<p>I was wondering if there is a significant difference between the two. The school I am attending there is a little less day students than boarders. Do you feel that if you are a day student you miss out and don't have as strong as a friendship with boarders and the school in general? Thanks!</p>
<p>It really depends on the school and also the student. I know some day students at a well-know, often talked about school, who are there from about 7:30 am - 8 or 9 pm every day. Others, at the same school arrive just in time for classes and leave as soon as they are done with any EC commitment. Those students would tell you different things about being included and how strong their friendships are.<br>
Typically the more day students there are, the less the “difference” there is, but that is a generalization.
My son goes to a school that is 1/3 day and for at least the first 2/3 of his first year, he had no idea who the day students were, he just knew they were not in his dorm (and it’s not a big school).</p>
<p>Any more thoughts on Day Student experiences at Boarding Schools? Is being a Day Student at a BS limiting in any way? 
</p>
<p>If you are lucky enough to have a high quality BS within commuting distance, but live at home, consider yourself blessed. You get the education without the stress of teenage drama 24x7. BS is stressful, no matter what anyone on CC says and having some away time, is necessary. Stay late on days you love it and go home when you need a break–but please, don’t forget to invite home a poor boarder who needs a home cooked meal and the feeling of home once in a while.</p>
<p>Day slots at boarding schools tend to be highly coveted. Admit rates for day students are usually lower than those for boarders. For instance, Groton originally admitted only one day girl for 8th grade this year. They’ve since taken another off the waiting list.</p>
<p>Some things to ask schools about…
What’s the proportion of day to boarding students?
What are the admission rates for day vs. boarding?
Does the school have Saturday classes?
Is there a day student crash room (where day students can stay overnight)?
What proportion of kids who start off as day students eventually end up as boarders?
Can you apply as either day/boarding or do you have to apply as one or the other?
How many weekend/evening events does the school have and how many are compulsory for the entire school?
What geographic area will the school consider for boarding? (Some schools require that day students live in the same town or adjacent communities, so day may not be an option even if you feel a school is within driving distance.)
Can boarders get weekend passes to come home with day students?</p>
<p>A school with a small 5-day boarding program (such as Nobles) will feel very different than a school with a large boarding program, deep boarding traditions and Saturday classes. In my experience some day students end up as de facto boarders. On those nights when they do come home it’s not until 9:30 or 10 and they spend entire weekends on campus. Others are home at 6 every night. It really depends on the school.</p>
<p>Obviously my experience may be dated, but I was a day student. I didn’t feel excluded in any way, but then I also made sure that I wasn’t. For about 3 of my 4 years, I stayed over every Thursday night to work late into the night (and early into the morning) on the school paper and then would stay over in some friend’s room where I would keep a sleeping bag. I don’t recall every even asking permission to do so, I just made arrangements myself and did it. I always availed myself of being a “day student of the week” once or twice a year in the room that each House set aside for that purpose. Until I got my drivers license midway through 11th grade, my parents were very flexible in picking me up from school whenever I stayed late for some activity. After I got my license, I stayed late even more often. And with Saturday morning classes and some Saturday activities, I was there every day except Sunday anyway (Sundays were rare for me to be on campus). Not every day student spent as much time on campus as I did, but that was their choice.</p>
<p>One really big advantage for me in being a day student was that since L’ville was still all-boys at the time, I had more access to meeting girls than boarding students did.</p>
<p>Other schools may function differently, but I’m guessing that if you are a day student and want to be part of the campus life you can be as much as you want to be.</p>
<p>ok here is my opinion on it i have gone to a boarding school before and i dont know of any boarding schools that assimulate day and boarding as one, usually boarders hang out with boarders and day with day. no matter what anyone says that is how it is</p>
<p>day and boarders dont mix well its like oil and water</p>
<p>erlanger, sue22, lvillegrad: thank you all for your insights. Day student option looks like best of both worlds. :)</p>
<p>My daughter was a 4-yr boarder at Exeter and her friends were pretty evenly divided between day students and boarders. Exeter is one of the larger schools and according to her, it just seemed like day students lived in a different dorm. She definitely did not perceive any differences between them. </p>
<p>There are some schools that go from K-12 and accept boarders in high school; boarders should look closely at these schools because in that situation you are entering an established community of families.</p>
<p>
That is just not true. It really depends on the school and I think Sue22 had a great post.<br>
As I said, at my son’s school it was months before he knew who was a day student - he only knew they didn’t live in his dorm.
Every school is different and every student is different how they themselves handle being a day student, but it is not necessarily true that they are like oil and water.</p>
<p>
Agree with Linda S. S was a day student and had lots of day and boarding friends. It’s not like day students are put in separate classes or on separate sports teams from boarders. I guess if a day student makes absolutely no effort to get to know boarders he/she will feel the separation, but that’s sort of the extreme.</p>
<p>Next year, I’m going to be a day student at Westover School, and part of the reason I chose Westover was because no one really cared whether or not you were a boarder;you make friends with everyone. Also, day students can stay over whenever they want, and they could eat every meal at school if they want to. Another plus is that all activities and opportunities open to boarders are open to day students as well. Overall, it really depends on the school.</p>
<p>I was also really struck by Westover’s day & boarding communities. The boarders love the day girls & can “adopt” them into their rooms (out of the normal day rooms which are already huge and right on the same hall). This tradition creates a really fabulous atmosphere. Everyone is totally into being one community. But as dancer411 said, it really depends on the school. Westover is about 33% day & 67% boarding and do an incredible job of integrating the two. I went to Groton witch has a very low day population & had a totally different day/boarding vibe. It totally depends on the school. </p>
<p>But back to your question - I think I would start a new thread titled “Day Students Please Give Me Your Input”. (put the name of the school in) and get input from current day students. You can also totally call the school and they will be more than happy to give you the contact info for another day student at the school so you can get a true answer. </p>
<p>(Dancer411 - congrat’s on Westover!!)</p>
<p>2 of my friends (who are roommates) actually have two extra beds in their room for when people want to sleep over. boarders (at my school) love the day students, but we tease them a lot and make fun of them. its all in good fun, rest assured!</p>
<p>day students generally hang out with other day students unless they are apart of a boarding house. some day students at some schools have to stay till like 9 or 10 at night so you cant even tell whos day and whose boarding which is nice.</p>
<p>Boarding is better. Much, much better.</p>