Hi,
We went to the Peddie revisit and had the conclusion that the STEM program is strong, however the English/History part seems not as shiny, could someone share any more details in this aspect? How well do students feel prepared in writing and critical thinking? What’s the homework load like? What’s the hit/miss rate when it comes to specific courses?
Any information is appreciated, thank you!
I will be honest and tell you that this was our hesitation when choosing Peddie over a more prestigious school a few years ago. What I have learned since is that Peddie does itself a disservice by not marketing their Humanities department enough.
The quality of both English and History teachers is outstanding, as is the variety of classes and electives. All focus on the development of critical thought and skilled writing.
The kids are engaged and discussions are rich. Everyone I know reports being very well prepared for college writing. Most importantly, I have seen students guided by faculty to discover new passions in these areas time and time again.
Like in STEM there are signature experiencial programs in Arts, Creative Writing. and Languages. There is also the opportunity to design your own, which History minded students often do.
Each year Peddie students receive a number of Scholastic awards for their visual and written work. This included 3 (if I remember correctly) national medals last year.
I hope this helps. Feel free to DM me if you would like - I’m happy to share more of our experience.
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Thank you for the sharing and it’s great to learn that your D enjoyed the experience! Would you mind sharing some examples how the students get guided by faculty? For example for the Scholastic contests you mentioned, what’s the role of the teacher in those achievements? Do they encourage the students to participate and assist with work submission, or is it more like the students’ personal extracurricular endeavors?
As for the last two questions, Peddie is rigorous, as are most top BS, and it requires proper time management skills. The school does a good job of guiding students towards those skills through office hours, formal advisory meetings and mandatory study hall early on.
Workload also depends on class placement and selection. Language, Science and Math classes are leveled in honors/regular, in the case of Math honors/advanced/regular. This ensures that everyone is challenged at the appropriate level.
The culture is overwhelming collaborative, and kids are supportive of each other across the board.
We have had the occasional encounter with a teacher who was not the right fit, but classroom experience has been overwhelmingly positive. There is also the safety net of add-drop period and I have seen intervention at surprising late dates in the rare occasion where the class was truly not the right fit for whatever reason.
I know of a student (who wasn’t a particular standout) who’s 9th grade Humanities teacher noticed his writing and encouraged the student to explore that. This planted the seed for him to pursue a Signature Experience in Creative Writing and led to the discovery of a true passion.
Another, who came in thinking of themselves as a Humanities student, formed a close bond with the Chemistry teacher and is now pursuing that at an Ivy.
My D still communicates with one of her teachers to discuss college course selections.
There is a student who is pursuing a summer internship facilitated by a teachers suggestion and connections.
There are endless stories like these. Peddie is small and close knit, teachers are accessible and invested so it is not hard to find a mentor.
Guidance can take many forms, including formalized ones. Every incoming student is assigned an Advisor how meets with them both formally and informally many times each term. Students can, and many do, request a change at the end of each year. This is most commonly due to forming a bond with a certain teacher or academic interests. I will say that my humanities student was perfectly happy (and was well supported) to stay with her STEM field advisor all four years. At the end of 10th grade they are assigned an additional academic advisor to help students best position themselves for future college goals. Finally, half way though 10th, a college advisor is added to the mix. All these people’s job are to do just that, guide the student. They take the time to know each and every student and do not treat all with a single broad stroke.
I think it is a mix. I believe the Scholastic entries require a teacher’s signature. Although supportive, I don’t think Peddie is a place that pushes kids towards high stake awards and competitions. That is not to say they aren’t preparing kids well. I believe it’s a cultural thing. The school values character as much as it values academics. One of it’s greatest strengths is close knit and collaborative community. There is no ranking or GPA wars. I can see how it may not fit with its culture to actively promote such contests.
