What does “International Programs” mean? If it means school-sponsored Study Abroad, Putney has that. Putney also has a horse program.
Updated. Tag me with a note about what to add/change, and I’ll update it every few days.
100% BOARDING (for current info, search by % boarding at boardingschoolreview.com):
- Advanced Academy of Georgia * Blue Ridge School * Camden Military Academy * Carlbrook School * Carson Long Military Academy * Episcopal HS * The Gow School * Grand River Academy * Hampshire Country School * Hyde School - Woodstock, CT * Leysin American School in Switzerland (LAS) * Marine Military Academy * Midland School * New Mexico Military Institute * Oak Creek Ranch School * Oliverian School * Robert Land Academy * St. Andrew’s School, DE * St. John’s Military School * St. Paul’s School * St. Thomas More School * Scattergood Friends School * Squaw Valley Academy * THINK Global School * Wolfeboro: The Summer Boarding School * Woodberry Forest School
80%+ BOARDING (see note above):
- Berkshire * Blair * Cate * Culver (90%) * Deerfield * Exeter * Forman * Groton (85%) * Hotchkiss * Kent * New Hampton School * Salisbury * Thacher (90% - most day students are faculty kids on campus) * St Mark’s
5 DAY BOARDING
- Belmont Hill * Masters * Noble and Greenough * Winchendon * Worcester Academy
CHAPEL/RELIGIOUS SERVICES REQUIRED:
- George (Quaker mtg)* Kent * Peddie (2x/wk, not religious) * St. Andrew’s * St. Mark’s * St. Paul’s (4x/wk) * Salisbury (2x/wk)
CONVOCATION HANDSHAKES:
- Choate
EVENING ARTS
- Putney
FARM
- George (organic garden) * Hillside (Jr. BS) * Hotchkiss * NMH * Putney
HEALTH & WELLNESS PROGRAM:
- Emma Willard (w/ residential option - ‘The Wellies’)
HORSE PROGRAM
- Chatham Hall * Ethel Walker * Foxcroft * George * Kent * Omani Valley * Orme * Putney * Thacher (mandatory, core to school’s approach to building character, self-awareness, & leadership)
INDOOR ROWING TANKS:
- Brewster * Brooks * Deerfield * Kent * St. Paul’s
JOBS ON CAMPUS ( Req.)
- George * Kent * Loomis * Madeira (internships in DC) * NMH * Peddie * Putney
“NEW GIRL”/“OLD GIRL” PAIRING - CIRCLE OF LIGHT - SINGING IN THE GARDEN - RING CEREMONY
- Miss Porter’s
ONE-SANCTION EXPULSION (1-strike you’re out)
- Concord (certain infractions) * Emma Willard (certain infractions) * Hotchkiss * Peddle * Pomfret * St Mark’s (certain infractions)
OUTDOOR PROGRAM
- Berkshire * Cate * Orme * Proctor * Thacher
THE PORTER PLAN
- Miss Porter’s - house (dorm) directors’ primary responsibilities on campus are within the dormitories; not teachers or coaches.
