<p>Why do you want to go boarding school.
Just out of curiousity at the different motives
there must be some alterior reason behind the "i wanna be challenged"</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Nope, that's the main one. But I wouldn't call the others "ulterior" motives.</p>
<p>plus it provides life-chaning opportunities
we only have four years of high school, and we can't come back in time to relive our high school years.
comparing my current school to the boarding schools, the range of opportunities available is like the sky and the ground. aside from being challenged, it provides these opportunities that may even help shape your life in the future. like lets say you never tried lacrosse before, and you went to a boarding school and tried lacrosse and you loved it. or anything else. plus there's people from all around the world. wouldn't it be cool when your roomate is from like austria or new zealand or monacco or hong kong? that is definitely another plus.</p>
<p>I'll list my reasons in number form =)
1. Intelligence of the student body compared to my current school</p>
<ol>
<li>Liberalism/Democrats majority in the schools I'm applying to compared as opposed to my current school</li>
</ol>
<p>3.Harkness/better teaching</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I did a prestigious summer camp last summer and loved it, has been a big influence on why I'm applying to boarding schools</p></li>
<li><p>Diversity of student body</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Those are my reasons, they're big enough reasons to justify me going to boarding school I think</p>
<p>In order of importance</p>
<p>1) We started applying because my son's current charter school is having financial difficulties and may not last another 4 yrs and I want him to attend the same high school for 4 yrs.</p>
<p>2) He also does better being surrounded with intelligent peers- easier to interact socially for him with people who take school seriously.</p>
<p>3) more course options for electives and advanced topics</p>
<p>4) BS may open doors for college and beyond.</p>
<p>I'll list mine, too.</p>
<p>1.) Social issues.
My peers have seen me grow up from preschool. I've gone through horrid stages of awkwardness and still haven't escaped the black hole that was my parent's divorce (issues galore). I need a place where I can be a blank canvas. I know that where ever I go, I will still be myself, but at boarding school, no one will have preconceived notions of how I shuold behave.</p>
<p>2.) Family issues.
My mother and father split six years ago. I hate travelling back and forth every other weekend, though I love both sides of my family. My relationship with my mother has suffered occasionally, especially due to teenage issues, and the like. To be able to foster a long-distance relationship with my mother could only strengthen this.</p>
<p>3.) Academic issues.
I hate my current school. A lot. We offer 1 AP, no advanced math courses (I'm two years behind the average boarding school student, through no fault of my own), and our ECs boil down to 5 art courses (must be taken in sequence), chorus, and band. And a shop class. Though we have a few dedicated teachers, most are lazy or new to the school, and don't know what they are doing. If I can maintain a 99 or above average in 4 our of 5 core classes, something is wrong.</p>
<p>4.) Coolness factor.
How cool would it be to say in March to all my friends that I am going to boarding school? How awesome would it be to come home from vacation a better, more mature person and visit with my friends who would rather party then study? To live at school and be more independent, to recieve opportunities beyond my wildest dreams, can only be describes as COOL.</p>
<p>5.) Challenge.
I love a challenge. I love to work ahrd and feel accomplished when I compelte something difficult. At my school, that's practically non-existant. I'm lazy and have little to no work ethic, because I don't need one to succeed here. I'm working on that, though. I have 18 hour days sometimes, with school from 7:45-2:21, volunteering from 2:20 to 3:00, Envirothon from 3:00 to 5:00, and play practice from 6:00 to 9:00, and then home for homework and chores. I want to do this in a challenging environment, not one where I sleepwalk through school, volunteer halfheartedly, study for a team I won't get on because I'm too young (no lie, its age, not skill), and watch Juno during play rehearsal.</p>
<p>Alot of people have asked this... One thread is "Through the fire's of HADES" or something.</p>
<p>Saer, are you sure you don't go to school with my kids???? You have described their school to a tee. Except that they offer 6 AP classes, not that it matters though, because it's once in a blue moon that someone gets better than a 3 and usually it's a 2 or lower. Amazingly, these are the same kids who are on the high honor roll and get an A in the AP class. hmmm.....</p>
<p>Let me guess....are the teacher comments on the papers that you turn in (the rare occasions where they assign something) generally, "A+ good job!" Even if it is mediocre at best? </p>
<p>Are the administrators so worried that you might "fail" if you try something really challenging that they won't even let you try?</p>
<p>Do you have to spend over a month on a book that you read in 3 hours four years ago?</p>
<p>I could go on.</p>
<p>For all you kids who are stuck in these academic black holes, I am lighting a candle for you. For those who are at better schools, I'm pulling for you as well!</p>
<p>My son is currently at a Jr prep applying to HS.
He went/is going to get away from his bro j/k, thats what he tells his buddies.
