<p>Recently, I started looking into boarding schools. I'm not sure what has been drawing me to them. I mean, I have a great home environment and go to one of the best public schools in the country. But I feel like I'm missing something.</p>
<p>Many of my peers are not motivated to learn, which makes my school day more difficult. I want to be surrounded by people with the same motivation I have.
I'm a straight-A student who has been in the Gifted program since 3rd grade (I'm now in 8th). I am taking 9th grade Honors Algebra, and am in Level 2 Advanced LA. Last year, I won an award for having the best grades out of every girl in my grade. (I'm not bragging- I'm just trying to give you guys a picture of my academic life) I want to be surrounded by people who want to succeed, and hold themselves to the same standards I do.</p>
<p>My grades last year in my core subjects were-
Math- 99%
LA- 96%
Social Studies- 100%
Science- 102%
French- 100%</p>
<p>Also, I only answered 3 question incorrectly on my state's standardized test.</p>
<p>~~~~~</p>
<p>I told you all of that in the hope that you could help me find boarding schools that are a good fit for me.
Some more things I am looking for are-
1. A great dance program (especially ballet)
2. Preferably all-girls, but I'm open to coed.
3. On the east coast</p>
<p>I have already looked at Grier, and am very interested in it. (Any info on it would be appreciated)
Please suggest any other schools you think I'd be interested in. Also, I'd love to know if I'd qualify for a scholarship at any schools.</p>
<p>~~~~~</p>
<p>The big catch is that I haven't brought this up to my parents yet. I don't know how they'd take it. I'm extremely nervous that they won't be open to the idea. I'm also worried about how they would respond to the cost.
If anyone has advice on how to introduce the idea to my parents, I'd be so grateful.</p>
<p>You may want to check out Concord Academy. Richard Colton and Amy Spencer are a husband and wife team who both teach at CA and who together run the school’s Summer Stages dance program. Both are experienced dancers and choreographers. I don’t know how much ballet is available at CA but in any case you may want to contact Amy, who is the head of the dance department and/or Richard, who danced with the Joffrey and American Ballet companies. Even if CA turns out not to be the right match for you they could probably give you advice about East Coast prep schools with both strong academics and strong dance programs.</p>
<p>Concord Academy actually has little ballet - the program is more modern focused. </p>
<p>I can’t speak to all girls schools but in terms of coed, for a combo of strong dance - specifically ballet - and strong academics I would look first at St. Paul’s School. Other schools worth a look based on that criteria are Deerfield and Andover.</p>
<p>Thanks, all of you!
I am in love with St. Paul’s dance program, but I can’t see it happening because of the affiliation with the Episcopal church. Personally, I have nothing against Episcopalians, but my family is full of strict Roman Catholics.</p>
<p>I also like Andover.
So far, my “considering” list is… (not in any order)
-Grier
-Andover
-St Paul’s (I wish!!!)
-Westover</p>
<p>Any other schools or advice on asking my parents about boarding school?</p>
<p>balletandbooks- even though a school is Episcopal it doesnt mean you have to be of that religion to go there. they might have a Catholic service you can go to</p>
<p>bookluver07- I know, but the affiliation would still make my family uneasy (particuarly my grandmother). I would love to go to St. Paul’s- it would just take a lot of extra convincing.</p>
<p>bookluver07- You were actually very helpful! You got me to take another look a St. Paul’s, which made me think that the convincing would be worth it.</p>
<p>Ballet, SPS is wonderful, great academics, excellent dance program. I believe one of the only bs to have their own company. I loved it, my d not as much. The dancing program is extremely tough and meant for serious dancers. My d is a classical ballet student, but was wait-listed. </p>
<p>My d loves Deerfield Academy’s dance program, serious enough to be great but relaxed enough that anyone who has the desire to dance has a chance and is encouraged to go for it. My d is taking it as a class and co-cirr. My d loves to dance, not professionally, but wants law school too.</p>
<p>Your d sounds just like me, AlexzMom! I love dancing, but I’m not looking at a career in it. My main career interests are genetics, writing, and law.