SATURDAY CLASSES - NEVER:
- Andover * Choate * Concord * Deerfield * Governor’s * Lawrence * Loomis * Masters * Middlesex * St. Andrew’s * Tabor * Thacher * Westtown
SATURDAY CLASSES - OCCASIONAL:
- Cate (every other week) * Exeter * Hill School
SATURDAY CLASSES - WEEKLY:
- Berkshire * Brewster * Brooks * Forman * Gould * Hotchkiss * Kent * Kimball Union * Lawrenceville * Loomis * New Hampton * Peddie * Pomfret * St. George’s * St. Paul’s * St. Mark’s (all pass/fail electives) * Salisbury * Vermont Academy
SENIOR SPEECHES (speeches given weekly by 1-2 senior students)
- Cate * Concord * Masters * St Mark’s * Thacher (Senior Exhibitions) * Westminster
SIT-DOWN FORMAL MEALS:
- Berkshire (1x in Fall & Spring) * Blair (generally 2x/wk) * Brooks (2x/wk, Fall & Spring) * Cate (1x/wk) * Deerfield * Episcopal * Groton (wkly, fall & spring) * Kent (1x/wk) * Loomis (wkly, fall & spring) * Mercersburg * Millbrook (1x/wk) * Miss Porter’s (2x/wk) * Peddie (1x/wk) * Portsmouth Abbey * St. Andrew’s (DE) * St. Mark’s * St. Paul’s (3-4x/term) * Salisbury (2x/wk) * Thacher (4x/wk)
SWIMMING REQUIREMENT:
- NMH * St. Mark’s (for crew only)
TRIMESTERS:
- Exeter
ZOO (ACCREDITED)
- Millbrook
A C A D E M I C S
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
*Berkshire * Brewster * Cheshire * Cushing Academy * Darrow * Dublin * Forman * Gould * Kents Hill * Kimball Union * Mercersburg * Millbrook * New Hampton * NMH * Pennington * Pomfret * Solebury * Suffield * Vermont Academy * Winchendon * Worcester Academy
ARABIC:
- Choate * Deerfield * Exeter (Seniors w/ another language only) * Loomis
ARTS CONCENTRATION PROGRAM:
- Choate
AVIATION SCIENCE (flight school)
- Berkshire
BLOCK SCHEDULE:
- Forman * Pomfret * St. Mark’s
CAPSTONE REQUIRED:
- Mercersburg
CARIBBEAN STUDIES
- Lawrenceville (Island School) * Tabor (on a schooner 2 weeks)
COLLEGE MODEL ACADEMIC PROGRAM (fewer classes per semester; each semester covers entire year’s worth of material)
- NMH
CLASSICS DEGREE
- Exeter * St. Mark’s
DANCE COMPANY (for credit):
- Concord * Deerfield * Emma Willard * Loomis * Masters * Miss Porters * St. Paul’s * Westover
ENGINEERING (4 YR PROGRAM)
- Masters
ESPORTS (Electronic Sports)
- Stuart Hall
ETHICS COURSE - REQUIRED:
- Brooks * Cate * Loomis (not req.) * Masters * Miss Porter’s School * St. Mark’s (req. Saturday class IV form) * Salisbury
FILMMAKING:
- Cate * Choate * Concord * Dunn * Exeter * George * Loomis * Masters * Peddie * Putney
HARKNESS TABLE:
- Blair * Cate (English/Humanities) * Concord (in language/humanities) * Exeter (all classes, including math & science) * Lawrenceville * Loomis * Masters * Mercersberg * St. Andrew’s * St Mark’s * St. Paul’s
IB:
- Annie Wright * Carlisle * Cheshire (CT) * Dwight School * EF Intl Academy New York * George School * Mercyhurst Prep * Mid-Pacific Institute * Montessori HS (OH) * Mount Saint Mary Academy * New Hampton School * North Broward Prep * St. Andrew’s (FL) * St. John’s (MN) * St. Timothy’s (MD) * Stoneleigh-Burnham * UWC-USA * Verde Valley
INGENUITY LAB
- Forman
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS:
- Blair * Brooks School * Choate * Exeter (17 study abroad on 5 continents / 23 offsite programs outside school year) * George (service learning) * Hotchkiss * Lawrenceville * Loomis * NMH * Peddie * Proctor * Putney * St Mark’s * St. Paul’s * Westover
ISLAND SCHOOL:
- Berkshire * Exeter * Lawrenceville (Semester in Bahamas)
LIVING IN COMMUNITY (req.class):
- George * St. Paul’s
MARINE SCIENCE - ADVANCED:
- Portsmouth Abbey * Cate * Santa Catalina * Tabor
MOD SYSTEM (Academic calendar = 3 courses at a time taken for 6 weeks):
- Cambridge School of Weston (CSW)
MOUNTAIN CLASSROOM:
- Proctor (full trimester camping/academic adventure)
NAUTICAL SCIENCE
- Portsmouth Abbey * Tabor
OBSERVATORY
- Exeter* St. Paul’s * Thacher
OCEAN CLASSROOM:
- Proctor (10 wks in fall aboard 130’ schooner sailing to Caribbean; also offered in spring—16 wks & open to non-Proctor students for credit)
