Hi all! I’ll be attending The Hotchkiss School as a 9th grader next Fall. I wanted to start a thread where incoming (or current) students could meet each other and discuss whatever. Current Hotchkiss students are welcome to share advice and answer questions!
hi I’m also going to hotchkiss as a '24 this is my mom’s account lol
Congratulations on your acceptances and decisions. Based on our experience, “you’re gonna love it”!
It was a competitive year at Hotchkiss as applications were up 18%, according to the story below, so well done.
I was thinking about starting a group chat on instagram for newly accepted students! if anyone stumbles upon this post, feel free to PM me your @ (:
@Ani2020 Nice to meet you! I was anticipating a bit more activity in this thread lmao. Btw, I sent you a PM.
@Mumof3Boyz Thank you so much! I’m beyond excited to attend a school with such an amazing little community!
If you don’t mind, I had a couple of questions about Hotchkiss:
Is the dining hall food any good?
Would you say the dress code is strict?
How is placement for courses done? (languages, math, etc)
I’m another Hotchkiss parent. The food is really good, with many choices.
Dress code not super strict (It has been loosened over the years)
You will take a placement test over the summer for math/languages.
You mentioned soccer in another thread. Are you a boy or girl? My son plays soccer, it is a close knit team with great kids. (The girl’s team is great too!)
I agree with @cinnamon1212 I think the school has really worked hard on Dining over the past few years. Fairfield Farm, the school’s farm, supplies a lot of fresh and organic food now. We think the food is great, our kid says it is “good, not great”. The school’s upcoming $40 mln. Dining Hall renovation will help, as it will expand and modernize the kitchen services, as well as expand seating to allow for more all-school sit down meals.
I would say the Dress Code is not strict at all.
The soccer teams have a wonderful chemistry.
Take care.
@Mumof3Boyz thanks for letting me know! do you know when the renovation for the dining hall will start?
@cinnamon1212 i’m a girl. i stopped playing soccer last year. i was considering continuing in high school, but due to injuries etc, i’ve decided to continue running XC and Track instead! i might do soccer recreationally though (:
soooooo I go to Taft (i know right but don’t judge) but I have to say this:
the most fun I had all year was probably our competition day (Taft Day for you, Hotchkiss Day for me). I was competing but this goes for everyone no matter what but the energy was so ecstatic and it was a blast. I think our schools have the best rivalry (yes better than Choate and Deerfield) and there’s so much hype for it and everyone loves it. It was awesome to be part of something so big as a freshman, so I think that’s something everyone looks forward to on both sides. It’s November 14 this year at Taft, so y’alls better bring it.
I thought maybe y’all would enjoy hearing that because it’s something to look forward to because it really is a fun time.
On the topic of prep school rivalries, keep in mind that the Hotchkiss - Taft rivalry started in the mid 70s. Before that, Hotchkiss vs Kent was the big annual game.
I would say that Andover-Exeter, Lawrenceville vs Hill and Choate vs Deerfield (started in 1922) are slightly “better” than Hotchkiss vs Taft
Hey, I’m also Hkiss class of 2024 , and I can add you to some group chats on Instagram or Snapchat if you aren’t already on them. We do weekly zoom calls and it’s a lot of fun.
Hey! I’m Hotchkiss class of 24’ as well. I’m in some group chats on Instagram and Snapchat if you aren’t in them already. We do weekly zoom calls and they are a lot of fun.
Hello, I’m a class of 24’ too. I’m still a new member so I can’t pm people yet. I can respond however so if you wouldn’t mind reaching out to me, that would be great!