Seriously he decided to go the BS route because he wanted the academic challenge along with a great sports program. He was finding it difficult to play more than 1 let alone 2 sports along with studying, etc. So for him it was a great choice, he is getting a great education along with being able to play sports that dont interfere with school.</p>
<p>Exactly. A girl in my grade wanted to take the Algebra regents this winter, but the administration refuses to let her for no reason at all. Its ridiculous. I'm trying to hard to get out of here, but sometimes I worry.</p>
<p>the opportunities, the teachers, the experience</p>
<p>Be away from my parents, chill with friends 24/7, do sports and actually have time to do homework and study. My schools cool right now, I just think that its so hard and doesn't pay off and the kids are alrite....in BS..you work hard, it pays off. Plain and simple.</p>
<p>be away from the parents, meaning freedom. gonna have to say it; i dont like the aspect of hours of homework and getting challenged, cause when i get challenged, i feel stupid. but i like the reward. the hardwork will pay off with my college acceptance letters to the ivies, hopefully.</p>
<p>quote on quote from an exeter student about freedom:</p>
<p>"uhm depending on what year you are, check in is a little bit different (its like curfew) but mainly.... ok, you go to class, when you are not in class you can do anything you want and go anywhere you want, skipping class is SUPER easy and you dont REALLY get in trouble for it, freshmen and sophmors have to be in their dorms everynight at 8 except on weekends. but other then that curfew, you can do anything you want and dont have to tell anyone"</p>
<p>Wow you all have very good reasons for applying to boarding school.</p>
<p>Yeah for me as well, I want to take more electives but my school limits do not allow it (im at schools 8-4 on a block schedule everyday)
I want a school where I can pursue my passions and not sacrifice my desire to try new things.</p>
<p>Most importantly though I want teachers who care about my progress and actually take the time to teach me the concepts instead of dishing it out for homework, I might be sounding like a baby but its ok because these teachers i have some are really not fair. They are sometimes unprofessional and just out to get students. </p>
<p>Theres also the racial issue as well as several cliques exist. At my school we have all kinds of races but mainly dominated by asians (I live in the OC). The groups stick together based on their herritage and not intermingling like the people do at boardnig school. I want to get to know other people better such as their culture and stuff and how they were raised instead but I'm afraid if I walk up to them I'd get rejected out of their so called "circle"</p>
<p>1) Flexibility. I transferred from my old public school to a private one this year. My old school had like 23 APs and respectible ECs, but new school... bleh. Let's just say that I took Algebra 2 as a 7th grader, and this year as the 8th, I'm forced to take Pre-Algebra. My current school doesn't offer band, placement tests or even allow for the student to choose an elective until Year 10.</p>
<p>2) The Harry Potter Factor. I know I cried when I didn't get my acceptance to Hogwarts. Third-corridor dragons, anyone?</p>
<p>3) Family. I love them, but they drive me crazy. </p>
<p>4) Peers. The people at this school (and no meanness intended) are not the kind of people I like to hang out with. Plus there's the fact that half of them can't even speak English properly. English class is a bit of a joke. </p>
<p>5) When an opportunity like BS knocks, you had better answer.</p>
<p>yea, i'm from a school where... a good 3/4 can't speak english properly. the teachers don't care about what they're teaching. none of the kids actually want to try to be academically successful until they get into high school because according to them, that's "when it really matters."
frankly, i do want a challenge-something i probably haven't experienced at school very much. the idea of lots of homework sometimes does intimidate me and i want to be in an environment where the kids actually want to learn and that they enjoy learning. i'm pretty sure loads of kids are saying this, but i'm from a public school of 2000 and barely any of them care about school. and a good 1/2 of them will probably be high school drop-outs. </p>
<p>oh, and if i got into boarding school, the opportunities are ah-mazing!!! i don't want to go to get into an ivy or anything... i want to go because... i think i'll learn a lot there, not just academically, but.. you know, morally as well.</p>
<p>Senay - you sound like you have some sound reasons for wanting to go to bs, but be careful assuming that you will have total freedom once/if you get there. I am familiar with at least one of the schools to which you have applied (can't speak about Exeter), but it is absolutely NOT true that it is easy to skip class (in fact, it's NOT DONE); you absolutely can't go anywhere you want anytime you want (except on campus); there are very strict sign-out rules (to protect you) and times to be back, and you DO have to tell people (not friends) where you are going EVERY TIME you leave campus; in fact, you might find bs more strict than your home life, I don't know.</p>
<p>In addition, you so SO BUSY at bs, with committments, classes, homework, there just isn't much time to do whatever you want/whenever you want! Very often it's hard to find the time just to get your required work done. </p>
<p>Each school is different, of course, and some probably do offer more freedom, but I doubt that any really give the kind of freedom that you describe, Senay. Because you all are MINORS, the school is responsible to your parents/guardians for you. And most of them take that role very seriously. There IS more freedom than at your local public high school, thank God, but it is not college. </p>
<p>I think that BS is a wonderful life for those students who go with the right attitude and expectations, but otherwise it will be a huge surprise for those of you who think it's just an escape from most rules and accountability. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>Not all private/boarding school teachers are better - some are retired in place.</p>
<p>Boarding school can be just as cliquey as public - by race, by income level, by interest</p>
<p>Every BS has to deal with "helicopter kids." Mom or dad dropped them in flying by in a helicopter, not even bother to land, and are not heard from again.</p>
<p>A percentage of both domestic and international students who are there because they are some how an embarrassment to their families. My heart goes out to the Korean kids who are smart but not going to get into a top Korean University, so their parents ship them off to the US.</p>
<p>On the positive side, for students who spend 45 minute to an hour computing to school, boarding can be a god-sent. They now have time to explore interests and participate in extra curricular activities. </p>
<p>For a kid bouncing from parental house to parental house, it puts them in one place.</p>
<p>I think "helicopter parents" refers to the opposite type of behavior. As in, the parents are always hovering around.</p>
<p>This is a great question. One my son is asking himself. Now that his apps are done and that his day school has extended a FA offer for him to stay, he is getting cold feet about the entire BS process. I'm glad decisions don't come out til March -- right now he needs to take a break from thinking about BS and get back to his "regular" life. I anticpate he'll have a different perspective after a month of "regular" life</p>