Our son was fortunate to get accepted into 4 of the schools he liked. We are going to all revisits to get a feel for the culture and student body. He’s a student athlete, plays baseball, and is a pretty relaxed kid (that needs a push/reminder sometimes), leans more STEM and who loves hands on learning. Besides baseball, he also loves skiing and other sports.
Can anyone share their experiences at Berkshire, Suffield, Peddie, or Frederick Gunn? Our son’s criteria is the strength of the athletic offerings, if the kids are nice, relaxed and inclusive, and if he can choose his own pace on the academic offerings. I know some of the schools also have dress codes (he’s not happy about giving up his baggy jeans, t-shirts, hoodies and sneakers which is his current daily wardrobe) and curious how strict those codes are. My husband and I are more focused on the academic quality and preparation for college and whether our son will be happy and engaged at the school.
The revisits will be helpful! If I were a betting person, based on what you are looking for, I’d put my money on Peddie. Probably the most relaxrd of the bunch.
All excellent options, so remember (to save yourself stress), this is about making the best choice, not about avoiding a dreadful mistake.
I have had really positive interactions with Suffield student athletes and faculty. They seem smart and happy. Another plus is proximity to Bradley airport !
I was going to say the same as the poster above. My daughter goes to a different school but has many friends and club teammates at Suffield. They all love their school, seem to have a lot of fun, and from what I’ve witnessed their athletic teams are both very high caliber and really close knit.
I will say the dress code for boys is one of the most formal of all the schools in our area but it seems like a small price to pay for a great school environment.
Suffield parent here… I will give two thumbs up to Suffield for having truly nice kids, engaged and supportive community, and strong athletic vibes. We have loved our experience there - great communication from school leadership, challenging academics, and all around a positive experience for our kiddos.
Dress code has gotten more casual post Covid. Boys still have ties and khakis but most wear with Patagonia vests or quarter zips so overall pretty casual. Girls dress is even more casual, basically no jeans.
I have 2 kids that graduated from Berkshire and are now at very selective colleges. They had fantastic experiences at Berkshire! Caring faculty and administration, high level academics, beautiful campus/facilities, competitive athletics,
and supportive school community. The school has some unique programs like Pro Vita and their AMSR (Advanced Math/Science Research). Both my kids were active in sports so I was on campus frequently. Absolutely loved my time at the school and miss the community. Happy to answer any questions.
Gunn’s revisit day was incredible. We did not expect to choose Gunn, but the personal touch of the school throughout the process and the tight knit community we saw last week was so impressive to us. You have great choices for sure, but our daughter is so excited to join FGS.