That varies from school to school. And kid to kid. Some schools are set apart by their environment more than others. Cate isn’t on your list, but in my view an in person visit is vital to understanding the culture. It is very different than East Coast schools in its vibe and setting, and it is either going to click or it isn’t.
OTOH, my particular kid would be fine anywhere. We toured a bunch of schools, and exactly none were knocked off of our list from the tours.
The tours were good to have a visual, and we could tell that some schools were strong in some ways (Choate - their student center was amazing, Deerfield, omg the sports facilities!) and other schools in other ways (NMH - the intimate yet expansive campus). Websites don’t do those things justice. The visits helped get our arms around what we wanted in a school, but all of the schools we toured had everything we wanted.
On this one, critical! And it really helps to see schools in session. BUT the latter can definitely wait until you have acceptances.
You – and even more so your kids – can pick up on the “vibe”. How friendly are kids?. How happy? If you attend a game (or a theater production), how do people treat each other?
Even in a summer visit, you’ll pick up on little things, I think. There is always a part of me that counsels against getting too caught up in what a few hours feels like because it could be that “,off” day – exams, a classmate had an accident, etc. But I think that you can pick up on the overall feel. Also, sometimes in summer you can get a little more time with a coach or teacher, and if it’s a particular area of interest, that can be super helpful.
I think test optional re:college is going to change this. Will be interesting to see what happens in the next couple of years.
And to clarify, I think the focus on test prep is driven by the families, not the schools themselves. If you aren’t test-prep oriented, you don’t have to be into test prep at any school (could be wrong), but if you are test prep oriented, some schools are more into it right along with you.
Just wanted to add, based on the schools that are mentioned on this thread that I know anything about, I would suggest you visit Emma Willard, NMH, and Millbrook (zoo!). Sounds like you have a visual for Mercerberg and Cranbrook already. This isn’t based on quality of the school, just whether they have something visual that distinguishes them. Others can chime in about which other schools are “must sees” on your list.
I would fill out the tour list based on convenience and curiosity about particular programs.
Second the suggestion to visit Emma - it’s amazing. I would also check out Berkshire School on the way….just curious if you considered KUA, Brewster (great setting) or Putney? These schools are closer to you for campus visits. We really like Putney - it’s great for hands-on learning and the Arts.
Don’t worry about missing out on seeing schools this summer, as you can always wait and see them in session or at Revisit when kids are there.
We were not concerned about it and this was not a priority for our kid. Test prep was not something stressed at our BS. There is an online SAT course that students can sign up for, but not too many did it. Think mostly people did it on their own but this was not a huge focus. Kids at boarding school are busy with many activities - never had the sense that test prep was a priority in any way. Gee - maybe it should have been - but didn’t want to sacrifice important experiences for test prep. The local public schools and local day schools actually have a greater focus on it.
I also spoke about this in a different thread, but for me, tours were the most important factor in determining whether I wanted to apply to/attend a given school. While the impressive facilities were great, of course, I think the main thing that convinced me was organic interaction with the students and seeing the school “in motion”—while this can’t happen during the summer, if you can’t manage to get a student guided tour, try, at the very least, to see if the admissions office can get you in contact with some current students for their perspectives.
My mind immediately went to Mercersburg. (Anyone who knows me isn’t surprised.) but I love a bunch of the schools on your list and have visited many so happy to help if I can.
(If you haven’t already do the virtual tour of the Mercersburg performing arts center.)
Your DD sounds like a fun-loving people person. Along those lines, I would strongly suggest Kent, Loomis Chaffee and Taft. We have known multiple kids from those schools, all of whom have great experience. In particular, Loomis has ZERO negative feedback on Niche, which is rare.
In terms of size, Loomis is 700+, Taft is 600ish and Kent is 550ish. Loomis has great sports facilities, while the other two have the prettiest campuses anybody could ask for, especially Taft.
Definitely try and visit the schools and have your interview on campus. AOs value that commitment, and interviews are so much more effective when they are done face to face.
We are aiming for on-campus visits to all these schools at the end of summer. Hopefully we get some sense of the campus even before the classes begin. Thanks for everyone’s advice and we will come back with more feedback on our visits.
I would really look at Pomfret School. All of the schools listed are great. It is looking at enough to get the feel of the place and the people. There is an incredible sense of place and connectivity at Pomfret. Their teaching practices are constantly being reviewed and edited to be better each year. The Head has sent majorly of faculty to Project Zero at the Harvard Ed school.
My child and I managed tours in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Delaware during August. On-campus tours definitely helped us decide on where we should apply, even without seeing students in class. I would even recommend touring a local boarding school in person, even if it’s too close to home for your child. The campus visit will help you firm up what you must have, or don’t care about, on a campus. On campus also helps determine that nebulous fit and culture of a school.
Schools seem to be reducing on campus interviewing and tours due to pandemic concerns. This may help with travel costs but it’s not helpful for decisions.
My one warning to any admissions team is please make sure the guide is positive towards the school! We had a tour where the guide seemed to not like the school—never said anything but just a lack of enthusiasm.
I looked at Hill closely. She is seeking at least an intermediate level of dance at any school. I know Hill has a dance program but its smaller and newer. I may reconsider because she is telling me she’d pick a great school for her even without dance.
Loomis parent here. I would not recommend Loomis to anyone who isn’t academically inclined. My daughter loves school/learning and the workload still undoes her occasionally. I can’t imagine enduring it if academics weren’t your top priority. If your daughter isn’t prepared for 4+ hours of homework per day it should certainly narrow your search somewhat.
