<p>YOU’RE on here to much!? look at my post count and say that again…</p>
<p>hehehe never mind then…and I made the thread called CC diversity</p>
<p>bump…= f</p>
<p>Talk about no diversity…our entire town is 100% causcasian. We had one boy who was black…his mother was white but had been married and divorced in Kenya…he actually became my oldest son’s best friend and his mom was the impetus for my son to attend bs (her son went to Andover). My oldest son’s biggest motivation for bs was to broaden his horizons and meet people from around the globe. He requested an international student for a roommate. Still one of his closest friends. One of the main drawbacks, and the one that has affected my youngest son, is the loss of ability to remain as a competitive in a club sport, which could affect college recruiting.</p>
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<p>Can you explain this more? Does this have to do with travel sports?</p>
<p>Well, there are certain sports you really can’t remain competetive in the elite level if you are at boarding school…like gymnastics, simply because of the time requirement (practices of 30-36 hours/week). And, yes, travel sports like soccer will suffer. If you want to play for a good DI program, you really have to be playing pretty much year round, and specifically with one of the US Devleopment Academy programs which mandate 3 x week training from November-June/July with games every weekend. Some bs are in close proximity to an Academy and might be able to accomodate you, but many are not. I don’t see it as so much of a problem with basketball and ice hockey.</p>
<p>you cant watch tv…that may not be a good reason but to me it is. i cannot live without the office, 30 rock, parks and rec, or community (and the olympics). i kind of didnt want to go to bs because of tv, but i got waitlisted at the schools i applied to so that kind of solved my tv problems. </p>
<p>when i read this post again i sound like a total idiot. passing up a bs for tv
but yeah</p>
<p>Well, chairsarecool…you CAN watch tv…at SPS, there is a television in every dorm…the only hours you arent allowed to watch are 730-1030 at night. There are also websites that air shows (NBC.com, hulu.com, abc.com) and they work well.
As for the olympics, since it was a special event, we were allowed to watch it, even between 730-1030…sometimes watching a press conference or movie is ASSIGNED as homework, thus we are allowed to watch tv then too.</p>
<p>really??!! i was kind of scared they wouldnt let us use hulu or something like that because at my sister’s school they wouldnt let you use stuff like that(but i think it was limewire so thats a different situation). also i watch WAY more tv than 730-1030. during the olympics i stayed up until 4 a.m. watching it over again and i had to get up at 7.
do people ever fight over the tv? thats something i always wanted to know</p>
<p>I only rarely watch TV. I mean I watch House and some NCIS but I’d say I watch mabye 1 or 2 hours of rehular TV a week with mabye 2 On Demand movies on weekends. So I never really thought about it; I am mourning my loss of excessive reading and internet time though.</p>
<p>I usually just watch programs on hulu.</p>
<p>people don’t usually fight over the television…just like sometimes if theres a show on live tv, and someone wants to watch a movie…but people are really cool tempered about it :)</p>
<p>I am the Masters School in New york. I had the exact same problem as you- should i go or not? I wrote an essay, (because I am weird and I do that sometimes) on the pros and cons of boarding school. I could not find it on my computer for you to read though… Well I will tell you what happened, I ended up going to BS and I love it and I hate it. I love the school, I have some of the best friendships and you become close with your teachers on a more personal level-meaning it;s easier to understand all classes. My class sizes are about 12 students a class, which is really helpful because everyone gets the attention they need, we move at a great pace in most of my classes. My best friend are from all over the world, Dubai, Bahamas, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Haiti, London, and Japan just to name a few. I learn something new culturally everyday from them, and I hear about all different kinds of perspectives of this country and this world. The reasons i hate BS is that i am away from my family, and I am not there to see my little sister win her talent show or my brother up at bat. Both of my siblings childhoods are greatly effected by my :nonexistence:. Although, I am considered weird because I call my family everyday no matter what. I also hate it because i am not sure if the pros i listed will be found in any public school, i am always thinking that i am just building up BS to have a reputation but the fact is, Geometry is Geometry is Geometry. Meaning that no matter where you go you will learn the same thing most of the time. You will always learn about ancient history or have to take that AP Calc exam. So is the education at BS really any better? that is my question. Another thing is, my family isn;t very rich and even though I am on Financial Aid, it is still a burden for my parents to pay the price of this school…</p>
<p>Thank you aimingtoohigh. Any other current boarding students want to add anything?</p>
<p>We sent our son to the Saint James School, where he received an excellent education.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about any friends…if you start in the lowest form or grade…ALL the students are new…so every one is starting out on the same page .</p>
<p>I used to go to boarding school. I did 2 years at Harrow before we moved and I had to leave. I then did a year at St. George’s before leaving because I had a really bad experience. I think that it all really depends on where you go and what type of person you are. It’s also good to start off young because if you enter when you’re 16 or whatever, most of the people at the school would’ve already known each other for years and you’ll feel quite excluded. </p>
<p>I also think that the big thing about Public School is not so much your education, which I don’t feel is better than State school (granted, I do go to one of the best state schools in the province), but the connections and the friendships you’ll make which is very helpful later on in life. It becomes a scenario where other people can help you do stuff and you can help other people do stuff. It’s quite symbiotic, tbh.</p>
<p>I am a rising senior at Andover right now.</p>
<p>Whether you should go or not depends on how well your personality and the nature of your school coalesce. I feel like that’s all there is to it.</p>
<p>Let’s take Andover, for example. We have thriving student organizations, competitive athletics, engaging teachers. Students are passionate–right now, a feminist movement has swept the campus. There are constant discussions, arguments, debates. </p>
<p>It all sounds great–but it isn’t for everyone. If you’re passive and reserved, Andover is not the best place for you. That doesn’t mean you won’t get into a good college or do well here, but you will NOT be happy here.</p>
<p>I’m incredibly involved here–I’m on a varsity sport, I’m on the board of one of the Big Three clubs on campus, and I’m going to be a proctor in my dorm. But, Andover was not my first choice and I’m still unsure as to whether or not I made the right decision for myself. </p>
<p>Boarding school is for students who want an extra challenge, we’ve all heard that. But what they don’t tell you is that the challenge transcends the classroom: it’s on the sports field, in your dorm, in the dining hall. If you want to push yourself in those areas, have an astoundingly stressful four years away from home, and grow as a person at an amazingly fast rate, go to boarding school.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to deter you from applying. It’s just that this is a very big choice for anyone to make. Once you make it passed all of those obstacles, you’ll find yourself more prepared for college than any of your peers, with an amazing network of alumni that will support you.</p>
<p>If you read my post thinking “Yes! I can imagine myself in that environment!” then go for it. If you have cold feet, that’s normal too. Just know that you will be in for the ride of your life–for better and for worse.</p>
<p>You are a rising senior and what do you mean by “Andover was not my first choice and I’m still unsure as to whether or not I made the right decision for myself.”? When do you think you will know?</p>
<p>@aimingtoohigh</p>
<p>Very well stated. I agree with you and appreciate your candid remark. </p>
<p>If you have pros, you will inevitably have cons. That is the fact of life. </p>
<p>Yes, your siblings should be affected by the fact that you are not there with them physically in both good and bad ways. What is more important is you are aware of that. Very mature and caring. All the best to you!</p>
<p>@pwalsh</p>
<p>I’m never going to know if I made the right choice. I had to choose between two schools, and my parents essentially made the choice for me. I wanted to go to another boarding school. I’m so stressed here that sometimes I think Andover really isn’t the best fit for me.</p>