<p>Hi everyone, I’m a mom with a son looking at Groton for his 9th grade year. We live in the east coast, so it would be quite a haul, but we’ve heard great things about the school, but I have a few questions.
I’ve heard it’s pretty competitive amongst the students, especially academically. i Is this true? I’m also wondering, is it a welcoming community? Is it very clique-based, judgmental, and such? We are looking for the happy medium between hard-working and motivated as well as welcoming and a great sense of community. Could anyone clue us in? </p>
<p>Groton is a very competitive school with a strong academic focus. The acceptance rate is very low mostly because it is such a small school. Once accepted Groton does its very best to assist the students in being successful. It is a small community with about 300 students and has a close, intimate feel. The nightly handshake allows the dorm heads to look each student in the eye each evening and make sure they are okay. There are regular “feeds” where the advisors provide a meal for their advisees in their apartments. I found the teachers to be mostly engaged with the students. The property is stunning with all the buildings situated around the ‘circle’. Although I am sure there are cliques, and competitiveness, chances are you will find that at any school. Having said that, my son did not experience anything negative in the extreme regarding those issues. He claims it was a great experience and one he will treasure the rest of his life. Like all schools, it is not without problems, but for the most part it was a very positive experience for my son and our family. If you are set on your son attending boarding school, Groton should not be the only one he applies to. There are many fine schools and acceptance to any school is not guaranteed. Good luck on your journey</p>
Any advice for the interview process? Questions to prepare for? How long is it? What to wear?
@Golfgr8 Every interviewer has his/her style, so don’t worry about preparing for questions; they want to see the student authentically. In my experience, interviews range from 20-40 minutes (don’t read too much from the length). You don’t have to dress super fancy, but avoid blue jeans and sweats or yoga pants and tee shirts, and you’ll be fine. Good luck!