Hi, Does anybody have an idea about the acceptance rate at George School? Any information about GS would also be welcome - vibe, friendly students, academic rigour etc. Thanks! Our DD is debating whether to apply to GS as a 9th grade boarder.
Paging @SevenDad and @gardenstategal, who both had kids at George
Current GS parent here. Daughter was a junior transfer from another boarding school and will graduate May 2018.
As one might expect from a Quaker school, I’d say that George IS a “kinder, gentler” sort of BS. Daughter has certainly found a nice group of friends (mix of day and boarders) there. Kids seem friendly enough to me. She seems well supported on all fronts. I have enjoyed all my interactions with adults in the community…from dorm parents to deans to teachers to college counselors — and yes, even the folks the business office. 
In terms of academic rigor, it’s an IB school. So it can be as challenging as one wants it to be. A friend of my daughter is an international student who took BC calc as a junior and who is in some nutty level math class now. And apparently she’s not even the most advanced student in the subject! I’m not an AP-obsessed parent, so have no idea how many AP classes they offer, but they do offer AP classes — often in addition to IB offerings in the same subject.
I particularly like that GS (not “The George School”, btw) seems to have a strong emphasis on the arts. For example, my daughter is in a 2-year IB film class.
The school feels more ethnically diverse than most, too. Possibly also more diverse in terms of socio-economic backgrounds?
All in all, we’re very happy with George School and I’d say if you’re considering mid-Atlantic schools and aren’t looking for a more traditional (meaning, formal dress code, etc.) BS, it definitely merits closer attention.
Thank you @SevenDad. We live overseas as Asian American expats without any family ties in the vicinity So we’re not too keen for a sink or swim school. I do like the fact that its a dual - AP and IB - school, which is a rare offering in the US. How do you find access from the Airport?
What about weekends? We’re targeting schools that have more boarding students as well. Do you know what is their acceptance rate?
My recollection, as someone who was within driving distance of the school, was that the school offers transportation to all the airports (JFK, Newark, Philadelphia). There is a date by which travel plans must be received, and then they set up shuttles. (I always got those notices but had no need to know the details.)
I think that the acceptance rate is probably around 35%-40%. My sense, (which seems reflected in some of the past results tabs on CC) is that they are more interested in students who are a fit with the community than simply high stats students (although there are plenty of the latter as well). It is definitely NOT a sink or swim kind of place – the overwhelming thing that students, parents, and alums talk about is how welcoming and kind and caring the community is. It is very diverse in all respects, and the kids seem to really respect and value their classmates and their wide range of talents. It’s a very down to earth place – no formal dress, they address their teachers by first name, – but also in funny little things – like girls trying to figure out how little they can spend on outfits for the prom, or opening a clothing resale shop on campus, or the prom committee deciding to charter school buses so they could have a DJ for longer.
There are always things going on over the weekends. If you look on their website under “Campus Life”, there is a tab for weekend activities. You can look and see what was available for each of the weekends so far this school year. Many (most??) day students are on campus over the weekend to participate in these as well.
And on that note, while the school has more day students as a percentage than some, it also has more boarders than many – about 300 because it is on the larger side for a BS. Personally, I think this is probably the more meaningful number if you’re concerned about the critical mass of a community. I think most students would tell you that their closest friend group includes both day students and boarders. And for you, without family in the area, this could be beneficial. It’s common for day students to host foreign students (or in your case, American students who live abroad) for holidays, weekends, etc. The school has a formal program for arranging these homestays if needed , but it also happens quite naturally between friends.
I too liked the AP/IB mix. While I admit freely that I love the IBD program, I acknowledge that for many kids, it is too rigid in terms of requirements, so having the flexibility to mix and match can be really helpful for kids whose interests might not be best served by IB classes alone. There is plenty of rigor, and there are plenty of very motivated and capable students, and students are encouraged to challenge themselves… (Their math team is almost always one of the top 20 in the country, for example.) But a student who is not at this level will not feel “less” or frustrated either.
If you’re in the area, I would strongly recommend visiting. This school definitely has a “vibe” that is its own. It really resonated with our family but if you’re looking for a place that feels more “traditional”, this might not be it. I recall your list is pretty mixed on this front, and that should serve you well in determining what will feel best for you and your D. (And on this front, it is important that both of you like her final choice. While she will have to live there, there will inevitably be times when you will have to deal with the school on things, and it really helps if, even if you’re disagreeing, that you believe that they have your child’s best interest at heart.)
Here are a few other points to keep in mind:
All students are required to attend meeting, whether they are Quaker or not.
Campus is gorgeous. Lots of rolling hills. Easy access to PHL and EWR.
Offering both IB and AP is a mixed bag. Can be great for high achievers but not so for others. Agree with sink or swim mentality.
Have you considered Solebury, Hun or Pennington? All are nearby and have a more nurturing attitude.
^^ If OP is worried that George doesn’t have enough boarders, none of the 3 above would be options. I wouldn’t describe them as “more nurturing” but they all are better equipped for students with learning differences.
