How often do you hear from you child’s advisor/teachers/other BS personnel about how is your child doing? And if you remember, how long after move-in did it take to get the first update from the school (first year)?
We got a couple of advisor reports and phone calls that first year. After that, nothing unsolicited. I think that first report was within the first month of drop-off. The only teacher contact we had was during Parents Weekend when we could (optionally) schedule a ten-minute block with any of our son’s teachers which was done speed-dating style in the gymnasium—every time the bell rang, we would scramble to the next location for the next ten-minute block/teacher. After sophomore year, we didn’t interact with teachers at all and only occasionally with his advisor. At the end of junior year and beginning of senior year, we had plenty of unsolicited contacted with our son’s CC.
You will see when you get those extremely detailed grade reports just how your child is doing. Frankly, after seeing those, we just didn’t have anything to question or add.
For us, a few weeks into the first year, the advisor would reach out to share “settling in” impressions. After that, mid-term and end of term reports. Otherwise, just on an as needed basis, if there was an issue and maybe once per child to pass along a compliment or some good news. This was all in writing/email for the most part from the advisor.
Teacher contact was only at Parents’ Weekend (classroom visit) or if there was an issue.
Hearing from administrative personnel was only if there was a problem. You don’t want those calls. 
We did get to know some faculty and administrative heads fairly well over the span of 2 students as well as parental involvement in various events/development efforts and would chat informally when on campus.
I just checked my old texts. Last year we had a quick text from the advisor one day in, then 2 weeks in, a little back and forth about changing math classes a couple weeks later, and then it was mostly me checking in with random questions for the rest of the year. There were a couple times maybe she texted to ask if Kiddo was keeping us informed. She also wrote two formal reports during the year that conveyed information from dorm heads and coaches. I never communicated with dorm people or coaches directly.
Teachers - just grade reports mid-trimester, end of trimester, and then 10 minute conferences at parents weekends. The grade reports were so thorough, we never felt any need to communicate further with teachers. We never saw student work product unless Kiddo shared it.
Health center/athletic trainers - any health issue, no matter how small, we were told about same day.
This year I have had one text from the advisor, and don’t feel a need to reach out as much. Other than I just like her. 
Same school as @doschicos, but our D’s adviser reached out with info and updates more often. I don’t know if it’s the specific adviser, or if it’s been a school-wide change since the @doschicos’s kids were at the school. The first year, the adviser reached out at the beginning of the school year to ask more info about our D, about any special concerns, things to watch out for, etc. She checked in with updates the first week or so, then once or twice a month, in addition to the mid- and end-of-term written reports. She still communicates with us quite regularly, even if it’s just a brief congratulatory note, a few photos she’s snapped, some quick update, etc. We meet in-person during Parents Weekend, and just about anytime I’m the school (which BTW doesn’t happen often). She knows my child really well, with all her strengths and flaws as a student, friend, roommate, athlete, community member, and a person.
Teachers provide very detailed mid-term written reports. Direct contact has been exclusively in a class setting during Parents Weekend.
Health center contacts me directly and right away with anything health-related.
Could be a school-wide change but our experience did vary quite a bit from advisor to advisor, some better than others. My kids had a total of 6 advisors over their combined 8 years - some changes due to different dorms, some due to faculty turnover. My guess is you might have just gotten very lucky, @GoatMama, with an excellent advisor. We also lived a lot closer than you so were on campus much more frequently and, therefore, perhaps advisors felt it wasn’t as necessary. I did feel like they were, along with other dorm faculty, good at communicating often with my kids which is what mattered the most. I never felt neglected and faculty/admins were always quick to respond when I reached out.
Yes, health center was excellent at communicating.
I guess no news is good news? Only heard from advisor on the report card or the mid-semester and final semester grade report. Zippo - nothing unless there was a question we needed to have answered. Some kids need more interaction with advisor. Some parents seek more communication. Not judging, just stating that advisor communication can differ by school and within each school.
Like noted by the above parent, teachers do provide very detailed reports for mid-term grades and final semester grades. Parents have the chance to meet with advisors and teachers during parents weekends (Fall & Spring). The advisors meet with their students once per week at scheduled lunch times as a group and then I believe have monthly one-on-one meetings with their students.
Advice: If you don’t feel your student’s advisor is connecting, being responsive, supporting or is invested in “knowing them well”…you should see if your advisor can be changed. School policies on this differ.
