fine liberal arts colleges).
Two of my son's classmates were accepted and had a hard time deciding but ultimately chose different schools for a variety of reasons. </p>
<p>So much of school in general is what you put into it anyway.</p>
<p>Im writing this comment to help parents make informed decisions about choosing a college prep school for their children. As a graduate and alumni of Cushing Academy my analysis may be a little skewed towards favoring Cushing, but is balanced enough as I was accepted to both the elite and middle of the road boarding schools throughout New England and would not have chosen any other school based on the experience and the support that I received while I was a student athlete at Cushing. The faculty and coaching staff from Cushing are very nurturing, well educated, competent educators and in my opinion some of the best in the world. The headmaster is a well-recognized leader in his field and he is extremely supportive of his team of educators. Cushing Academy is unique in its approach to education and preparing its students for the 21st century. The academic programs are superlative and in par with all the well known elite prep schools in New England, not to mention a very progressive and innovative application of technology. The headmaster has done a superlative job at dove-tailing technological innovation with old-fashioned academic preparation.
My experience at Cushing was outstanding and I met a great deal of friends who went on to study and compete at some of the top schools in the USA (Brown, Amherst, Colgate, Duke, Hamilton, Emory, Lehigh, UCLA, etc.) and the school continues to place student along this pedigree and setting them up for success.
My educational experience was unique among most of the students as I was a late bloomer and it was not until my experience at Cushing that opened up my eyes to the world of science and biology. At Cushing I was given an opportunity that allowed me to hone my study habits to explore the wonders of the world through rigorous academic training in a classical prep school curriculum and to compete on the athletic field against the top prep schools in the nation (Choate, Taft, Coast Guard Academy, Exeter, Philips Andover, Avon, etc.) It was at Cushing where I learned to love the natural world and where I developed a fascination of the laws that govern it. I had outstanding supportive teachers in biology, math, and chemistry and in the social sciences that were keen to recognize that I had a natural ability for the sciences. It was this supportive environment where I developed the confidence to pursue high levels of educational excellence and colligate athletic competition.
I strongly believe that if it was not for this environment I would not be where Im today. I have done well financially and have made great strides in reaching a high level of success both professionally and financially and it was largely due to the experience and foundations that I learned at Cushing. I was an extreme at risk youth who was very lucky to have a supportive family and nurturing educators/coaches who were patient enough to guide me through the complexity of being a teenager and not having a path to follow. It was through Cushing and with the supportive family environment where I learned the skills to set myself on the right path for academic and future success.
If you want the most supportive and nurturing environment where your children can learn and grow into outstanding future leaders Cushing is the place for them. Its been 20 years since my graduation at Cushing and we still have a bond with the faculty, leadership and coaching staff that has lasted a life time. One of the coaches and now part of the development staff still asks me how my parents and family are doing and he is very genuine in his concern and in his inquiry. The educators and coaches at Cushing truly love what they do it is apparent by the outstanding job they do with preparing young men and women for future success in the classroom and on the the athletic field.</p>
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<p>I am currently a freshman at Cushing Academy, the academics are okay, and the Athletics are very competitive, especially Basketball, Football, Hockey, Volleyball, and Softball. Academically, we put most of our money in the math and science departments. Overall, Cushing is a great school with a very welcoming environment, and I would recommended applying! :)</p>