<p>I have searched Hotchkiss and gotten a certain amount of information on CC, but I'd be very interested in hearing anyone's honest take on the school. I have twins who've been accepted, and both are very seriously considering going (though they don't want to go to the same school). I know they feel honored to be accepted to such a good school, and say they're up for the challenge (they are bright but not particularly industrious). They are NYC kids, from an artsy family, and though they both work hard to "fit in" I worry that being at such a preppy school may eventually grow old for them (especially the dress shirt, blazer, tie requirements). We did love the school when we toured it, and they both connected very well with their interviewer. But we didn't get that much of a sense of who the students are... They've been having lots of fun looking the school up on urban dictionary (š§I'm hoping that it's just a lot of trash talking...). The other two schools they are considering are very much more on the creative side, something I'm much more familiar and comfortable with--but I do believe that sometimes the most growth happens when you're exposed to something unfamiliar. Anyway, sorry for this long ramble. Feel free to PM me if you don't feel comfortable saying something on the public forum. Thank you!</p>
<p>What are the other two schools? I saw your other post where you mentioned acceptances to NMH but were awaiting news from Andover. Please be more specific about which and where, and weāll try to assist you.</p>
<p>I have no inside scoop other than a good friend of mine has a freshman daughter there who is absolutely loving it. Her mom jokingly says that her DD was accepted only for geographic diversity and not for accomplishments. That said, sheās fit in seamlessly and has done really well. FWIW she comes from a formal and conservative background.</p>
<p>The best way, as everyone says, is to go to the revisit days of the schools you are seriously considering. That will give you the best idea of where your children/family feel most comfortable.</p>
<p>No personal experience with Hotchkiss but I know a freshman there. The student is also for NYC and from what her mother tells me she LOVES the school. Sheās made lots of friends, feels very comfortable, never feels out of place ( student is on lots of FA) and the mother loves the school too. Has nothing but praise for it. So much so that I looked into it for my own daughter who is currently in 7th gradeā¦but donāt think we will be applying since my daughter is artsy and likes a less formal vibe to a school.</p>
<p>Hotchiss is wonderful. My son graduated from THS last spring after enrolling as a lower-mid. He is now at an Ivy school and truly believes he would not be there but for Hotchkiss. Along with a beautiful campus and superb facilities (especially music), Hotchkiss has, among the NE BSās, (a) the best student-to-courses offered ratio (tied with Andover) (b) highest endowment-to-student ratio, and (c) IMHO, the most illustrious alumni list (e.g., Henry R. Luce, Paul Nitze, Justice Potter Stewart, Lewis Lapham, John Hammond, Robert Bork, John Hersey, Chris Wallace, Thomas Hoving, Harold Stanley, Archibald MacLeish, Henry Ford II, etc.).</p>
<p>toombs, no doubt that Hotchkiss is a fine institution but it does not have the highest endowment to student ratio. The search piece put together to solicit applications for a new Head of School indicates that the Hotchkiss endowment is $370 million and the size of the student body is 598 students. </p>
<p>SPS has an endowment of $463 million for a student body of 536 students.
Exeter has an endowment of $992 million for a student body of 1071 students.
Both of these schools have a higher endowment per student ratio.</p>
<p>C1, your numbers on SPS and Exeter may be right. I know that my numbers are a bit dated. I know that when I ran my calculations previously (and it has been a while), THS had the top endowment-to-student ratio. So, to be save, I must now state that Hotchkiss has one of the top ratios here. Thanks.</p>
<p>In any case, I doubt the OP is going to make their choice based on the endowment-to-studio ratio.</p>
<p>Maybe. Maybe not. Such a ratio should, however, be a factor (and I think a major factor) worth considering because the size of a schoolās endowment per student shows, to some fair degree, the strength, stability, flexibilty, opportunities, and alumni love/support for a school, among other important attributes of a private prep school.</p>
<p>Yes, I am aware of and appreciate the student/teacher ratio at Hotchkiss, as well as their large endowment. I guess my question was more about the information an insider might have. For example, I know there are drugs and alcohol issues at any high school, but Iām wondering if a Hotchkiss parent might know how big of a problem this is or isnāt there. Or is the school particularly clique-y, or if the haves and have nots intermingle, or if the school provides good support to struggling studentsā¦ That sort of thing. Iām also not really so interested in the Hotchkiss vs any other school comparison, but rather more of a closer, maybe more blunt, description of any parent/studentās experience there.</p>
<p>From the perspective of a parent whose son attended THS for 3 years and graduated from there last spring, it is my opinion that (a) drugs and alcohol are not major problems at THS because the school has a strict āone strike and your outā policy, (b) the haves vs. have-nots is not an issue; my son was not from the NE and didnāt drip with big money or NYC connections, but he got along swimmingly with just about everyone at Hotchkiss and, in fact, has many more friends from THS than he does now in his home town, for better or worse, and (c) THS supports its own. My son had some issues his second year at Hotchkiss, and the school was there to give him all of the support he needed; in fact, the school gave him more support in many ways than either my wife or I ever could. My son worked thru these issues with certain THS staff members/teachers and is now enjoying his first year at an Ivy League college.</p>
<p>As you can see, I am a huge fan of THS, but, I think, with just cause.</p>
<p>Good luck to you and your kids, cocobean2.</p>
<p>Does anyoneās kids got accepted to hotchkiss but not plan to attend? My daughter got accepted to hotchkiss and Choate but she is leaning towards going to Choate. I would like to tell her case study this year on why students either accepts or rejects this year. I heard that recently lots of changes happened at hotchkiss which made some students to select Choate insteadā¦</p>
<p>My son is a prep (freshman) at Hotchkiss, and he absolutely loves it. We are from the Southeast, and far from wealthy, but he has had no trouble fitting in socially at all. He has struggled on the academic front, but he has received a lot of attention from his advisor and his teacher. In the ten days he has been home for spring break (so far), we have received several telephone calls from his advisor, and my son has exchanged e-mails with a few of his teachers.</p>
<p>As a school, I think Hotchkiss is a leader on several fronts, including internationalism and environmentalism, due in large part to the current head. Hotchkiss will have a new head next year, Kevin Hicks, who is a former Yale dean and seems to be a very solid person. Last year, during revisits, my wife and I commented that Hicks seems to āget it.ā Also, my son seems to believe that changes to the dress code are afoot, so maybe that will assuage your concerns on that front.</p>
<p>Anyway, Iām a huge Hotchkiss fan (so far), and Iām happy to answer any questions you might have.</p>