Hey Guys,
If you know any of these schools first hand can you please tell me about academics, grades (reasonable/inflation/deflation), pressure/stress level, life in the doors, social life, sports and any other helpful info.
Thanks a bunch!
KH
I meant dorms!
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An important distinction is that Groton starts with the 8th grade rather than 9th. Those entering after 8th grade may encounter established friend groups.
All are great schools. Groton is small.
That may have an impact but probably not a huge one. Iirc, the eighth grade class is VERY small and the majority of students enter in 9th. Has that changed?
It does make admissions that much more competitive, though.
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This feels like the story of the 3 bears … sort of … just hard to say which is just right. You will need to experience them/get to know them better to determine that. (the below is just our opinion, others might have a different take).
Exeter is a very large school (one of the biggest). There is constantly new construction - one of the largest endowments. The school sits in the town. The town is considered part of the campus.This has pluses and minuses. Lots of places to go and grab food or shop. Makes the campus feel even more spread out. Spend more money, and an additional distraction. It is not a pretty campus (but the facilities are great). There is very little oversight. It is the closest to the college experience. It has endless classes and clubs. Very competitive, self-induced atmosphere.
Hotchkiss is a large mid-size school. about 1/2 # students of Exeter. It sits on a beautiful campus, away from town (more remote of the 3). Wonderful facilities with a healthy endowment. It has more oversight and feels like a close community. Of course it is amongst the top schools so the academics are strong, but seems to be less of a pressure cooker grind.
Groton is on the smaller side at a little more than 1/2 the # of students at Hotchkiss. This is a very tight knit community that includes an 8th grade, but with most kids entering in the 9th grade, I would not let that sway you. It is a pretty campus situated around a circle. While the school has more acres, community life is more centered in a small radius. It is not near the main town. There is a lot of oversight in that there are proctored study halls during the day for younger students. The headmaster hosts each grade at their home weekly. Everyone knows all the students. (They really get to know their applicants as well - they send an incredibly thoughtful and personalized acceptance letter to each of their admitted students. It is considered a pressure grinder, and students shared that they feel competitive with one another. But they do have activity breaks across grades and community throughout the day to try to bring everyone together. Given the large endowment, the facilities are probably the most tired, though some of it is part of its charm. See the old schoolroom. The lower dorms are not for everyone.
Note to consider: Large schools offer a ton of options but is also means a large pool competing for the same opportunities. At a smaller school there are more opportunities but less options. Something to consider.
Certainly these are 3 amazing schools that will help you figure out what type of school you want to be at. Consider that there are many more in this same caliber and offering. Each school has its own heartbeat. Get to know the schools the best you can as often your opinion changes throughout the process as you get to know the schools better and more about what you want. Good luck. Happy to share more thoughts, you can email me.
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the 8th grade at Groton should not factor into anyone’s decision in terms of “established friend groups.” That simply isn’t an issue I have ever heard a single kid bring up. Ever. Totally irrelevant.
Note about oversight. There is much less oversight at most boarding schools than parents are led to believe from the way schools talk. If you do not trust your child to handle themselves with very little adult supervision keep them in a day school at home. There is certainly not a lot of oversight at Groton. Sure 9th graders have to go to study hall. For one semester. Then many make honor roll and no longer have to attend study hall.
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On another thread about Groton, a poster wrote that the 8th grade class at Groton has 30 students many of whom are repeaters. 9th grade is much larger–probably 85 to 90 students.
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