Prep schools that may be a good fit? Thoughts on different schools?

Prep School Admissions
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<p>Hello,
I'm currently a high school sophomore and am looking at going to a prep school for my junior year. Right now I am at a public high school and I am struggling with the large class sizes, lack of diversity, dull classes, teachers who don't care, the list goes on and on. I went to a private middle school and I think I do best in that type of environment. My mom and I have looked at and had brief discussion with a few schools. The schools I'm most interested in at the moment are Westover, Tabor, Deerfield, NMH, Concord, Taft, and Choate, but I am totally open to others both coed and all-girls. A little background on myself: I'm a 4.0 student, extremely dedicated dancer, assistant editor of the school newspaper, writer intern at a local startup company, member of student government, treasurer of the Interact Club, I play tennis, mountain bike, do lots of volunteer work, etc. I love the arts and come from a very creative community, but I also enjoy athletics and the outdoors. As far as school subjects go, I'm most interested in English and social studies as well as Spanish. I would describe myself as a hard worker and enthusiastic learner, and would like to be around those with the same drive. I'm pretty outgoing and like to be involved in lots of things. I would be boarding wherever I went. I'm not interested in going to an arts school, but the school must have a dance program. East coast schools are preferred since I have family in the area. Within a reasonable distance of Boston or New York would be helpful but not required.</p>

<p>I've done quite a bit of research on places like boarding school review and found them helpful to initially introduce me to these schools, but I'm really interested in finding what these schools are like from a student's perspective or parent. Everything I've read about almost all prep schools sounds amazing, but I'm trying to figure out which ones would be a good fit for me or not. I also don't want to overlook a school that would be a great fit that I may not be aware of. If anyone has any experience or knowledge about what life is like on the campuses of these schools, the student body they tend to attract, etc I would be so appreciative of any and all insight. Ideally, I'd like to be at a school with a friendly atmosphere where people push themselves academically, but also have fun and enjoy their high school years. I'm just looking for a great, well rounded experience. I plan to visit several schools in the fall, but I'm trying to first narrow it down a bit. Thank you so much.</p>

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<p>Check out boardingschoolreview.com, you can filter schools by different criteria. Welcome, and good luck!</p>

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<p>Seriously consider repeating grade 10 rather than applying to 11.<br>

  1. Most schools admit 100 or so to grade 10 and almost none to grade 11
  2. It will be very hard to jump into the academics during the highest pressure year.
  3. Lots of standardized testing in grade 11 (AP, SATIIs, SATs)</p>

<p>What are your SSAT test scores? GPA does’t matter if they are low.</p>

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<p>Have a look at Dana Hall as well.</p>

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<p>Do look at mercersburg. You wouldn’t need to repeat and they have great dance, art, and outdoor education program. Do a Google image search for their burgin center for the arts. You could do dance or MOE (Mercersburg Outdoor Education) in place of sports for your afternoon commitment all three terms. My daughter started as a junior and had no problems.</p>

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<p>Another Boston-area BS to look at is Brooks, in North Andover. Gorgeous campus on a lake, lots of outdoor activities. Winter Term offers a three-week program entirely focused on dance:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.brooksschool.org/podium/default.aspx?t=204&tn=Expression+through+Dance&nid=715116&ptid=155098&sdb=False&pf=pgt&mode=0&vcm=False”>http://www.brooksschool.org/podium/default.aspx?t=204&tn=Expression+through+Dance&nid=715116&ptid=155098&sdb=False&pf=pgt&mode=0&vcm=False&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I know you like East Coast, but don’t forget the West without at least taking a look. Cate and Thacher are both great, so just take a moment before writing them off, as you may find they’re worth the distance.</p>

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<p>If you are going to the east coast, look at Lawrence Academy. lacademy.edu. We found this to be a great balance of academics, sports and the arts. She came from a public school, and found it academically challenging but not so much so that she couldn’t enjoy the full highschool experience. They have some unique programs. Look at the innovative programs and the IIP program. The new head of school is from Middlesex and has been moving the school in a very positive direction.</p>

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<p>You may want to look at George School as well. Did you take PSAT Sophomore year? D2 applied as an entering junior and they accepted her PSAT scores (never took the SSAT). She dealt with the academic transition fine as an entering junior, but experiences vary. </p>

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<p>Thank you so much everyone for your replies. I’m new to CC so I’m not sure if I can reply to everyone or not but I’ll try…</p>

<p>@2prepMom, I have considered repeating 10th, though it is by far not my first choice. I do, however, realize it would be much easier to enter as a sophomore so I will continue to consider it. Thank you for your advice. I haven’t taken the SSAT yet (I haven’t applied to boarding schools before,) but I plan to in the fall. </p>

<p>@neatoburrito, Thank you so much, I will definitely look into Mercersburg. What is the atmosphere of the school like?</p>

