New member...need some advice on where to start

<p>I agree with the Miss Porter’s recommendation. Great art program.</p>

<p>Now I regret not applying to Miss Porters :(</p>

<p>We loved Blair we live in NYC.Great school</p>

<p>Yes I agree Blair is a great option. I would also recommend Loomis and peddie</p>

<p>You might consider schools that offer learning/tutoring support. They will offer a nurturing environment and can use your child’s evaluation to support her in and out of the classroom. Schools that come to mind are Berkshire and Proctor (though Proctor might be to far away for you). They both have strong art programs and are academically solid schools. Berkshire has an amazing new science building and is building a new arts center. Millbrook is another school with a great arts program in Millbrook NY. It is small and very nurturing. The have a unique science program and an on campus zoo. Good luck!</p>

<p>I’m pretty sure like 99% of schools offer tutoring and learning support</p>

<p>NYMom, Blair Academy (Blairstown, NJ) actually is 80% boarding, and a high boarding percentage was actually essential for us. </p>

<p>See the website [Blair</a> Academy: A private boarding & day school in New Jersey](<a href=“http://www.blair.edu%5DBlair”>http://www.blair.edu) for lots of info, videos, etc - under “About Blair”, see the ‘7 Principles that define a Blair education’. We have found that the school does what it says - each child is known very well, the community is welcoming and supportive of all kinds, and no one falls through the cracks. While there are both talented artists and athletes, it is not a an exclusionary place, or where people have to act, dress, or behave in a certain way. No one bats an eye if the athlete participates in the poetry contest or the math whiz stars in the school play. Trying new things is encouraged. Our child is happy and thriving.</p>

<p>You might also go to Boarding School Review (boardingschoolreview.com). That was invaluable when we were first starting a search. It lists all the key facts of each school (boarding percentage, number of students, college matriculation, etc) all in one spot. It was easy, for example, to quickly find schools with the basic ‘must-haves’ (within a certain geographic boundary, or a certain percentage of boarders, etc). You can also select various schools and compare their stats side by side. Since we wanted a school that was primarily boarding - and one that didn’t empty out on weekends as local boarders went home - this was a great starting point for us. That even the students whose families are relatively close to Blair choose to remain on campus on the weekends spoke volumes to us. There are Saturday morning classes (to offset the Wednesday afternoons off). Wed and Sat p.m. are when those on competitive sports teams have games. There is always something going on during the weekend to keep the kids busy and happy.</p>

<p>By the way, Blair was turned into an entirely pedestrian campus some years back, and the original 1848 stone buildings are gorgeous. A 10 year renovation encompassing of all the buildings on campus was just completed. Blair is due to break ground on two new dorms by Blair Lake, which will open fall 2014. The school is not increasing in student size, but will be converting two of the older buildings now serving as dorms to other purposes. At 450 students, we have found it is the perfect size (small enough that everyone knows one another, yet large enough to have a wealth of offerings). </p>

<p>Having about 90% of the faculty live on campus is also wonderful - many times our student has had a question for one of the teachers during study hours and it has been so easy to get answers and help as needed. Teachers are all called Mr., Miss, Mrs., or Ms. and turnover is low.</p>

<p>The dress code for class is casual, but there are parameters to keep things looking neat. There are formal dinners a couple of times a week. The food, by the way, is excellent. </p>

<p>Feel free to ask me questions if you need more personal details. We couldn’t be more thrilled.</p>

<p>^ ^ ^ Too late to correct typo: the new dorms at Blair will actually open Fall 2013.</p>

<p>24daffodils…thanks soooooo much!!! After I wrote earlier about Blair being 50% boarding, I realized I was confusing it with a school that I had just finished reading about in upstate NY. </p>

<p>It really sounds lovey and thanks for offering to share more info! I will take you up in it in the near future I’m sure! :)</p>

<p>We visited 14 schools and Portsmouth Abbey in RI and The Gunnery in CT really stood apart from the rest for their individual attention to student interests and needs.</p>

<p>@NYCMom,</p>

<p>FYI, this is a handy resource: The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) publishes a school directory in magazine form. The magazine has a very useful, large, fold-out map of the U.S., which has all the BS’s located on it.</p>

<p>You can order the TABS directory for free:
<a href=“https://www.boardingschools.com/find...directory.aspx[/url]”>https://www.boardingschools.com/find...directory.aspx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Thank you Sorgee! @GMTplus7…thanks for the info on the magazine!!!</p>

<p>I love how helpful this site has been</p>

<p>I would definitely look at Putney especially if you are interested in progressive education. They currently have a large grant for a Progressive Education Lab with 3 other schools including The Calhoun School. The arts program is outstanding.</p>

<p>Walnut hill is also a good choice, for someone who is very artsy and interested in acting, dancing, music, art and photography. Check out the website.</p>