There has been discussions about selecting schools that are fit for kids, instead of only pursuing schools with big names.
Can anyone recommend boarding schools with good college matriculation, that are also home like, emphasize on kindness, friendliness, community, teacher-student mentor-ship, a culture that encourages competition within collaboration, a sound boarding management etc.?
Can you explain what you mean by “sound boarding management”?
@yynnbb I don’t think that because it’s a big name it can’t be a home-like environment. That said we got the biggest feeling of home-like environment and investment in students were things that Mr. Maqubella promoted at the school. We strongly believe you will be able to find a similar environment at many schools.
Such as, security and safety, evening/night schedule, availability of teachers/counselors to students, peer assistance, weekend activity schedule, assignment of a roommate, etc.?
I think for some of those items you mention, there are some benefits to those schools with 100% boarding.
During revisit days, I found Kent to be one of the warmest and most friendly places I’ve ever been, let alone in terms of boarding schools. The entire staff was incredibly friendly and the students were all really passionate, yet all acted like siblings around each other. I originally felt like it might be a more rigid and cold environment due to the dress code, but after visiting campus, my view of the school completely changed. It is also 90% boarding and in a quaint little town so students essentially have access to both the school and the town.
@ReluctantDad Yes, I agree. I am open to any recommendations. I think I need recommendations from an insider (a current student or parents of students etc.), or people who have visited or revisited the school.
Okay, makes sense. Maybe take a look at Masters, then.
George School is known for its “culture of kindness”, and my sense is that this is deserved. Community is really important and the school is invested in this, and it is genuinely welcoming.
With that said, I think that as you visit, you can think about what else is going to work well for your child. Lots or little structure? What kinds of ECs and athletics? Academics? And as you are looking at culture, how important is diversity?
The more parts you can get right, the easier it is. A kid who’s happy in the classroom but miserable outside it will be just as unhappy as the kid who is a perfect fit socially but drowning academically. And of course, there are other variables than those two!
Millbrook
In our case, we found Groton was that school for us. We spoke with many alumni and current students and the theme that came back is a family-like environment.
@yynnbb - not sure if your student is interested in gender-specific schools (eg All Girls or All Boys). You should check these schools out. The girls schools we visited seem to have a very close knit community - some of the dorms are actually “houses” with a true feel “like home”. Emma Willard has a specific residence program for students focused on health and wellness (“Wellies”), where they can cook their own meals. The dorms at Emma actually have cozy living room spaces on each floor and/or wing with kitchenettes for cooking. The rooms are more like “home” than a cinder-block dorm vibe you get at other schools. Miss Porters and Westover both have large home-like dorm rooms. Miss Porters has unique wall paper in each room and a huge walk-in closet (in the rooms we saw). A friend’s son attended Salisbury (boy) and it was a very close community. The entire school shows up at events and there is such team spirit. Another all-boys school to look at is Avon - beautiful campus and a close knit community.
For co-ed, you may want to explore the smaller schools. Did you check out Putney? That is a very unique and welcoming place - I think they include current student input for admissions (at least they did a couple of years ago). NMH is another school you should check out! They have a smaller student body that is very close - a friend worked there for many years and we know a current student - so feel free to PM me about it. You may also wish to look at Groton - they have many traditions that make it feel “like home” - nightly check in traditions and weekly drop-in at the HOS house. It’s a small campus and small school.
Not sure if California works for your family, but Cate and Thacher probably check all of your boxes.
NMH fits your description, too. Also, check out Westminster in Connecticut. It doesn’t get mentioned here very often, but it emphasizes a family and kindness vibe.
Milton has a family feel insofar as how the dorms are run. You stay with your dorm all four years. Your advisor is in your dorm, and you keep your advisor all four years, too. So there is a family-like mini community within a community.
The higher the percentage of boarding students, the more likely that a school will have “homelike qualities”.
You might want to look at smaller schools with a high percentage of boarding students and strong, intentional communities and culture. The two that come to mind are St. Andrew’s School in Delaware and Thacher in California.
Thacher’s community and culture really do revolve around four values: Honor, Fairness, Kindness, and Truth. The freshman girls dorm head even sent a letter to incoming 9th graders over the summer challenging them to think about what those values might mean in the context of living with 29 other girls, and providing examples.
St. Andrew’s community is also quite close. The head of school really gets to know all the students. He even writes handwritten letters to admitted students reflecting on their admissions essays!
^^ Not sure, based on the way the OP has defined what they are looking for, that percentage boarding will determine that. I can think of schools that are mostly boarding that are less nurturing/more competitive and some that have a higher percentage of day students that are more nurturing/less competitive.
There are kids who prefer, and are really happy at, schools with less emphasis on community. A really competitive kid may genuinely struggle in a really collaborative environment. (And vice versa!) It doesn’t mean that kids don’t have friends or are a bunch of sociopaths, just that the culture doesn’t require inclusion in a deliberate way. Schools that really value this require that students make an honest commitment to it, not just feel comfortable there, and that can be challenging in and of itself.
If the fit is right, a student can be comfortable in any school and realistically, schools try to make sure that fit is right, too. It’s one of the reasons most kids like the places where they end up. I think the OP was talking about culture and while this is no doubt influenced by where people sleep, that is not the biggest driver.
I’m a current St. Andrew’s parent, and I second what @CaliMex said about SAS. There is an emphasis on community and kindness that comes from the very top, and that translates into a very warm and welcoming school. Tad Roach, the head of school, is a remarkable leader.
+1
Another vote for St. Andrew’s as having an incredibly diverse, loving, “homelike” community, with outstanding mentorship, education, and college matriculation.
PM sent to OP as well… check your messages
Berkshire School! It is a super tight knit community of about 400 students. It is a majority boarding population (only about 30 day students) which helps contribute to the community feeling. There is an amazing sense of warmth and inclusion at Berkshire and many students will say that Berkshire’s homey feel and sense of community are what made them choose the school. I would be happy to talk to you more about the school/answer any questions if you want to pm me!
^I always love your enthusiasm for your school, @cababe97 ! Glad you stick around?.