ON SNOW PROGRAM (competitive skiing/snowboarding, certifications in ski instruction, ski patrol or adaptive skiing and instruction for beginners)
- Gould
RAINFOREST PROGRAM
- Forman
ROBOTICS TEAM:
- Forman * George * Masters * Peddie * St. Mark’s * Winchendon
RUSSIAN:
- Andover * Exeter
SACRED TEXTS:
- Groton
SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM:
- Berkshire (Math Science / Environmental) * Brooks * Choate * Emma Willard * Concord * Exeter * St. Mark’s * St. Paul’s (Engineering) * Thacher (Astronomy)
SHAKESPEARE SEMESTER:
- Episcopal * Exeter (trimester in Stratford-Upon-Avon)
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE:
- Peddie (in Advanced Research Science, Arts, Asian Studies, Creative Writing, Languages & Robotics) * St. George’s (Semester at Sea) * Winchendon (ColLABS - either do a “deep dive” into a new topic that interests you w/ other students & teachers, or design your own independent study or internship)
STAINED GLASS/ HOT GLASS:
- St. Paul’s
INDUSTRIAL ARTS
- Proctor
WASHINGTON INTERN (students work on Capitol Hill):
- Exeter
WINTER TERM (Period of time during a vacation where students return to campus for non-traditional classes of their choice)
- Berkshire * Brooks * Forman (many off campus/travel) * Lawrence * Millbrook * New Hampton School * Pomfret * St. Mark’s (NOT in Winter; last 3 weeks of school, mainly off campus)
WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
*St. Mark’s * Westover
Updated above. Took out the hug/handshake stuff.
@JustWinginIt thanks for your hard work on this! You can add St. Paul’s to the Robotics Team category. Also, St. Paul’s Science Research Program is not only in Engineering, so you may want to take out the text in parenthesis. Thanks again!
@calimex There are two kinds of “capstone” experiences at Mercersburg (their terminology). One is a two-year global studies program called MAPS that culminates in a research paper (I forget how long because they changed the requirements, but at least 30pp) and a fairly long formal presentation to a panel of experts, where students have to defend their conclusions. MAPS is a great program, but it is a small group, so most students do what is called a Springboard class:
“Springboard is a capstone course for members of Mercersburg’s senior class. Though each Springboard is quite different in terms of subject material, the goals of each Springboard are the same: to delve deeply into a topic, ask questions and generate knowledge, and create a polished presentation that will be evaluated by a panel of experts. Springboard engages students through field trips, talks with experts, and a wide range of activities and skill development. Based on the principles of Challenge Based Learning, the program encourages students to think critically and identify problems to solve, challenges to face, or projects to develop. Further, not only is this a great opportunity for students to connect with alumni, but it can also be an enriching experience for our volunteers.”
@JustWinginIt Mercersburg also has 85% boarding, never has Saturday classes, and is a one strike school.
Not sure of the definition of outdoor programs, but Mercersberg does offer outdoor programs for hiking, rock climbing, skiing, mountain biking, etc. Students can choose to do the outdoor program in lieu of a team sport or theater production during any term.
SeniorExhibition/Senior X: ALL Thacher seniors pick a topic to research and then deliver a 30 minute presentation about it in the spring.
Outdoor program is mandatory at Thacher: The entire school goes camping twice a year for a week in the fall and spring, with the incoming freshmen headed to Golden Trout with their prefects and advisors. Freshman also have a mandatory horse packing camping trip in the winter addition to the other two. There are other winter camping trips, too. Camping trips range from high altitude snowcamping, to beach camping. Outdoor activities like rock climbing also can be undertaken as an afternoon sport.
