Are there social events every weekend?
Thank you for the info! I was just wondering, how happy are the students there? Are they stressed to the point that itās crazy? And is everyone super competitive to beat one another? I really want a school that can push me to work hard but I donāt want to be stressed to the point I want to die. Thanks!
@GoldSilver the prep science program sufficiently prepared my son to go directly into AP Bio as a sophomore.
@hotchkissbearcat Are there certain sports that are cut? If I have no zero experience at a sport, can I still join JV?
@Golfgr8 our student activity director really tries to provide great activities each weekend, and there will always be something going on on Saturday night. Sometimes theyāre super random (they brought in Snapchatās most famous pancake artist once) and other times they are classics that come back each year, like the hypnotist. Sometimes, there will be a dance or a student performance instead. On Sundays, there are always busses to Millerton, NY (our nearest town with lots of restaurants, a grocery store, and a CVS) and sometimes other trips as well, but most students just use the day to rest and catch up on work.
@mackenzie1002 I know that Iāve generally been positive on this thread, but the atmosphere at Hotchkiss is something that I especially love! Studying in groups is totally the norm (people value collaboration over competitiveness), and your classmates become family to the point where you can all go to each other when you are stressed about anything! You will definitely work hard here, but you will never spend your entire day studying. All students do sports from 4:00-5:30, and most go to clubs after dinner. You will also spend time with your floor after check in. If you ever want to feel challenged, there are always more activities to pursue like joining debate, writing for The Record (our newspaper), writing for one of our numerous creative writing magazines, or joining math team/science olympiad, but most students join these activities because they are truly passionate about them, not because they are ever bored.
Overall, boarding school is one of the most FUN experiences Iāve ever had. From having roommates and laughing with them every day and night, to joining a sports team and bonding over wins and losses, to being surrounded by peers who want to work hard and learn while being social, I could go on and on about how many great experiences Iāve had. Not every day will be perfect, and the first few days were definitely hard for me, but you will be amazed at how many things you can do while not being stressed out.
@trynagetthere most sports have thirds teams that donāt cut (the only thirds team that makes cuts is volleyball). There are some JV teams that you can make with no experience (for girls, JV softball, JV swimming, JV track, JV cross country, JV water polo; for boys, JV football, JV wrestling, JV swimming, JV track, JV cross country, JV water polo, JV baseball). If those sports donāt appeal to you, donāt be afraid of joining a thirds team! There are plenty of upperclass students and you can always switch sports in the first few days if you donāt like the sport.
@Golfgr8 - do tell - where have you seen chargers in the area? I wasnāt aware of many around Lakevilleā¦
@HkissParent - check out the Tesla App - there are chargers conveniently located in Salisbury - also near or on the campus of several schools. I will PM you - also if you need a supercharger. BTW if you need a charger on campus, you can request one from Tesla.
Do the students ever go onto NYC?
@hotchkissbearcat thanks for all this helpful feedback and perspectives on Hotchkiss. Loved hearing about other activities like debate and writing for the Record. Thank you. How are things with lacrosse? Does the student body support the team? How are the coaches and team? Are they tight, do they love playing for their school? And as far as academics, is there a standout teacher in any subject that you found to be life-changing or exceptional beyond their peers?
@resurgo0 Iām not on the lacrosse team so I donāt know everything about the team, but I can share what I know. Right now, the team is on spring break in Orlando, which will help them prepare for a successful season. There are often coaches being added, but I know that one of the main coaches is a Harvard hall of fame lacrosse player (he has the record for most goals scored at Harvard). Lacrosse games are definitely well attended in the spring ā the only challenge is whether to watch boys or girls! Iāll PM you on the teacher question in order to preserve my anonymity.
@resurgo8 oops sorry typo in the above tag. Also, for some reason the new message button has disappeared from my page, is there any way you could PM me first and I will reply?
@FunintheSun1211 usually students donāt go back to NYC for day trips on weekends, but there are sometimes field trips to the city. Students from the city also often invite their friends home for weekends or long weekends.
@hotchkissbearcat Do you have to do a co-curricular every season? What are some of the most popular ones?
@hotchkissbearcat thanks for the feedback!
This is super useful, I would like to know the answer to @trynagetthereās question too.
Thank you so much for all this information. Is the dress code strictly enforced at Hotchkiss? I was reading the rules and they seem to have a stricter dress code than some schools.
There are definitely schools with more rigid dress codes.
I have no experience with Hotchkiss specifically, so someone can chime in. But my experience has shown that if itās in the handbook, they mean business. Actions have consequences.
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@trynagetthere @FunintheSun1211 yes, you have to do something after school every season. In the fall, soccer is pretty popular, and field hockey for girls. In the winter, I would say that it is evenly divided between squash, hockey, and basketball. In the spring, lacrosse and tennis are both super popular, and the sailing team definitely has a big presence but they only take a few students who are new to the sport (most have previous experience). Some ānontraditonalā co curriculars include FFEAT (working at the farm), yearbook, robotics, sports photography/video/journalism, or an individual project. Some past individual projects include volunteering at the local school, training for a marathon, horseback riding, and even DJing!