Agree, and we may be a total outlier on all accounts, as D has been in the same dorm with the same adviser all 4 years. There will be lots of tears come May…
My child had one advisor for the first two years and then, due to turnover, a different advisor for the last two years. The communication has been very different. His first advisor communicated with us for the first time at the first parents’ weekend (in person) and via a phone call sort of midway between each trimester. We had a little emailing back and forth regarding class levels when it was time to pick classes for 10th grade, when there was a student passing at the school, and when he switched from day to boarding. The advisor was also pretty hands-off with my son, which my son actually liked.
When the first advisor left the school, my son’s coach became his new advisor. Their relationship is totally different-more hands-on mentoring. Our relationship is different too since we have come to know the coach over the first couple of years. AND, our son is boarding instead of day. We communicate informally often with the coach/advisor at sporting events, etc.
As an aside, I think that the advising/mentoring systems set up are a major plus of boarding school. We certainly didn’t realize it while we were applying but what a bonus to these kids! (Even the more hands-off one provided leadership, mentorship and study habits help to my kid when needed.)
Teacher contact has only been at parents’ weekends. I have only had a few questions over the years that would be for teachers, and I have gone through the advisor instead of directly to the teacher. Grade reports are fantastically detailed. These teachers KNOW the kids!
The health center has been excellent at communication for everything small and large via email, phone, and in person.
Fall, very occasional emails from the advisor. Other than that, essentially nothing outside of school leadership/general emails.
Report cards were truly wonderful personal narratives (and a grade). Otherwise absolutely zero info from classroom teachers. As in literally nothing.
Our school’s parent handbook preaches independence. They even ask you to not contact the nurse (excludes emergencies of course). If your child is in Health Services with a fever they need to deal with it.
We basically sent our son to college, one of the “Ten Schools”. We expected it, more or less, but it would not work for all parents regardless of the child’s abilities.
This is not a complaint. But if you are not ready, be careful in the search.
Agree with @PrepDad2018 - it was like sending our 14 year-old (at the time) away to college - 1800 miles away! There seems to be a fine line between the collective school mantra of “we want our students to be independent and to self-advocate” and “don’t bother me with petty stuff”.
Our experience? No news is good news. No phone calls from advisor, except a couple of times for scheduling issues from our end. Met with advisor and teachers during scheduled Parents Weekend meetings. The advisors at our school did write detailed reports for each marking period.
Keep in mind the following - Many schools share a standard (often stated) agenda of fostering independence in their students. This can be distressing for some parents and students - especially at the start of the year. Especially if your child has never been away from home or if your child is coming from a different country. Schools differ in the amount of support and communication, as well as amount of structured time for get-togethers with advisors. I also think that some AO’s, in their zeal in selling a school, may tend to over-estimate the amount of support and communication given to students. We have seen students in need of more support and guidance in the beginning of the school year because they are homesick, or maybe just feeling overwhelmed. Although there may be a program in place, that doesn’t mean that the advisor, dorm parent, teachers, proctors actually fulfill their assigned roles OR fulfill a role that YOU expect of them. Do find out the right person to contact for the issue or situation you want to address. There are some issues that might be better addressed by your child’s dorm parent or proctor than the advisor. Please be honest with yourself and your child about the level of support they may need in transitioning to BS. What are YOUR expectations versus your child’s expectations? Also, consider this topic when deciding on schools for your child’s “best fit”.
One add…for emergencies they are fantastic. My son has been hospitalized (not just school Health Services) 3x in one year for various reasons (nothing chronic) and that included a broken bone year one. Not only did they inform and transport, they even drove him to multiple PT sessions off campus. VERY, VERY impressed on that side, even though this thread is more about academics. So they are well cared for when needed.
Plus students can seek out all the emotional and academic support they need. But, that part needs to come from the student, not the parent.
So far the only time I have gotten an actual phone call from the school was for a medical issue. And that day I got like 4. And from the doctor and my kid and the doctor’s office staff and the specialist they got him into same day and the …. you get the idea. And then there was follow up the following day. I swear they are more attentive to health issues there than we would have been. We would have told him to “walk it off”, so I am glad they were in charge instead of us.
No news is definitely good news. What I would be on the lookout for is whether the school has a culture that if the students see someone struggling with depression or severe anxiety or really anything that they feel ok telling an adult.