Is there anyone out there that currently has a child enrolled at Forman who can share their experience?
The Forman school is a beautiful school located in a very scenic area in Connecticut near my home. I thought about the school for my child and was very impressed with the facilities, staff dedication, the curriculum and support services. I met some parents there during a fall weekend The parents were truly impressed with the education, etc. offered to their sons/daughters. What I found most impressive was the “turn around stories.” Many of the students who attend Forman have learning disabilities/dyslexia. The stories from the parents are quite impressive. The school truly prepares the students for college. I also talked to a few students who were enthusiastic about the school. I have talked to a couple of educators from public schools in the area and they have a high regard for the school. There was a long discussion with comments on LD resources about the Forman school. It is not there anymore but here is my assessment. The Forman school has a long history of servicing students with LD. When I visited the school a few times, I found the staff and faculty very welcoming. My recent conversation with a faculty member left me with the distinct impression that the faculty are truly committed, and they fully embrace the mission of the school. The athletics are interesting as the school does collaborate with the local public school district (one of the best in Connecticut). Some students from the local school district do participate in some of the athletic teams at Forman. I think this is due to the fact that the Forman school has a small student population size. They are able to “field” some teams with local students and Forman school students. From my impression, such s a great collaboration. My child was also impressed with the clubs and other aspects of student life beyond athletics. Not every child is athletic and I knew my child would fit in as sports is not for everyone. I did see that Forman has alternatives to the competitive sports which I likes a lot. I do feel that the Forman school takes only LD/dyslexic students who have a higher academic profile but that they look at the whole student package. I also get the impression from talking to the parents that weekend that some of the students who come to Forman may have struggled academically or had confidence issues. However, the students I talked to that fall weekend found their confidence at Forman academically and socially. I think some students with LD did not find success at the public schools and schools like Forman are life changing for such students. But, I think only an admissions officer at Forman can fully clarify the admissions standards and what they judge by “fit.” The school is located in Litchfield, Connecticut and the students are in a semi rural area. There are some wonderful shops and quaint restaurants within walking distance. In such a semi rural area, I would make sure the level of weekend activities will keep your child interested. If your child likes city life, make sure Forman is a good fit. Do I have anything negative to say? No. Of course, it is about the “fit.” With LD/dyslexia a parent must investigate the learning environment and support services very carefully as well as the academic rigor. I found the admissions staff amazing and the environment wonderful. My child chose a different prep school and is very happy. I would always happily recommend Forman. Check out the resource below as I know that the staff at this school did a review on the Forman school online on LD resources and I found it helpful. The review has pros and cons and resulted in a wonderfully long discussion and comment session from parents and educators that went over a four year span. The discussion went beyond the Forman school but how to choose specifically such schools with a mission towards kids with LD/Dyslexia. I also saw comments from educational consultants. It was most insightful and helped us make a school decision. While the choice was not Forman, I am still very impressed with the school. I would not write such a long comment. However, I see few discussions on this site on schools like Forman.
Here is a link below that may help:
Thank you. This is helpful. We are going to the revisit day this week for one last look before we make our final decision
@ccmilomom did you end up choosing Forman? If so, what are your current impressions now that you are several months in?
Yes, we did choose Forman and are very happy with our decision. We did a trial run with the summer program, and saw an immediate change in our son.
Acuity, what school did you ultimately choose for your son? My son is a junior in public school but I’m giving a lot of consideration to repeating his junior year at Forman or a school like it. He has not been successful in public school and his self esteem has hit rock bottom.