I’ll look into Deerfield some more!</p>
<p>The majority of students at SPS are not Episcopalian. You can definitely attend Catholic mass on Sundays nearby. I wouldn’t let the religious affiliation stop you from looking… I’m sure that if your family visited campus they would find it so low-key from a religious standpoint that it would be a non-issue.</p>
<p>Most, if not all, dancers in boarding school are not planning to dance professionally. Academics are the primary driver, not dance. If they did, they would go to a ballet conservatory where dance is the primary focus. However, for those looking to combine top-notch academics with the best possible ballet instruction, SPS is the place to look.</p>
<p>Creative1–I stand corrected you’re right, if ballet was first, then a conservatory would be their need. I do believe that SPS program is still a little more serious that DA, especially when it comes to ballet.</p>
<p>If you’re seriously interested in SPS, you might want to email the admissions office and ask them to put you in touch with the school’s Roman Catholic chaplain, the Reverend Steven Montesanti. He is listed on the school website as the Associate Chaplain to the Roman Catholic community. He is not at the school full time, but it appears that he is available to students. Tell him your concerns and perhaps, when you’ve discussed this with your parents, he might be willing to communicate with them directly.</p>
<p>ballet - Many of the best boarding schools in the U.S. have Episcopal roots. However, this is a FAR cry from all the students being Episcopalian or having some kind of forced Anglican diet. That does NOT happen. The student population is multi-faith. There are tons of Catholics, Episcopalians, and gasp, Jews who make up the student body, plus the random Muslim, Hindu etc. One of the best parts of boarding school is the exposure to different faiths. It energizes many a classroom discussion. It is interesting and educational. It is also LIFE! Hopefully your grandmother can appreciate that everybody at boarding school pursues their faith however they choose and that her granddaughter will be in no danger of becoming less Catholic because she attends a school established by Episcopalians 200 years ago, just like an Episcopalian won’t become less Episcopalian if he or she attends Notre Dame.</p>
<p>The money is a WHOLE different issue. Even for many wealthy parents, boarding school represents an enormous financial sacrifice. Almost always those who are willing to make this kind of investment put the quality of the education and the independence of their child ahead of vacations, fancy homes, whatever. There is NO equally strong alternative to the blend of education and independence outside of the boarding school system. You can get one or the other, but not both. That’s what makes boarding school the gift that it is for most kids (not all). But if Mom and Dad (or grandmother) are writing the checks, they have to think the same way.</p>
<p>The best thing you can do is to get them to go on some visits to a few top schools so they can see it for themselves.</p>
<p>Whether it’s SPS or any other great institution on your list, these Schools do a fantastic job of making sure all of their kids can worship as often as they like at the Church of their choice. The only limiting factor is time in the day. You’ll be busy with classes, homework and activities. But cars heading off campus to different Churches on the weekend is a regular sight.</p>
<p>Thanks so much, all of you!
Thank you guys for clearing up the Episcopal stuff- I feel more confident about bringing this up to my parents now. </p>
<p>Deerfield and St. Paul’s are my two top choices now, followed by Andover and Grier.</p>
<p>balletandbooks, I am Catholic and am having a bit of trouble understanding your grandmother’s objections. Your faith will be respected and encouraged at all the schools that I know of, but it seems especially at the Episcopal schools. My son is not at an Episcopal school but he applied some. The chapel programs and lack of sqeamishness about calling oneself a Christian were one of the many things that both of us, as Catholics, liked about these schools. </p>
<p>I think the larger issue may be one of your family being able to “let go.” If you can, as Parlabane wisely suggests, manage to convince your family to visit, and see what these schools are actually offering, the religious affiliation may just melt away. I don’t even know if I would send my child to any overtly religious school, Catholic or otherwise, because a big part of the benefits of boardings school is the opportunities my son has to make his own decisions. He’s at Exeter now, which has weekly services for Hindu, Jewish, Buddist, Muslim and Christian students in the campus chapel. He can walk to a Catholic or a Unitarian church on Sunday morning if he wants, but considering that Sunday morning is the only regular opportunity that he has to sleep past 6:30, it’s highly unlikely that he will get up to go to mass. Maybe he’ll joing the Catholic Exonians club (or maybe he won’t). I guess what I’m trying to say is that if what he was doing, thinking, saying was something that I thought I needed to keep tabs on, I wouldn’t have let him go. But, I think that he is grounded enough in his faith to carry him through and if he needs spiritual “refueling”, the opportunities are there. I am certainly not afraid of him meeting students of other faiths. As a matter of fact, we both think it is HUGE draw.</p>
<p>Maybe I’m an atypically ecumenical Catholic, I dunno. :)</p>