Much of the discussion on these threads is about 10 or 15 high profile schools, which is understandable. Can anyone out there who may be “in the know” offer some insights into the relative strengths and weaknesses of some of the lesser-discussed schools? Specifically, I’m looking for recon on NMH, Berkshire, and Westminster. My child is seriously considering each of these. Thanks in advance!
If you do a search of this forum for each school name, I’m sure you’ll find some good info. Also search for ‘Hidden Gems’, which is what many here call those lesser-discussed schools. Personally, I know nothing about those particular schools, but have seen them mentioned many times, so I’m sure a search will turn up some good info.
Also, if you have any specific questions about them, you’ll likely get more responses if you put the name of the school in the title of the thread – more likely to catch someone’s eye.
All three are very good schools. We just applied to all three and got one acceptance, one wait list, and one rejection but would have been happy to attend anyone of them.
It really depends on what you and your child are looking for. I’d recommend visiting the three as they are “relatively” close. (ok, I can easily drive over 500 miles in a day.) Still they are very different. If visiting is not possible, absorb as much as you can from their websites and youtube videos.
NMH does not have dress code and has more casual feel, but the other two has dress code, IIRC and Westminster has the most traditional, conservative feel.
NMH is larger with ~650 students and Berkshire and Westminster ~390. (Larger school, more diverse opportunities, smaller school family feel.)
All are a little away from town, Westminster being closest to a charming town of Simsbury. Berkshire is rather remote but sits at the foot of a mountain and kids can go mountaineering, collect maple syrup, etc.
We were quite impressed by Berkshire’s science program but not as much with performing arts program.
Westminster is 15 minutes away from Bradley Hartford airport and most convenient from NYC airports. Berkshire and NMH are 1.5 hrs from Bradley airport. NMH is the farthest from NYC airports.
Wow - that is incredibly helpful! Thank you! We plan on attending the revisit dates of at least two of these. We have fallen in love with all three and are so fearful of making a suboptimal selection. I guess we could conclude that we can’t go wrong.
My D is a freshman at NMH…we love the school and the feel as discussed by PnFwd is accurate. With nothing to compare it to, i would say NMH certainly values independence and independent thinkers. My D is very independent and mature person who has made a fairly smooth transition, considering the jolt of a 14yr old living away from home. Great arts programs and strong english program as well. My only issue has been a lack of consistent communication between school and freshman parents. The “Partnership of 12” ideology seems to be more marketing than substance as there’s very little personal correspondence about our child—as 1st timers, we thought there would be more unprovoked notes from staff, etc “saw your D today at lunch…really happy and surrounded by friends, etc”…probably naive on our part!
@reachroad: I’m a former Berkshire faculty, we live near the school and are still closely connected. Feel free to PM me (not sure how many posts you need to be able to send a PM) with any specific questions — the school is truly a gem. Congratulations on your child’s acceptances!
@CroissantMiser and @cameo43, THANK YOU! These are incredibly helpful nuggets of information. @CroissantMiser, your real-world experience is super-interesting. We are first-timers too and beyond naive! Your comments are fabulous. @cameo43 I will PM you for sure as our decision nears. We continue to hear from MANY sources that Berkshire is a hidden gem. Thank you both!
My son is also considering attending Berkshire. How does Berkshire compare to Taft regarding academics and community? We are going to revisit days at both schools.
Westminster is a really special place. I went there, back in the stone ages, and many of my friends’ children now attend. I am still close with faculty and administration and consider my time at Westminster as the best years of my pre-adult life. Much to my disappointment, neither of my children applied because of Saturday classes. 
Here’s a quick example of the friendly atmosphere at Westminster: Several years ago, when we first considered boarding school for my eldest, we visited Groton because it was the only school with an 8th grade. He was not enamored. We spent an entire day on campus and not one person said hello, asked if he needed help or directions, etc. I suggested we just swing by Westminster purely as a point of comparison. We arrived (unannounced) on campus and within a few minutes of parking, two separate groups of students approached us and asked if we needed help finding admissions. Obviously, they had no idea that I was an alum. The attitude of approaching and helping an unfamiliar person is ingrained into the culture at Westminster.