<p>I know most, if not all, bs have significant athletic requirements. I understand the reasoning behind this, but I also know some schools are more comfortable than others for kids who aren't gifted athletes, or even particularly athletic. </p>
<p>I'm not as familiar with many of the schools discussed regularly on this board, but I think these are the schools we'll be looking at for my son next year (later this year, really) for academic environments that will be comfortable for him. </p>
<p>The one sport/athletic activity he's been participating and training in for 4 years doesn't seem to be offered at any of the schools. </p>
<p>Any thoughts/advice/experiences parents or students can share about particular schools?</p>
<p>We can probably be most helpful if you tell us the sport and a basic idea of the kind of student your child is. No sense in having people recommend schools that are either too challenging or not challenging enough for your child.</p>
<p>Many schools offer clubs for unusual sports. Others have facilities nearby that your child may be able to access.</p>
<p>If you haven’t already done so you’ll want to check out the SSAT school search.</p>
<p>My son is not athletic in the traditional sports and it didn’t seem to hurt him. It probably didn’t help him. He still had 4 really good choices on M10. We asked at all schools if his lack of experience would hurt and they all said no. Maybe it’s because he is open minded and willing to try different sports. I don’t know. He’s actually enjoying athletics through his school’s phys ed program (aka “prep spaz”) which all preps who are not on a v or jv team participate in.</p>
<p>My d is likewise not athlete, and I don’t expect it will hurt her. Both kids have/had many other ECs however…to the extent that school was something that they did in their spare time! </p>
<p>I didn’t exclude schools with a sports requirement simply because I happen to think it’s good for them and my kids are eager to try them.</p>
<p>I’m not comfortable naming his sport, because I think it could be identifying, and I’m a bit old? paranoid? about iding my kids on a public forum. </p>
<p>My son is a very strong student, all top grades in his school for gifted middle schoolers, I expect he’ll do quite well when he takes the SSAT. Like most (if not all) of the kids here, he’s a great kid, plays an instrument (though I think he’s most intrigued by the the theory portion), a big reader, well liked by peers and adults, socially adept, well spoken, was heavily involved in musical theater in elementary school, and always willing to lend a helping hand to his fellow classmates and sibs. </p>
<p>He needs a school that will have a wide array of classes to choose from, with other kids who are intellectually curious and want to be challenged. He isn’t opposed (and I’m not, either) to trying different sports, but I think schools where it’s comfortable to take and stay in phys ed or “thirds,” makes sense for him. Older son is in his last year of bs, and the first two years were an adventure in injuries for each new sports season. I’d love to avoid repeating that part of our bs experience. :)</p>
<p>Not every student at BS is an athlete. The schools are looking for a wide range of students and a wide variety of EC’s. So your son should be himself. I do know that at my daughter’s school, there were no fall sports that interested her, so she substituted a different activity instead (some students do community service, others work on the play, etc.) For those students who want to do a sport but it’s not their strength, they have “thirds” levels below varsity and JV. There doesn’t seem to be much stigma or pressure there on the non-athletes.</p>
<p>So I wouldn’t worry. Your son should have plenty of choices at most schools - especially if he wasn’t recruited for a specific sport.</p>
<p>@123mama, there isn’t anything to worry about. I’m TOTALLY non-athletic, and Lawrenceville, and a couple of other schools offer the Club sport option so you ideally play as a beginner (from what I’ve gathered) and students really enjoy it if their not part of a JV sport. BS’s are HUGE so you son will find an activity he will really enjoy.</p>
<p>@Exie, is your d at Exeter? I’m curious (though understand if you don’t answer) because it’s one of the schools that’s been suggested we look at for my s. At this point, I’m trying to focus in on schools where he might be happy and comfortable (academics being a big part of that formula, so please don’t interpret my response as me wanting to avoid rigorous programs). As we move further in the process, FA and the feel he gets from visiting campuses will be factored in. </p>
<p>@PreppyDude, thanks so much for your response! It’s great to hear from a current student. I’m going to take a look at the Lawrenceville site, thanks.</p>
<p>No. She’s at Taft. One of the things we liked about our tour was the guide telling us that the option existed to substitute a different activity for a sport occasionally - and that if she wanted to test drive a new sport she could try for thirds which was less competitive.</p>
<p>Even at Exeter - sports are required, but there are tons of choices and levels since not everyone is athletic. I wouldn’t worry about it. If he’s not recruited for sports, there won’t be pressure for him to be a jock.</p>
