<p>My daughter will be applying this fall for 9th grade in Fall 2009. Can anybody tell me more about Concord Academy? It seems to be academically challenging but welcoming and open to a wide range of kids. Is there a heavy emphasis on sports or are artsy kids accepted there as well? Basically, would it be considered a "preppy" school or a little more on the artsy side? How selective is it--in the same range as Exeter, Andover and Deerfield? Any information would be most appreciated.</p>
<p>We visited a few years ago. It is an academically challenging school that seems to have an artsy student body. In fact, when we visited all the academic courses were listed on a wall with arts offerings listed separately next to the academic listings. The arts listings were almost as long as the academic listings . My impression was that sports are on the back burner.</p>
<p>You should note that the percent boarding is low. What is odd is that boaders are not allowed to return to their dorms during the school day. When we visited, a parent took us on tour. He explained that it would be unfair for the boarders to go back to their rooms to retrieve homework because the day students could not do this. I hope they have better reasons for this rule. </p>
<p>For the right student, it's a great school. You need to tour this school because it is not made from the same mold as a typical boarding school. These are only my impressions after spending less than 2 hours on campus a few years ago. When I read the viewbook and looked at the Internet site, I did not understand how strong the arts were. This school was a mismatch for us. If your daughter has a strong interest in the arts and wants a vibrant intellectual environment, then you should include Concord Academy on your tour.</p>
<p>I also found that weird, I chose another school over Concord, I didnt really like it after revisits.
Sports...one word....sucked!</p>
<p>It is very challenging academically but It seems to be a home school. Maybe that is because of a very small campus. I did not like it at all. I chose other school over Concord as well. Their day students used to be over 50% now it is about 50%. Cafeteria is very small and crowded. Oh no!</p>
<p>I really like concord color ...haha....It has a academically challenging school which I really like(despite its small campus). Bad news is that it has very limitted(almost no)FA budget for international students.</p>
<p>We love everything about CA - the campus, the program, the town of Concord at its doorstep, and look forward to a planned visit this fall in anticipation of applying for the following year. </p>
<p>I too am concerned about boarders not being able to go to their rooms during the school day. The supposed reasoning ( not 100 % sure ) makes me wonder if the boarders are the ones at a disadvantage, as if the school is bending over backwards for the day students. Needless to say, we will be looking very carefully at boarding issues, if there are indeed any, closeup. </p>
<p>CA is a very respected school both academically and in the arts. I have no doubts here about my D getting a top quality education.</p>
<p>I want to be sure my D feels at home, not thats she's boarding just because we're unfortunate enough to live outside a commutable distance.</p>
<p>It sounds a little like the Cambridge School of Weston, which is very academically challenging, very artsy but predominantly day students, not boarders. Is anyone familiar with it? If so, how does it compare to Concord or other artsy schools like Putney?</p>
<p>I don't know how CA and CSW compare to each other now, but thirty five years ago they were very different. I know because I applied to both, and went to CSW. Friends of mine went to CA. Both were (and are still )very strong in the arts, and very strong academically. But there the comparison ends. The student body was very different. You really must visit to get a feel.</p>
<p>My son looked at Cambridge School of Weston and Concord along with more traditional boarding schools like Deerfield. He chose Concord because of the combination of informality, a close community, and rigorous academics. Cambridge School of Weston had amazing visual arts and an interesting modular schedule but enrolls what's on average a less academically focused student body. Both schools are in beautiful settings and put a lot of work into ensuring close relationships between students and teachers.
Although Concord has rich arts oppportunities, especially in the performing arts, it's really first and foremost an academic school with senior SAT scores like those of Andover and Exeter and very sophisticated and demanding courses. Socially, it's kind of a "come as you are" place, with a student body that doesn't fit the prep school stereotype.</p>
<p>My sons friend just finished his first year there. He is not into team sports but enjoys fencing, rock climbing, tennis, etc. he is also more of an artsy kid. He specifically choose CA over others because it placed less importance on sports than other schools. He lives there, although he is close enough to commute and loves it. Although as others have mentioned he does not like the fact that he cannot return to his room during the day.</p>
<p>My S just finished freshman year at CA and loved it. He is a day student. One of the major reasons they don't let the boarders in during the day is so that the entire student body mixes all day long - the boarders do not retreat to their rooms during frees. I think it is much less of a homework issue and much more of a community issue. Day students are welcome for breakfast and dinner as well and most eat one of those meals at school.</p>
<p>CA is very, very challenging academically - more so I believe than CSW is currently. Yet there is a strong artistic component and a growing emphasis on sports although no where in the same league (literally actually as they are an EIL school as opposed to ISL) as the big boarders. </p>
<p>The entire school is intentionally small with about 400 kids total, evenly divided between day/boarding and boy/girl. Common Trust is at the heart of all the do. The school may appear casual in terms of dress and the fact that some faculty are called by their first names, but they are serious in terms of expectations - both academic and behavioral. </p>
<p>Happy to answer specific questions at any time if want to PM me. Quite a different school from the big boarders, and that's the point. All depends on the right fit - for the students and the families...</p>
<p>There are some schools that assign each day student to a dorm room (usually with 2 boarders.) Thus, all 3 kids can go back to the dorm during the day and hang out when they don't have class. I think this is the best way to foster community spirit. The day student feels a part of dorm life and has a vested interest in a particular dorm (during dorm wars or some type of dorm vs dorm activity).</p>
<p>I have to say, that preventing the boarders from returning to their rooms during the school day has removed Concord from my list of school possibilities come application time. We had requested info a short while ago and was mildly interested (because of dance program). They sent a letter back stating that they would send packet in the fall. That was strike #1. I felt like, if I was asking now, send it now. Not in 3 months. Paying a premium to board, and then not being able to change in the privacy of one's own room before sports or dance (lugging around ballet stuff all day would stink - literally) is strike #2. Many, many schools (I agree JennyC) integrate day students in various ways without penalizing the boarders.</p>
<p>The houses open at the end of the last period class, or on wednesdays thursdays and fridays by 2:30 so there is ample time to change for sports and such in the houses. There are very few boarders that use the locker rooms in the gym; most go back to their houses to change and drop off their books.</p>
<p>My son, who’s a day student at CA, goes to a boarding house to change before sports. I’m not sure how common this is, but it’s indicative of the close relationships between boarders and day students.</p>