I am local to George School. Friends whose children have gone there have only good things to say about the school. They accept a wide range of intellects; fit with the community is more important. Learn a bit about Quakerism and Quaker educational philosophy and decide how you feel about it. I’m a fan, but not everyone will feel the same way. I’m absolutely certain it’s not a “sink or swim” kind of school. One negative I have heard is that the IB classes are too much about cramming information and not enough about processing it, but I don’t know whether this is true of all IB classes or only those at George.
As has already been pointed out, access to airports shouldn’t be a problem. I’m a Mercersburg parent (as pretty much everyone here knows), so I can point out that students from all over the world manage to get to Mercersburg, PA, a much less accessible spot than Newtown, where George School is. As long as a school provides transportation to major airports, it should be manageable.
FWIW, there is no proselytizing at George. In the Quaker tradition, Meeting for Worship is mostly a silent individual meditation. No Bibles or hymnals in the pews. (They might not even call them pews!)
We live just outside what I’d consider a reasonable daily driving distance but in the area…IMO, the hot set up for flying in/out (at least for domestic flights to a limited number of destinations) is Trenton/Mercer airpor)…20 minutes from the school maybe? Because my daughter competes around the country for fencing, we fly somewhere nearly every month in season…and PHL is also very close. Under an hour’s drive without traffic, I’d guess.
Of the area schools that sgopal2 mentions, I’d put only Hun in the same category as George for rigor. We considered Hun (it has a fencing team) and Solebury (felt too small) but never Pennington.
What I have heard from IB students snd teachers at George is that at most IB schools, most of which are outside the US, is that they have many many more school days to cover the material than George has in its school year (which is shorter than most public schools. ) This can definitely make it feel as if it is being rushed/crammed ,and as noted in the thread about homework over breaks, make that a necessity as well as summer work. There is also work to be submitted to the IB graders during the year, and I think some of it is significant in terms of time commitment. And not all of it is viewed as valuable by the students.
The IB is very much about critical thinking, but the pace can be relentless, especially in a BS year. Not sure if that was what was meant by cramming, but it is a real challenge, especially for kids doing the whole diploma with several of these classes going concurrently… But for foreign students who want to go home for college, it’s critical.
Thank you @gardenstategal @SevenDad and @twinsmama @sgopal2 for the colour. GS does seem to have the nurturing environment we seek, added to the fact that its not super competitive as many New England Schools. Our daughter has a 3.8 - 4.0 gpa and above 90 %ile in the SSAT, so she will survive fairly well. Its just the distance that we’re putting between us that make me (parent) concerned. It would be different if we were within 50 miles of the school 
We are also considering Mercersburg because we really liked what she saw on the site and have some friends who have kids there. I will message @twinsmama for some more insight on that School.
Can I request your input on another question - thats about sports. Our DD likes to swim and play tennis. But she’s not at the level to be part of the School team. Still being coached. Do the BS provide coaching for all levels of players or do they only focus on the top player and the school team? I’m hoping she will be coached in the sports she participates in so that her game improves…
How less experienced players participate depends on the sport. In some, like soccer, there’s a developmental team. They don’t generally play other schools but work more on skills. In some sports JV fills this role. In swimming, track, and x-country, everyone is on the team together and coached at their own level. I know the swim team has kids across the spectrum of ability – from first time on a team to elite. My son found the coaching in his sports to be very good, including in a sport he’d never played before high school.
There is an emphasis on improvement and being part of a team. Your D would be comfortable.
And yes, for your criteria, Mercersberg is a good one to consider.
In general, the smaller the school, the more likely you will be encouraged, supported, and coached in activities that are new to you or in which you are not a top player. There just aren’t enough kids for activities or sports teams to fill up with only the highest performing experts.
(Not sure where you live, but if you are open to California schools, Cate might fit what you are looking for…)
We’re overseas in Asia, so Atlantic route to US. California would add another 6 hours to our journey. I feel Cate is very selective ~14% and has a small student body, which is why we gave it a pass. Stats put it on par with some of the toughest BS on the East Coast, and wonder whether its too competitive. It may be a reach for us. That said we have a neighbour that has sent two kids there and they loved it.
Really encouraged to learn about the sports teams and coaching at various levels. The point about a smaller school having not enough players makes a lot of sense.
I found it to be more liberal than other boarding schools, as far as dress code and self expression. PInk hair, holey jeans, all-black, and then a wide range of dress overall. This was noticeable compared to other schools where the dress code is more conservative (but we didn’t visit any jacket/ uniform schools).
Friendly vibe, good for unique kids, very accepting place, beautiful pool, nice grounds. Did feel more like a day school environment to me. Like a day school with dorms. They are big on overseas trips, ie the save the world type of trips.
They have a good swim team! And all kids get to compete, I think! They run a year-round team also, so outside the BS season, they can train and go to additional meets (optional).
I pm’d you with another idea…
If you are looking for schools with more boarders, then why haven’t you considered Lawrenceville and Peddie? Both are nearby. Lawrenceville is probably the toughest to get into of the bunch. Peddie is a bit easier. But both are academically rigorous.
My view is that L’ville is extremely selective and alos very competitive (sink or swim). My friend has a son at Peddie and they’re very happy.
I second sunny school’s characterization of George as liberal…and that goes beyond dress code/self-expression. Not a bad thing, IMO, but it’s certainly NOT conservative.