@itcannotbetrue Although the robotics team is indeed fairly strong, it is open to any and all who are interested (as far as I know). I have a friend who is on the team who joined as a third former and enjoys the experience very much. From what I’ve heard, it’s a big time commitment, but also extremely rewarding. If you are interested, I would recommend considering taking the robotics courses at Choate as well.
Side note: I know the robotics team especially has benefited from and enjoyed the new math building and ID lab. If you come for revisit day, you should check it out!
Thank you, weiqian. Great to hear that he could join as a third former. We are going back for revisit day and the new math/ID lab building is definitely on his list of things to see!
Hi, I saw your reference to the course offerings and wanted to extend a quick recommendation (assuming you attend of course). There are a ton of great courses at Choate. I made some epic (perhaps foolhardy) forays into physics, translated “Don Quixote” for Spanish, learned to appreciate Tennyson with the legendary Tom Yankus (whose anecdotes about baseball and Robert Frost remain indelibly imprinted on my mind), painted and sculpted with Reggie Bradford etc., but the course that still stands atop the heap is “Shakespeare’s Comedies” with Mr. Loeb. The passion that guy put into that class was breathtaking; I credit my abiding love of Shakespeare to him. If they still offer it and you’re in a bind choosing an elective, you can’t go wrong. Also, take a class with Ed McCatty if you can. He’s tough, but will make a superlative writer of you. Best of luck with your decision process.
Hi! I want to apply to Choate for junior year, it seems like an amazing environment. Please let me know approx how many students are accepted for junior year. Thanks
Hi @ajsmiles12 i am not a current student at Choate but i feel i can offer some advice and relate to your situation seeing as I have just completed the application cycle for junior year(I am an international student). I applied to Deerfield, Hotchkiss and Choate and was accepted to Hotchkiss and Choate (WL for Deerfield). I was warned that applying for junior year is the most difficult and at Choate specifically I was told they plan to accept around 8-15 new juniors on average. Hope that helps, feel free to pm me with any specific questions about the applications etc. Good luck!
How are the rooms in Choate for freshman year? It would be nice if someone has a picture lol. What are the pros/cons of single and doubles (despite the obvious, such as making friends). normally what time do people wake up. When do you guys eat breakfast?
For those who like to eat off campus: A very good Mexican restaurant (extremely casual, almost like a Chipotle) is Rivas. Has great tasting authentic tacos, including carnitas, with homemade salsas (green is best). Most items under 5 bucks. Featured in this month’s New Haven magazine. 23 minute walk from campus (next to Amtrak station). Went there last week and saw lots of Choate students walking around enjoying the spring weather…
@madswimmer132 No idea what time people wake up, but Day Students are on campus before 7:20 and eat in dining hall with everyone else. Classes start at 8am.
@madswimmer132 I don’t know much about guys’ dorms, but I think as a whole the dorms at Choate are pretty nice. Sure, there’s a really small room here and there, but most of the rooms in my dorms both this year and last year are nice and comfortable and adequately sized (in fact, last year’s room was quite big). Also, the freshman dorms (and indeed, most dorms) are in fairly convenient locations and have good advisers.
As for singles vs. doubles, I don’t know how much insight I can give on singles, since I got a double both years. For me personally, I would never survive in a single. Frankly, it would get very lonely for me. However, it is all personal preference; some people live in a single all four years and would have it no other way. In my opinion:
I don't think getting a single will affect your friend-making ability too much; in fact, it is probably easier to bring friends into your room without disturbing your roommate.
I have been fortunate enough to be paired up with a lovely roommate the first year and also this year. I know that roommates can become VERY close friends.
It's nice to have someone to talk to.
As someone who is notoriously bad at waking up in the morning, I know my multitude of alarms is super annoying... The point is, there's probably going to be at least 1-2 things that annoy you about your roommate, and vice versa; it's a matter of whether you can get past those things.
I think waking up anywhere between 6:30 - 7:15 would be normal. For those that do go to breakfast, most go maybe 5-10 minutes before they have to walk to class. It really depends, some go really early, some don’t go at all. Side note: we have a sleep-in on Thursdays (class starts at 8:55), plus most people have at least 1 other sleep-in during the week, which is extremely nice.
It was very organized. The students all seemed very nice (and happy). The classes my son shadowed were great, and the classes I observed were wonderful as well. Students were very engaged and bright. Plus, dining hall food was delicious!
DS was very impressed by Choate. There is a warmth and friendliness, a focus on the student and what possibilities lie ahead and providing what is needed for growth, and a confidence in who and what they are without any smugness or overly heavy focus on tradition. Very nice people met throughout the day.
I also liked the headmaster and the effort Choate has put into growing into the future while maintaining some respect for the past. The environmental center, the trimester programs abroad, the signature programs, and the Capstones are all cool.
DS did not love the classes he saw, particularly English, so still a few concerns to compare to final revisit.
I didn’t for Choate, as my interviewer was an alum. And when I called the office, all of the AOs were on break. However, I am going to try again for all of my schools that were on break tomorrow and next week. @itcannotbetrue