Hi everyone. Lately I have been compiling a list of boarding schools I would like to apply to. I would like to hear your input on good second-tier and hidden gem schools to apply to.
My ideal school would be:
-Coed
-Not too large but large enough where the school has lots of clubs and classes to choose from
-In the Northeast (I’d be willing to look at anywhere that isn’t the in midwest though if I really like the school)
-More boarding students than day
-Preferably less strict (more freedom)
-Relatively near a medium-big sized city
(I’d like to add that I am not artistic in any way, so no artsy schools please)
I would start by entering some of your search criteria on the boardingschoolreviewdotcom site. That will generate a larger list that you can then drill down on to narrow your search.
What do you consider too large? Choate has the most extracurriculars in comparison to it’s student body, but 800 kids may be too big?? Also a pretty large amount of freedom, IMO. The town is considered part of the campus, so you can walk to town freely. How competitive are the schools that you would want to go to?
Look at Westtown and George School and see what you think of those. Both are Quaker schools so emphasize community and diversity. They are closest to Philadelphia and more suburban than rural. They are BS so have rules, but are more casual. (At George, students and teachers address each other by first name, for example. )
Choate Rosemary Hall! The school is not too large and it is a very historical/prestigious school. CRH is located in Wallingford, CT so it’s in the northeast and near the city. The school is around 80-ish% boarding and co-ed! Definitely worth applying to!
Look at Berkshire School! It is coed and 400 students which allows the school to have plenty of clubs and offerings. It is the perfect amount of students because it’s small enough that you know so many people and it really feels like a community, but it’s big enough that there are still plenty of opportunities and offerings. It’s in Sheffield MA right in the border of CT. 91% of students are boarders which is awesome. It never gets boring and it’s always really fun because you are living with all your best friends. If you have any questions, I’m a current boarding student, so just pm me. Good luck!
Its a little further south, and pretty small at 185 kids, but my daughter is at Miller School of Albemarle in Charlottesville, VA and has been very happy. I think they have about equal number of day and boarding, but they are pretty good about running trips into downtown Charlottesville on weekends and really try to find stuff for the boarding kids to do. Its a great school if you have ANY interest in cycling and often host races on campus.
You may also consider Pomfret. It is smallish and has a great community. Seems to fit most of your categories, but the campus is quite “out there” (though beautiful). They provide weekend trips to nearby towns for restaurants, fast food, Target, etc. It’s about 45 minutes to Providence and one hour to Boston or Hartford.
Take a look at Kent School. It fits what you have described these days and is part of a wonderful little town called Kent in Litchfield County, CT. The students have open access to the town, which is definitely worth looking up and a visit independent of the school. Best of luck!
Sounds like Westminster School, but be careful if sports are important to your child, as their sports programs are very poorly run, non-commital and feel like “after school activities” vs. schools that have a real commitment to excellence. The best part about Westminster sports program is their brochure…and their admission office inflate their sports offering greatly…don’t believe them.
^ Disagree with the above. Maybe you have specific examples that you can cite but Westminster is smaller than nearly all of the Founders League schools and competes very favorably. They certainly fight above their weight in most sports.
Kent is a lovely town, but it’s not a “medium-big” city by any stretch. Wallingford (Choate) is a more substantial town and more accessible to transportation. In Connecticut, Loomis and Suffield are more accessible both to an airport and to Hartford (not exactly a cultural Mecca or a very interesting city), and Westminster is also closer in than Kent and also closer to the more suburban areas of Simsbury/Avon/Farmington. Kent and Pomfret are both pretty remote.
The thing is to keep in mind how much actual time a student will be engaged on campus and then look at the surrounding towns that are a short walk. Then consider what is a short drive away. I know that with Kent, for example, New Milford is down the road a bit and keep going and there is much larger Danbury. Check and see what transportation options are like and whether schools can assist if need be and whether they have trips to nearby and interesting places. A checklist is a fine idea, but don’t box yourself in with it and you will be happy where you end up.
