<p>Hi, </p>
<p>My daughter is interested in applying to boarding school as a day student. Do day students enjoy their experience? Is it difficult to commute and not be part of the campus? I'd appreciate any information on the subject. Thanks!</p>
<p>well it depends what school she is planning on applying to. for example I know that loomis Chaffee has about a 40% day student population and they are extremely welcomed onto campus, and I hear, they usually stay until between 7-10pm on weekdays, and also go on weekend trips with boarding students. I don’t know about other schools, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask someone like a student tourguide who probably know a bunch of day students.</p>
<p>Check to see the individual schools’ % of day students. If its 40 and above, then they are probably more integrated in the life of the school and arent missing out on the experience.</p>
<p>My friend was a day student at a top tier boarding school. He did very well. His home was close to the school. He could stay at school if there were activities he needed to attend, and could go home whenever he wanted. There was no transition to boarding life, and his parents were helpful in reminding him of major deadline and to manage time properly etc.</p>
<p>About 25% day Students; many come from Vermont due to the Vermont school choice system that does not discriminate against private schools - next year each Vermont HS student can have a $11,500 check cut to the school of his choice. </p>
<p>The local public gives up about 1/3 of “its” student because so many local families are highly educated people involved in the rich private education industry in the area (private education is the largest employer after government in the upper pioneer valley) Families of Alumni have settled in the area. It is an area of high local expectations and choice. Day student admission standards are very very tough.</p>
<p>Students who are part of rigid carpools sometime are limited, depending are parent willingness to make extra runs. </p>
<p>Some students leave as soon as classes are done; many students leave at 6:45, after dinner. A fair number of students leave at 10:00 at the end of study hall when the library closes. Evenings include lots of teacher assisted help sessions plus student centered study groups. </p>
<p>All day students are assigned to a dorm, most of which have day student bunk rooms. Day students are always welcome to stay over. Day students are a seemless part of dorm activity - if they choose to participate. Some do, some don’t.</p>
<p>To be extra inclusive, next year the school is adding non-dorm affiliated student leaders from the day-student population. A portion of day-student are more affiliated with the library or the RAC and don’t “hang” at the door, so never had a shot at “student leader” activities. Now a double layer of student leaders will be assigned to new day students - those from the Dorm and those from the day community. </p>
<p>NMH works really heard to make the day/boarding divide non-existant. </p>
<p>Warning - day students giving un-approved rides to other day students or (NOOOO!) boarders will be subject to severe penalties. No quick hops allowed.</p>
<p>My d’s school is K-12, with boarding starting in 9th. The “lifers” tend to stick together. The new 9th grade day students kind of wander through the nether world of boarding and lifers for about a year. When the dust settles, in sophomore year, the boarders get closer to each other. The boarders have a different experience at school. You can even see this in student projects, where the day students can get supplies; they can travel around for photography projects, for example. The difference gets sharper as the years go by, but also more mundane–a “that’s my life” sort of thing. At my d’s school, the divide between the groups isn’t addressed much. One day I noticed the kids even had “pride” gear: sweat pants that said “boarder” or “day student.” I thought that seemed really divisive, almost mean-spirited. I wish our school were more like NMH.</p>
<p>I agree w/toadstool. Most of the day students are quite integrated. My son is a boarder and is friends with many day students. They had had some day students as student leaders last year, actually (2007-08). I think it could be difficult, depending on how far one lived to commute home late at night because of after school activites and commitments. You might have to become adept at doing some hw in the car, be. There used to be a bus from Keene,NH but I don’t think that operates anymore.</p>
<p>One aspect that you want to consider with any school with a large day student population is how the presence of so many student cars impacts campus life. Many of these kids are very wealthy, and are given their own expensive car the minute they turn 16. If you you don’t have one as a junior, you can feel very left out. Also, a lot of bad things can happen with teenagers and cars, no matter how strict the school rules.</p>
<p>Has anyone else noticed the large percentage of students (Day and Boarding) who graduate without getting their driver’s license? At D’s school there just does not seem to be the near fanatical push to drive. Is this a boarding school trend, a national trend, or just NMH?</p>
<p>Around here, (several schools) boarding students just don’t have an opprtunity to take driver’s ed, and usually wait until the summer to do it all. Day students’ parents, I think, are so sick of doing carpool that they rush the car and license thing asap. By the end of junior year, most day student juniors are driving their own cars to school every day.</p>
<p>It does sound like NMH handles the boarding/day integration very well, better than most.</p>
<p>Blair Academy offers an optional and extra fee Drivers Ed course. It does not include any behind-the-wheel time, but the driving school said that they could arrange that. For us, summer was used for behind-the-wheel time, and license testing. I think getting the license can be delayed because of boarding, and it is hard to complete if a student has a summer birthday. The Drivers Ed course may or may not be recognized by other states, but it is enough to pass the Learners Permit test, and to have some knowledge before getting behind the wheel.</p>
<p>I recall that Mercersburg requires all day students to board during their senior year. Seems like a good idea. </p>
<p>CP</p>
<p>For day student families, having boarding school near by definitely can constitute an “attractive nuisance.” Every time a teen goes through an “I hate you I hate you I am going to run away to the circus” spasm, they will want to move on campus. Its a syrens lure.</p>
<p>All the day students I know at NMH got thier licences ASAP and then can drive themselves to school…
NMH does do a better job than many at integrating day and boarding.</p>
<p>Beware of “day student lounges” or specific day student places. That tends to seperate them. At my son’s school they did away with them because they were never used. Unless he’s friend with them, he doesn’t know who is a day student and who boards. They also have very strict rules about boarders leaving with a day student in a car (with the student only - ok to go with the family/parents).</p>