<p>Our daughter is a public hs sophomore that very badly wants to transfer to a boarding school. She is not thriving in public school and we think she may do better in a different environment. She is brighter than her grades would indicate (she is generally a "b" student) - likes math and science academics, dance/rowing/track/skiing extracurricular. We are also looking for a school that would be considered nurturing and she probably wouldn't fare well in a hyper competitive environment. Wants to be within 200 miles of Boston at a school with 250-500 students. From preliminary research we have identified Cushing, Cheshire, Procter, Gould as possibilities. Any input on these schools? Would a b student that interviews reasonably well have a good chance of getting into these? Any alternative suggestions? Thanks</p>
<p>Millbrook, in Millbrook, NY</p>
<p>Millbrook is a great suggestion to add to your list. I would be a bit wary of Cushing and Cheshire, their reputation is a bit suspect in boarding school circles. Proctor is a fantastic school and the kids really thrive there. They have a strong academic support system and a neat mix of outdoorsy/athletic schools. Perhaps Pomfret in CT? A school with a solid reputation with rowing as an option. Gould is an option because of skiing and is a nice school. You might consider Holderness as a “reach”. It’s one of my favorite schools with some fantastic students/faculty. Feel free to PM me and I could give you some more information if you’d like.</p>
<p>What about Kent? It might be too far from Boston. I’m not sure about the exact distance, but it’s in western ct, if that gives you an idea. I’ve heard their crew program is “intense.” My son really liked it because he said it felt very “honest.” He didn’t feel like they were trying to flatter him into applying or anything and that the teachers he met were just friendly and sincere.</p>
<p>Brooks is in North Andover about 30 miles North of Boston. Another excellent school that does not get nearly enough play as it should here on CC. In my opinion, more challenging academically then the schools you already mentioned but not a pressure cooker. A member of the ISL and has terrific rowing facilities but no ski team. Brooks has great college matriculation. A school you should definitely check out.</p>
<p>On more of a personal note, the interview my son had at Brooks 4 years was the best of all his interviews and not necessarily because of him. The Director of Admission was able to extract from him comfortably all the viable information making it a very successful interview. A real professional that I’ll never forget.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. As a follow-up, would schools like Pomfret and Brooks be harder to get in and more academically challenging than a school like Proctor - are are they reasonably comparable?</p>
<p>vchipp…please take the advice you’re getting here with the proverbial grain of salt. The level of “nurturing” that you’re seeking in a school appears to be a key component in your search. If by nurturing you mean academic support on a regular basis, then Brooks or Pomfret are probably not where you need to be looking. Brooks is a very competitve school with no formal academic support programs in place (of course the school “supports” their students but not in the systematic way that others do). Proctor/Cushing/Tilton/Lawrence are all much more in the nuturing vein while also being very stimulating and athletic. Gould and Millbrook will also fit the bill but they appear to be on the edge of your geographic range. </p>
<p>For people to broadly brush schools like Cushing and others as being “suspect” is ridiculous. Hey, I have a friend whose daughter goes to Holderness and absolutely hates it. Does that mean Holderness is suspect or a bad school? Absolutely not. Cushing and Cheshire are not Exeter and Andover. They don’t want to be and don’t pretend to be. These schools have a mission that is different from the top-level schools. </p>
<p>Do more research, speak to some admissions folks on the phone, and then visit 1-2 schools in each category. Visit Brooks and Cushing (approx. 75 minutes apart) and perhaps Lawrence Academy (40 mins. from Brooks) in Massachusetts and then shoot up I-93 to take in Proctor and Tilton (25 minutes apart). If you’ve got more time, keep heading north to Maine and visit Gould. </p>
