<p>We've just completed a Connecticut tour of BSs which included Choate and Taft one day followed by Hotchkiss and Kent on the following day. Although Kent gets high marks for faculty and certainly gets most if not all of the check marks for facilities in terms of extracuriculars and sports, it seems their facilities are in need of an upgrade when compared to their competition.</p>
<p>Thoughts from the broader community?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Could you PM or post here on here on your thoughts about Choate?</p>
<p>Part of the problem is the side-by-side with Hotchkiss.</p>
<p>Kent's facilities looked a lot worse after we made our trip to Hotchkiss afterwards. The dorms seemed untidy and dreary...while at Hotchkiss everywhere we went had a fresh coat of paint or was new construction.</p>
<p>There are some Kent parents on-line here and they can speak to this better. But I had the same impression that you did regarding facilities, faculty, etc. -- based on an encounter just as fleeting as yours. If our similar experiences are inaccurate, Kent might benefit from rethinking how it appears to the untrained eye during tours.</p>
<p>One of the things I try to tell myself whenever I do comparison shopping is that I never (or rarely) use the product side-by-side with the other ones. Yes, the higher resolution picture looks better in the TV store showroom...but will you ever know the difference once you bring it home? You'll only know that it could be an even better picture. But at what price?</p>
<p>Do you want to give up a potentially better fit overall because of some side-by-side comparisons? Then again, as a parent, it may be tougher to get over the fact that the dorm rooms are nicer at the other school.</p>
<p>I really liked the faculty members we met at Kent. The chairman of the music department was one of my favorite people that I met during the entire interview process.</p>
<p>Gee .. my impression was that Hotchkiss was just too "glossy". I just did not like the place. And I was prepared to love it.</p>
<p>I'm personally a fan of the traditional, historic school. And while it's wonderful that we can all send our kids to these places glistening with new construction -- at the end of the day it's the education that they are taking away. Not the physical plant.</p>
<p>It's true that a gleaming body with chrome details doesn't mean that a car will run on all cylinders, it's also fair to be disappointed if you're being asked to pay full list price for a vehicle with exterior body rust...even if the engine runs just swell.</p>
<p>Nobody should assume that a school glistening with new construction takes care of the essential business of educating. But then again nobody should feel like they're getting a better education if they opt for schools that are run-down and in decay or just haven't been spending money on facility upgrades. You can have your facilities and faculty too.</p>
<p>Approximately, how many new and unexperienced teachers are at Kent? Is there a high tournover in the teaching staff from year-to-year?</p>
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<p>I don't think anyone in this thread was suggesting or would be inclined to think there's anything to your question. Unexperienced teachers? I'd guess zero, give or take none. The faculty came across as a plus.</p>
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it seems their facilities are in need of an upgrade when compared to their competition
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<p>I'm a couple years out of a NE prep school. By far the best/most useful class i took was in one of the older, less impressive classrooms, but had an amazing teacher. The student body and quality of teachers matters so much more than the quality of the facilities academically.
it's understandable to worry about how the buildings will affect general quality of life, but I'd suggest you look into look into the dining first. Seriously, that's pretty much the only food you'll be eating, and it affects quality of life SO much more than a fresh coat of paint on the walls.</p>
<p>I have a son who graduated in the class of 2007. He had an absolutley terrific educational, social and athletic experience at Kent School, and as parents, we were very pleased. The teachers are energetic and approachable, and administration does a fine job, and the campus is beautiful. It is one of the more strict and traditional prep schools, and has maintained it's religious identity. In his four years at Kent, my son had very few compaints. Solid place, good school with nice kids and a dedicated faculty.</p>
<p>I've had this conversation with a couple people - mainly my friend's parents who are applying - about how they believe that Choate's facilities need an upgrade. But in my opinion, the look of the facilities maybe isn't as great, but it has the facilities themselves - swimming pool, loads of soccer/football fields, great arts center, and loads of other resources - that make up for it. And you won't be walking around the campus saying "I love the look of the new Science Center!" but talking about the great class you had.</p>