<p>I think for non-athletes – meaning kids who are not predisposed to participate in sports – the tripping point is where they convey the sense that they are not inclined to participate in sports at any level. For example, I think the door to a BS closes (or the opening gets considerably smaller) if there are too many questions asked expressing concern about not being able to do robotics or play the hurdy-gurdy or prepare for math competition, coupled with interest in whether students with such other interests can pursue them while the other kids are playing their sports. The problem, for an admission officer, is not that the student isn’t enough of a jock. I think one problem is that they’re trying to create a community and this applicant is trying too hard to operate outside of the community. Another problem, which can be related to that, is that they’re creating a 24-hour community and they need to admit kids who are going to be busy and engaged for all the live-long day.</p>
<p>The wonderful student in a day school may not be a good fit for boarding school. After 3 pm, it may be fine for the day student to go home and read voraciously or sit in the parlor practicing Chopin until dinnertime – but that’s not the case for a student at boarding school after 3 pm. An admission officer is going to look at that student and see someone who’s disengaged from the community. Someone who enters the dining hall alone as the other students enter in groups from their just-concluded sport activity. Someone who is at a high-risk of feeling isolated and dissatisfied. Someone not worth taking a chance on from an applicant pool rich in people who don’t require them to take such risks. So, maybe I’m splitting hairs, but they’re not looking for athletes and jocks. They’re looking for kids who will be engaged and satisfied with their offerings for 24 hours each day, starting with the idea of being in bed in a dorm through eating meals not cooked by mom, then obviously challenged yet successful in the classroom, and a full-participant in the range of offerings before dinner (and sometimes after dinner).</p>
<p>The value – or at least the distinguishing feature – of a boarding school is that it’s not just about the part of the day when you’re in an academic setting. Admissions officers want a school full of students who will fully exploit all the resources that the school has invested in. In terms of sports, consider the resources available from coaches to equipment to real estate. That tells you something about how the community is structured for students to “plug-in” and be full participatory members. Then there are the rules about how many athletic seasons can be spent pursuing, say, drama, music or – as noted above – on math team, to get a well-honed picture of the priorities the school has chosen (and invested in) for its student constituents. </p>
<p>It’s not good enough to point out the wonderful – but unusual – talents your child will bring to this community. You also need to address how well your child will exploit the substantial resources already in place at the school. And I say “you” – as in the parent – because before you or your child present yourselves to an admission committee you need to do this first in an honest self-assessment of your child. You may very well come to the conclusion, before investing too much in pursuing BS, that your child will profit most from continuing their and your investment in those other, unusual activities and not reconfiguring their interests and schedules and regimens to dovetail with a boarding school’s idea for how best to spend the time and engage in the community.</p>
<p>My artsy Ds attend(ed) an athletically inclined BS. D1 had a great time playing thirds lacrosse along with all the international kids and other artsy kids who had never picked up a stick before. They were terrrible, but it did not matter, they had fun and their friends came out to cheer for them anyway. D2 tried water polo first year and loved it. Lots of kids on the team who had never played before. One of the benefits of BS athletics is that there is a place for everyone willing to give it a try. Even in athletic powerhouses it is not necessary to be a varsity athlete.</p>
<p>Wow! Thanks to all for the specific and personal feedback. I think I wrote in an earlier post, he isn’t opposed to trying and playing various sports, he just isn’t a “jock” type kid. He’s excited by the possibilities, and the opportunities to explore new experiences. My concern was that the larger, top tier schools want kids who are JUST as strong on the playing fields as in the classroom. I’m happy it seems like I was mistaken, and the larger schools have more room for varied levels of athletic ability. And who knows? He could find a sport he loves and has a gift for. </p>
<p>@DyerMaker–as the parent of a current boarder, I do understand the principles behind bs philosophy. If I didn’t think this type of philosophy is likely to be a great match for my S2, I wouldn’t be asking these questions. I want each of my children to be happy and successful, which I think can only happen in an environment that’s a good match for them. </p>
<p>I do appreciate everyone’s willingness to share input.</p>
<p>Additional point, relating to Dyer Maker: if you look at schools like Interlochen, Walnut Hill, Concord, Putney, etc., their facilities ALSO reveal where their priorities lie. Let’s remember there’s a WIDE range of boarding school options out there, folks.</p>
<p>Sports are required at Exeter only to ensure that kids get daily exercise; the fact that they tend to be fun is a plus. The club-junior varsity-varsity tier system allows each kid to participate at a level that they find comfortable and/or challenging. Club sports at Exeter are coached by faculty members which allows students and faculty to interact away from the Harkness table. In my time, there was always plenty of good natured ribbing between students and faculty coaches. This was a good thing. So don’t worry about your kid being non-athletic, just rest assured that the kid will get a couple of hours of exercise at least four days a week.</p>
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about iding my kids on a public forum. </p>