Mercersburg is 85% boarding. Mercersburg also has formal meals 2x a week, I believe.
Western Reserve Academy has formal meals and formal uniforms.
May be a better bet to do your own research kids. Lots can change and just because some school has listed some club or class doesn’t mean it will necessarily suit you. We saw a school that had an EC that was near and dear to our kid, went to the web site and there it was listed. But there was no link. Upon calling the school, we found out that it was no longer offered!! Yet it’s on the web site. It’s still there 2 years later. This changed things for our kid, who still does said EC.
Also, some of these amazing programs listed above (and they are amazing) are matched by other amazing programs at other schools. We found EVERY school had an international program and many had one for every language. Many schools had the ability to create your own class or do self study etc. Many schools have brochures about their various programs ask when you visit and take them home.
Also, remember that what matters to you is what matters. Really.
There are folks on these boards who market their particular school and that can be great( or tiring. LOL 
). And there are others who want to maintain their families anonymity so although they know all about their own school they aren’t writing about it. That means you may not see a school that has what you need. Unless you do your own research. We are very happy with my kiddo’s choice but don’t mention all about every aspect of its awesomeness. Personally, I think schools fit different folks differently.
Parents you are spending beaucoup bucks so make sure you know what you are paying for. And kids make sure if something is critical to you that you check with someone in the department. Ask questions before April and talk to department heads. You will get a real sense of what it is like to be a student there. Schools are happy to answer questions. Don’t be shy, or embarrassed. We had many conversations in person and via email before we sent the first check.
Good luck!!
1 Like
^^ Love this post, @Happytimes2001 !!
Really, the schools want to accept kids who will thrive.
Updated. Tag me with a note about what to add/change, and I’ll update it.
100% BOARDING (for current info, search by % boarding at boardingschoolreview.com):
- Advanced Academy of Georgia * Blue Ridge School * Camden Military Academy * Carlbrook School * Carson Long Military Academy * Episcopal HS * The Gow School * Grand River Academy * Hampshire Country School * Hyde School - Woodstock, CT * Leysin American School in Switzerland (LAS) * Marine Military Academy * Midland School * New Mexico Military Institute * Oak Creek Ranch School * Oliverian School * Robert Land Academy * St. Andrew’s School, DE * St. John’s Military School * St. Paul’s School * St. Thomas More School * Scattergood Friends School * Squaw Valley Academy * THINK Global School * Wolfeboro: The Summer Boarding School * Woodberry Forest School
80%+ BOARDING (see note above):
- Berkshire * Blair * Cate * Culver (90%) * Deerfield * Exeter * Forman * Groton (85%) * Hotchkiss * Kent * Mercersberg (85%) * New Hampton School * Salisbury * Thacher (90% - most day students are faculty kids on campus) * St Mark’s
5 DAY BOARDING
- Belmont Hill * Masters * Noble and Greenough * Winchendon * Worcester Academy
CHAPEL/RELIGIOUS SERVICES REQUIRED:
- George (Quaker mtg)* Kent * Peddie (2x/wk, not religious) * St. Andrew’s * St. Mark’s * St. Paul’s (4x/wk) * Salisbury (2x/wk)
CONVOCATION HANDSHAKES:
- Choate
EVENING ARTS
- Putney
FARM
- George (organic garden) * Hillside (Jr. BS) * Hotchkiss * NMH * Putney
HEALTH & WELLNESS PROGRAM:
- Emma Willard (w/ residential option - ‘The Wellies’)
HORSE PROGRAM
- Chatham Hall * Ethel Walker * Foxcroft * George * Kent * Omani Valley * Orme * Putney * Thacher (mandatory, focus on building character, self-awareness, & leadership)
INDOOR ROWING TANKS:
- Brewster * Brooks * Deerfield * Kent * St. Paul’s
JOBS ON CAMPUS ( Req.)