Having said that, the support is there to anyone who chooses to pursue these endeavors. In our experience, teachers have always been available and willing to offer feedback on personal projects. And I think on an individual basis many teachers will recognize a talent and suggest “have you ever looked into…”
Thank you, these examples are really helpful, the transformational experience is exactly what I was looking for my D’s high school experience, i.e. to explore different subjects and find where her true passion is!
Also thanks for explaining how the advisory works, I didn’t get the chance to go to college counseling session during the revisit, it’s good to learn that students are well supported throughout the years.
Thank you again for your time sharing all the details!
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That was our goal as well. We wanted her to figure out what made her tic. I can say with confidence that is exactly what happened.
Peddie is a school that really allows (and encourages) the student to grow into themselves.
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We got back from a revisit as well and definitely Humanities representation was very underwhelming. I had reached out to 2 very helpful parents and was open minded heading into the visit.
History /social studies/Humanities felt like it is overlooked. The sciences had layers of obvious rigor and clear cut pathways. For a humanities student it does not appear so if they do not take AP US hx or AP European HX or government you can show any level of rigor.
I loved hearing about English/creative writing . I am still worried about DS who is a humanities loving kid planning to enter in 10th.
Another thing does anyone know if Pddie has any plans of shifting towards advanced studies from AP anytime soon? it seems most BS in the NE have or are planning to.
I haven’t heard any rumors that point to that. Actions point to the contrary as in the last couple of years they have shifted Honors Physics to AP Physics 1 (largely the same curriculum) and added AP Research to the EXP curriculum. There is a CS class that does not have the AP designation for whatever reason but prepares the students (well) for the AP Comp Sci A exam.
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There is a lot of opportunity to show rigor through depth (as opposed to random one off filler electives or a checklist of AP coursework). Many History electives are stand alone classes but also follow a continuum. A student could WWI followed by WWII, for example. Alternatively they could take the full year sequence of US Government offerings. I think that is the idea anyway… the school limits APs to 3 per year (and most won’t take their first one until Jr year) to give students the opportunity to explore areas of interest in different ways.
Also, there are many alternatives for the same class. For example, everyone takes AP English in 11th grade, but you can choose the theme: “Autobiographies” or “Moral Dilemmas” (there is a third one but it escapes me). All teach the same critical writing skills, but the reading material is different.
Senior English also allows the student so choose the “theme” and like with AP English some will have more challenging reading materials than others. In this class students write a Sr Thesis but can opt to write a more complex Honors Thesis. An Honors Thesis is highlighted as its own line and grade on a students transcript.
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it’s good to learn that they don’t rank students by GPA and limit number of APs to take.
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Since there are few Peddie folks on here, I will ask my question.
We also did the revisit and enjoyed our experience. One thing that surprised us is amount of NJ kids among the boarders. We expected a heavy NJ presence because of high day student population but seemed like most of the boarders were also NJ kids.
Any comments on how the campus is like on Saturday nights and Sunday? When we asked during revisit day, they said the school doesn’t empty out but then again I would expect them to say that during a revisit day…. Any first hand experience on this?
While it is true that there is a large representation of NJ and surrounding ares, Peddie is a true boarding school and definitely does not empty out. It is not a “weekday boarding school” like Hun are Pennington may be, with a very small population. Even the few boarders that are only 30 minutes from home stick around bc that is where their friends/teammates/community are. Actually, a lot of those 30 minute away kids started as day students who successfully talked their parents into letting them board.
The school provides plenty of opportunities for the kids to have fun and unwind in a normal HS existence kind of way. There are occasional dances, trips to the movies, ice skating, food truck nights, day trips to Princeton, a Broadway trip every term. Clubs and Student Council organize events too. The boarding and day population is well integrated and plenty of day students participate in weekend activities (and boarders are invited to visit with day student friends).
There is always something to do without being go-go-go. Peddie is not a grind but it is rigorous and a six day school. Sometimes just want downtime on a Saturday night, to unwind and chill with friends. I like that there is room for that too.
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Thank you for feedback… this is what I heard when I asked about it during the revisit but just wanted to ask again in a different forum.
That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.
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