<p>I've heard many rumors about different boarding schools and their students. Whether it be they're snotty and stuck-up or mean and exclusive. </p>
<p>I guess I've had this fantasy that boarding school is a place I would be able to express myself and make REAL friends (unlike the ones I currently have at my school). </p>
<p>Do boarding schools have distinct groups of "popular rich kids" and "nerdy weird kids"? I feel that the stereotypes of "nerds" are so wrong. I'm a nerd, I like to read and I hang on tumblr a lot but I've been called fashionable and sociable.</p>
<p>Also, is it true that Asians always stay with Asians? I've also heard many things about students from Korea.</p>
<p>This probably varies greatly by school. At my kids’ school (Concord), there isn’t a group of popular kids, just different friend groups. There are also separate, looser groups based on interests (theatre kids, engineering club, film kids, etc.), which can overlap. They’re all friendly with each other. Groups are pretty integrated with respect to day/boarding, male/female, ethnic background, etc., and there are a lot of cross-grade friendships.</p>
<p>My daughters school is also very much as photo dad describes. When you go to revisits, watch how the kids interact with each other when they are together to try to feel it out.</p>
<p>I’m sure different schools are different. For instance, you ask about Asians. My son (white) was a day student at a Jr. BS that had a large group of Asians. They seemed to hang around together pretty exclusively. They weren’t unfriendly, but were a clear clique. In his BS now, however, there are fewer Asians (as a percentage of the school as a whole), and they seem much less exclusive, although, of course, many of them are still friends (which you would expect-- often same culture, language, etc.). But my son’s best friend this year happens to be from South Korea. They spend lots of time hanging out together, sometimes alone, and sometimes in a group. When they’re in a group of other Koreans, everyone seems totally accepting of my son, and he’s gotten to know some of these other kids pretty well over time. This seems true of many groups-- there are more friendships across grades, cultures, backgrounds, etc. than there were at his old school. So there are definite groups, but they don’t seem so exclusive. He feels like the whole school is pretty friendly-- although I have heard him say it seems like the girls are more cliquey than the boys.</p>
<p>Hmm… I wonder what “group” I would be in if I attended. At my current public school I’m not in a group but I do have friends from all different groups.</p>
<p>One of the ways BS is different from day schools is the many ways you find people to hang out with: dorms, sports, music/theater/art, community service, study hall, sit-down meals (many boarding schools have these–you’re assigned a table with a mix of people-- different grades, gender-- and you stay at that table for 3 weeks or so, then switch and eat with a new batch of people). This all makes it so you meet people different ways, and end up friends with people from different “groups.” It might take a little while, but you’ll find friends.</p>
<p>Theres definitely not a “popular” group here at NMH</p>
<p>Yes, I have lots of friends that go to BS, and from what I’ve heard from them, their schools have the popular, rich group and the Asian clique. Usually the popular kids are white, old money, and big athletes- lots of “lax/hockey bros” But everyone is pretty friendly I’ve heard, and there is almost zero bullying! Besides, you’ll probably end up becoming super tight with everyone in your dorm, regardless of race/interests/socio-economic status. This is just what I’ve heard from friends, so I don’t know firsthand…</p>
<p>What is Kent like socially? Is it the stereotypical new england boarding school?</p>
<p>i’m at sps and no one is that exclusive. people tend to hang out with their own friends but no one is mean or rude about it like some people think it’s like at BS</p>
<p>Anyone know what it’s like at L’ville? I’ve heard it’s clique-y…</p>