- George * Kent * Loomis * Madeira (internships in DC) * NMH * Peddie * Putney
“NEW GIRL”/“OLD GIRL” PAIRING - CIRCLE OF LIGHT - SINGING IN THE GARDEN - RING CEREMONY
- Miss Porter’s
ONE-STRIKE EXPULSION
- Concord * Emma Willard * Hotchkiss * Mercersberg * Peddle * Pomfret * St Mark’s
OUTDOOR PROGRAM
- Berkshire * Cate * Mercersberg * Orme * Proctor * Thacher
THE PORTER PLAN
- Miss Porter’s - house (dorm) directors’ primary responsibilities on campus are within the dormitories; not teachers or coaches.
SATURDAY CLASSES - NEVER:
- Andover * Choate * Concord * Deerfield * Governor’s * Lawrence * Loomis * Masters * Mercersburg * Middlesex * St. Andrew’s * Tabor * Thacher * Westtown
SATURDAY CLASSES - OCCASIONAL:
- Cate (every other week) * Exeter * Hill School
SATURDAY CLASSES - WEEKLY:
- Berkshire * Brewster * Brooks * Forman * Gould * Hotchkiss * Kent * Kimball Union * Lawrenceville * Loomis * New Hampton * Peddie * Pomfret * St. George’s * St. Paul’s * St. Mark’s (all pass/fail electives) * Salisbury * Vermont Academy
SENIOR SPEECHES (speeches given weekly by 1-2 senior students)
- Cate * Concord * Masters * St Mark’s * Thacher (Senior Exhibitions) * Westminster
SIT-DOWN FORMAL MEALS:
- Berkshire (1x in Fall & Spring) * Blair (generally 2x/wk) * Brooks (2x/wk, Fall & Spring) * Cate (1x/wk) * Deerfield * Episcopal * Groton (wkly, fall & spring) * Kent (1x/wk) * Loomis (wkly, fall & spring) * Mercersburg (2x/wk) * Millbrook (1x/wk) * Miss Porter’s (2x/wk) * Peddie (1x/wk) * Portsmouth Abbey * St. Andrew’s (DE) * St. Mark’s * St. Paul’s (3-4x/term) * Salisbury (2x/wk) * Thacher (4x/wk) * Western Reserve
SWIMMING REQUIREMENT:
- NMH * St. Mark’s (for crew only)
TRIMESTERS:
- Exeter
ZOO (ACCREDITED)
- Millbrook
A C A D E M I C S
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
*Berkshire * Brewster * Cheshire * Cushing Academy * Darrow * Dublin * Forman * Gould * Kents Hill * Kimball Union * Mercersburg * Millbrook * New Hampton * NMH * Pennington * Pomfret * Solebury * Suffield * Vermont Academy * Winchendon * Worcester Academy
ARABIC:
- Choate * Deerfield * Exeter (Seniors w/ another language only) * Loomis
ARTS CONCENTRATION PROGRAM:
- Choate
AVIATION SCIENCE (flight school)
- Berkshire
BLOCK SCHEDULE:
- Forman * Pomfret * St. Mark’s
CAPSTONE REQUIRED:
- Mercersburg
CARIBBEAN STUDIES
- Lawrenceville (Island School) * Tabor (on a schooner 2 weeks)
COLLEGE MODEL ACADEMIC PROGRAM (fewer classes per semester; each semester covers entire year’s worth of material)
- NMH
CLASSICS DEGREE
- Exeter * St. Mark’s
DANCE COMPANY (for credit):
- Concord * Deerfield * Emma Willard * Loomis * Masters * Miss Porters * St. Paul’s * Westover
ENGINEERING (4 YR PROGRAM)
- Masters
ESPORTS (Electronic Sports)
- Stuart Hall
ETHICS COURSE - REQUIRED:
- Brooks * Cate * Loomis (not req.) * Masters * Miss Porter’s School * St. Mark’s (req. Saturday class IV form) * Salisbury
FILMMAKING:
- Cate * Choate * Concord * Dunn * Exeter * George * Loomis * Masters * Peddie * Putney
HARKNESS TABLE:
- Blair * Cate (English/Humanities) * Concord (in language/humanities) * Exeter (all classes, including math & science) * Lawrenceville * Loomis * Masters * Mercersberg * St. Andrew’s * St Mark’s * St. Paul’s