<p>@ThisOneKid, I have looked at both Cate and Thacher. I really liked Thacher, however, I contacted their admissions department and found they except very few sophomores and no juniors. Wish I could roll back the clock to apply as a freshman.</p>

<p>@janesmith, Thanks for the suggestion of Brooks School. A three-week program sounds great, but I’m looking to do dance for either a semester or full year ideally. I couldn’t find it listed as something you can take for long periods of time.</p>

<p>@Wmq333, Thank you for the suggestion of Lawrence Academy. They seem to have a great dance department. I will certainly request more information from them. Did your daughter enter as a sophomore or junior? Did she find it to be a smooth transition? How would you describe the atmosphere?</p>

<p>@Sudsie, I do plan to take the PSAT this year for sure. Would you say the AOs look at a PSAT differently than an SSAT? Should I do both or is one preferred over the other?</p>

<p>Any parents/students of schools who have participated or have a child who has participated in the dance programs that would have any input on the program and the school itself?</p>

<p>Thanks again for everyone’s input. This is certainly a time consuming and confusing process, but I am excited at the possibilities. </p>

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<p>@faiths23, in our case we began the process quite late (January sophomore year) and D2 had not taken the SSAT but had done well on PSAT. Maybe other parents/students applying can weigh in on which test is preferred for sophomores, or you could ask the admissions offices of schools you are interested in. </p>

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<p>For information and requirements of entrance tests, most certainly you should contact the AOs of the schools rather than rely on parents/students. Sometimes schools change their req.s from one year to the next as well as their “window” for tests (earliest, latest dates you can take the test). This means potentially that the experience of one student/parent/family six months ago will not be valid going forward. Doesn’t happen often but it does happen.</p>

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<p>Dana Hall. Have a look. Email the dance teachers, I am sure they can fill you in on the types of productions/classes etc. they offer.</p>

<p><a href=“Dance - Wellesley Private Boarding School | Dana Hall School”>http://www.danahall.org/arts/dance/index.aspx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>faith–You can do dance as an extracurricular activity at Brooks in fall and/or spring, basically in lieu of a sport. The only time you can study dance as a academic class is in winter term, where dance can be your ONLY subject. </p>

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<p>Oh, okay I understand. Thanks for the clarification, @janesmith Their program sounds interesting and I will definitely check into it further. Do you have experience with the school? If so, how would you say the school is academically? How would you describe the atmosphere/the types of students the school tends to attract?</p>

<p>@london203, Thanks for your suggestion of Dana Hall. I looked at it briefly a while ago, but I will look at it closer again. The only all-girls school I’ve been looking at thus far is Westover. Would you happen to know how these schools differ? I do like the location of Dana Hall very much. How would you describe the atmosphere of the school?</p>

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<p>@faiths23 She entered as a freshman but one of her good friends entered from public as a junior. (met at LA) both have had a very positive experience. I think of it as a school for kids who want more than the public offers but stats wont get them into Phillips. It’s a very supportive atmosphere with strong community involvement. They encourage everyone to something new. Non skaters play JV girls hockey and have a blast. They have a great dance program and you can actually design your own class with the independent study option. I don’t know details of this, but something that sounds interesting. I think you really need to speak to someone at the school, rather than just look at the web site to understand the innovative programs they offer. </p>

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<p>Dana Hall is in a thriving small town outside Boston. There is a higher day student percentage than in a more traditional boarding school, but I don’t think it is to the detriment of the boarding experience. This is a school that has, as you might imagine, a strong focus on girls, the way they learn best, and on helping them reach their full potential (be that as a student, artist, or athlete). There are many traditions that have been carried forward thru the 100+ years the school has been in existence. There is a terrific arts program as well as new science, wellness, and library buildings. If possible, I would suggest you at least go for a visit. You may be pleasantly surprised. </p>

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<p>You sound like a good for fit for Concord, but it’s one of the schools with difficult entry as a junior (don’t know the stats for this year, but last year they had 49 applications for 2 junior spots). The dance program is amazing, with 4 levels of dance classes, a dance company, and dance independent studies. Dance 3, Dance 4, and Dance Company are all year-long courses; if you’re in the company, you also simultaneously take dance 3 or 4. Neither of my kids dance, but their friends who do, love the program.</p>

<p>I’ve heard good things about the dance program at Lawrence.</p>

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<p>@london203, Thank you for your information. I will see if I can schedule a tour at Dana Hall for the fall.</p>

<p>@photodad, Wow, those stats are a bit scary. I’m guessing that’s typical for most schools… Will certainly considering repeating. Concord is very interesting to me. I am very impressed with their dance program. I get the feeling they seem to be more connected to the arts than some other schools. I will definitely look into them further and try to tour. </p>

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<p>My daughter is starting at the Putney school this fall. They don’t have tennis but have a lot of opportunities to dance as well as your other interests. It’s a unique place</p>