<p>Does anyone out there have comments regarding Groton School? Specifically, is the small size beneficial? Are the facilities and faculty comparable to larger prep schools such as Andover and Exeter? Are there any special academic programs in science/math? Is the overall atmosphere nurturing or cutthroat? Is the school more geared toward academics than athletics? And are the chapel services Episcopal or interdenominational?</p>
<p>Any comments you have are appreciated! Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>I’m sorry I couldn’t be of much help, but…</p>
<p>I heard that the environment is nurturing yet competitive: competing with each other, not against one another… Something along the lines of that. Groton’s workload is supposedly intense (comparable to that of Exeter) and because of the small size, apparently there’s a strong sense of community at Groton. Of course, I’ve only heard of this information secondhand…
Groton’s athletics aren’t very strong, I don’t think (such a small school population = fewer people for sports?). It’s more academic-oriented.</p>
<p>'K, that’s all I know about Groton. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of much help. Please note that all the info that I just posted is purely speculation from this forum, as I have never met somebody from Groton or been on a tour of their grounds. It’s definitely a great school, though! x</p>
<p>Groton packs a powerful punch for its size. Academically intense, strong sense of school spirit and tradition, great facilities, outstanding college placement, noticeable WASP-y flavor. A top 10 school by almost any measure.</p>
<p>While I have a lot of respect for Groton, I would not want to attend. But I feel the same way about Exeter (huge school) and Hotchkiss. If a small school <275 is your goal, there are many wonderful choices for your consideration that have a more diverse, warmer, less “humor at other people’s expense” vibe.</p>
<p>I’m not attending Groton this fall, but I did visit it twice and talked to a lot of students who attended the school. It’s a lovely school with excellent academics, a great and friendly student body and faculty, and a tight-knit environment. However, I felt out of place there because it felt, like Parlabane said, a bit WASP-y and also I did not see a diverse student body like I saw at Exeter or Andover. Maybe I’m wrong, my interviewer said that the student body was 30% non-white.
Groton is also really competitive, but I don’t know too much about the workload. I heard that it was tough, but that’s common of probably a lot of prep schools. </p>
<p>If you want to go to a school with a competitive yet tight-knit environment, where you’ll know at least everyone by their first names, where the faculty is friendly and warm, and where many of the students end up going to top-tier colleges… I’d apply. However, don’t just trust other people’s comments. Try visiting the school for a tour/interview and then you’ll get a stronger sense of whether or not the school is your fit or not. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>What are my chances if getting into Groton? I’m applying for second form, no financial aid, boarding student. I get As and Bs, not a perfect student but not bad. I scored a 2097 out of 2100 on my ssats. 99 percentile for each. I have published one book and the other is being published. I am part of student government and free the children. I play volleyball, track and field and cross country. I think my only weakness is my marks, cause they’re not so good. They’re pretty average… But my interview went well (lasted 50 mins.) What are my chances?</p>
<p>The smaller the elite school, the more carefully the school will select its students for cultural/social fit. If the school doesn’t “like” you, it doesn’t matter how sky-high your academics & ECs are.</p>
<p>Just a correction to #3, Groton has about 370 students. [Groton</a> School ~ Facts at a Glance](<a href=“http://www.groton.org/about/essentials]Groton”>Groton School | Private Boarding and Day School for Grades 8-12)</p>