Hi sadieshadow, my daughter is at The Gunnery! She entered this year as a sophomore. It was really sad for me when she left but I am happy for her because she loves it there. She and I are super-close, so it is hard at times. I don’t know if it will get easier, but our time together now is more special for both of us. I live about 45 minutes away, and have become used to the drive. I also find the roads are plowed quite well in the “hills” of CT! Let me know if you have any specific questions about The Gunnery.
As we are embarking on this BS journey with our only child, the sentiments expressed on this thread are insightful. @ChoatieMom, thank you for writing about your experience. If our child is so fortunate to be accepted at any of the schools to which he is applying, I feel as though I may be living your posts. We too only have one child and like your son, he is very independent and I have no doubt that if this process ends with him getting into and thriving at the right BS for him, he will be gone. It’s hard to even write those words. I am excited for the opportunity that he will have and experience, but he will most definitely be gone – not only perhaps 3000 miles away, but moved on into a new phase of his life. One that does not involve him living full-time with us – likely ever again. Many of our friends think we are crazy to allow him to board (and to even consider a school 3000 miles away), but he’s ready to fly and I don’t want to hold him back. We raised him to be independent and to make thoughtful decisions. That’s what he is doing. We are proud of him, but it’s hard to watch and know while the opportunity will be enriching on some many levels, it will be tough to watch him go.
I did not attend a boarding school. I wasn’t motivated and my family was not financially able to send me.
I look at my son’s happy face at his boarding school and thought it could have changed my life had I gone there.
It has been one of the best decisions we made so far. In addition to excellent college prep, he learns to live with other kids in a community that is caring, healthy, challenging yet helping. Boarding schools may not be the best place for college entrance if the main purpose is go to a top branded colleges. But kids there learn more important things than going to a top colleges, which I believe, we cannot simply buy elsewhere and will become an indispensable trait in their future success in life.