IB:
- Annie Wright * Carlisle * Cheshire (CT) * Dwight School * EF Intl Academy New York * George School * Mercyhurst Prep * Mid-Pacific Institute * Montessori HS (OH) * Mount Saint Mary Academy * New Hampton School * North Broward Prep * St. Andrew’s (FL) * St. John’s (MN) * St. Timothy’s (MD) * Stoneleigh-Burnham * UWC-USA * Verde Valley
INGENUITY LAB
- Forman
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS:
- Blair * Brooks School * Choate * Exeter (17 study abroad on 5 continents / 23 offsite programs outside school year) * George (service learning) * Hotchkiss * Lawrenceville * Loomis * NMH * Peddie * Proctor * Putney * St Mark’s * St. Paul’s * Westover
ISLAND SCHOOL:
- Berkshire * Exeter * Lawrenceville (Semester in Bahamas)
LIVING IN COMMUNITY (req.class):
- George * St. Paul’s
MARINE SCIENCE - ADVANCED:
- Portsmouth Abbey * Cate * Santa Catalina * Tabor
MOD SYSTEM (Academic calendar = 3 courses at a time taken for 6 weeks):
- Cambridge School of Weston (CSW)
MOUNTAIN CLASSROOM:
- Proctor (full trimester camping/academic adventure)
NAUTICAL SCIENCE
- Portsmouth Abbey * Tabor
OBSERVATORY
- Exeter* St. Paul’s * Thacher
OCEAN CLASSROOM:
- Proctor (10 wks in fall aboard 130’ schooner sailing to Caribbean; also offered in spring—16 wks & open to non-Proctor students for credit)
ON SNOW PROGRAM (competitive skiing/snowboarding, certifications in ski instruction, ski patrol or adaptive skiing and instruction for beginners)
- Gould
RAINFOREST PROGRAM
- Forman
ROBOTICS TEAM:
- Forman * George * Masters * Peddie * St. Mark’s * St. Paul’s * Winchendon
RUSSIAN:
- Andover * Exeter
SACRED TEXTS:
- Groton
SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM:
- Berkshire (Math Science / Environmental) * Brooks * Choate * Emma Willard * Concord * Exeter * St. Mark’s * St. Paul’s * Thacher (Astronomy)
SHAKESPEARE SEMESTER:
- Episcopal * Exeter (trimester in Stratford-Upon-Avon)
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE:
- Peddie (in Advanced Research Science, Arts, Asian Studies, Creative Writing, Languages & Robotics) * St. George’s (Semester at Sea) * Winchendon (ColLABS - either do a “deep dive” into a new topic that interests you w/ other students & teachers, or design your own independent study or internship)
STAINED GLASS/ HOT GLASS:
- St. Paul’s
INDUSTRIAL ARTS
- Proctor
WASHINGTON INTERN (students work on Capitol Hill):
- Exeter
WINTER TERM (Period of time during a vacation where students return to campus for non-traditional classes of their choice)
- Berkshire * Brooks * Forman (many off campus/travel) * Lawrence * Millbrook * New Hampton School * Pomfret * St. Mark’s (NOT in Winter; last 3 weeks of school, mainly off campus)
WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
*St. Mark’s * Westover
1 Like
Updated. Sorry; got caught up in end of year stuff, and haven’t been on CC in a while.
@Happytimes2001 - I completely agree! The whole point of this post is to be a jumping off point; if there’s something that catches someone’s eye, they then can do the research on that school.