<p>All of these schools are interested in considering bright students so make sure you’re honest with your description of what you believe your daughter needs in a school to succeed. Don’t worry about your daughter having to “sell” herself to these schools. They need to be selling themselves (with an honest portrayal of their mission) TO YOU!</p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>Agree in part with DWB. CC should not be considered a major source of information and Boarding School Review is almost never up to date. It really all comes down to “fit”. Visit a few schools. Can your daughter imagine herself there and liking it. IMO one would want it to be challenging but not over one’s head. Part of the job of a good Admission department is to determine whether a prospective student will fit in to the school and become a productive member of the school community. All the boarding schools mentioned are great and are number one for those students who attend, learn, grow and move on. Comes back to fit. With all due respect to DWB with regards to the selling bit, I kind of disagree. At this point, your daughter is competing to get in and it is a sales job because it is competitive. It’s in March when the tables turn and hopefully acceptance letters sent / received and the schools really work on selling themselves to your daughter and you.</p>
<p>DWB - thanks - and we certainly have a reasonable filter on comments from cc. It is interesting to get additional perspectives beyond our initial research. We had visits scheduled to Cushing and Proctor in the next couple of weeks. Considering adding Tilton and Holderness to the NH trip based on some feedback from local parents that have visited both schools.</p>
<p>I’ve heard some good things about Vermont Academy too - small, nurturing and I believe they have their own ski slope right on campus.</p>
<p>Sarum is a former Vermont Academy parent and he’s listed himself as a resource. You could PM him for more info. I find parents to be the best resource, since they have direct experience with the schools.</p>
<p>If you’re going to visit Proctor, you should definitely look at Tilton and Holderness. To provide full disclosure, I’m a Tilton alumnus. My brother attended Tilton as well. We were bother extremely happy with our experiences there, as were our parents. If you’re looking for a small school with a nurturing environment, I highly recommend applying there.</p>
<p>Vermont Academy is a good school as well but it’s below the school size that vchipp stated was the ideal range. No one has mentioned Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro. That’s also a very solid choice. They advertise as being a very “technology oriented” school and I’d be interested to hear from anyone in the know what this actually means.</p>
<p>We now have a few campus visits under our belt and are starting to get a feel for the differing environments. We went to Cushing, Holderness and Tilton so far, with upcoming visits to Proctor and New Hampton. Daughter has ruled out Cushing and Holderness probably won’t work. She is looking for a mid year grade 10 admission or start of junior year. Holderness was less accommodating in that regard than the others. We had a good visit at Tilton and I am wondering if anyone has additional input regarding that school. Thanks</p>
<p>vchipp…I’d enjoy hearing your take on Cushing if you get a moment. What did you guys like/dislike?</p>
<p>vchipp: Cards on the table – we have a son at Kents Hill School. If you’re looking at Gould, and given what you’ve said are your criteria, I would suggest making time for Kents Hill, or at least perusing their website or asking for the catalogue. We looked at many of the schools in your category, and liked most of them. In the end, Kents Hill fit the bill best for our son. The Waters Learning Center does a good job with academic support. If skiing is important (it’s not to our son), well, KHS isn’t at the doorstep of Sunday River like Gould, but it has sent a couple graduates to the Olympics in snow sports. Good luck!</p>
<p>are you an applicant for financial aid? if you are, then you should reconsider all of the schools you have on your list…</p>
<p>Why would you say that? Do you have specific examples about these schools and their willingness to provide aid? My kids applied and enrolled (this fall) at one of the schools mentioned earlier on in the thread and we received an excellent FA package for both children. As others have posted if your kid is a good fit for a school and the school feels the same way then there is help out there.</p>
<p>1) My second daughter entered Cheshire Academy as a sophmore and received a generous FA package (in 2009), in a year where other NE prep schools indicated she might (or conditionally was ) accepted but no FA would be available. (Taft, Northfield-Mt H)
2) So far have been very satisfied with school and educational opportunities. My oldest daughter graduated from Choate in 2009, which was a very rigorous academic experience and would not have been the right fit for D2
3) Best bet is to visit the schools on your own as all reasonable posters recommend</p>