<p>Having just wrapped up the admissions process for my S, I have a year to start thinking about my D. She is a dancer and artist and loves the outdoors. Not much of a sports enthusiast or really that interested in math. I would love some suggestions from the forum. I am not looking at any AECD schools - I might consider SPS to be a reach school (she loves their dance program). I have heard that Putney is quite amazing for an artsy type of kid and would love to hear from someone who has visited or attends.</p>
<p>If your daughter is into the arts, check out Interlochen, Idyllwild, and Walnut Hill. Although officially not an arts school, Concord Academy has an excellent program.</p>
<p>How about Mercersburg?
Mercersburg</a> Academy
A beautiful setting and a lot of arts including dance.</p>
<p>Stef was just there this week - I'm sure she'll answer when she's back.
She did tell me they are strong in the arts.</p>
<p>Stef here!</p>
<p>We visited Putney this week -- very strong in the arts (visual/dance/music/vocal). Great for an outdoorsy loving kid -- beautiful setting and it is a working dairy farm. Small school (220+ students).</p>
<p>After the visit and a day of shadowing, I would say that Putney is good for a student whose main focus is the arts, with academics second and sports last in the line of priorities -- and a student who is looking for a low-pressure, supportive environment (and I don't mean the theraputic kind) with lots of opportunities. We found the kids to be very friendly and down-to-earth, same with the faculty. The relationship between the faculty and students is very close. Although tons of kids do sports, they are not an athletic powerhouse by any means -- seems like the kids do it for fun and the competition is just within small local schools.</p>
<p>As far as academics -- from what my son said about the classes he shadowed and students he talked with, they aren't too stressful. Kids can be challenged if they want to be -- but if the student isn't a fantastic student, they won't be overwhelmed. They have some good class choices and they do send kids to top schools, including ivies (not tons of kids -- but some). Kids can design their own tutorials in junior/senior year if they have particular interests.</p>
<p>If you daughter is serious about dance (and not just as an extracurricular) you really need to do your research. Different schools have different emphasis (modern, classical), different ways dance is part of the curriculum (classes vs. extracurricular vs. sport) and different exposure (more/less performances). </p>
<p>From your description of your D, I would definitely recommend considering Putney as one of the schools to apply to.</p>
<p>I applied to Putney and was accepted. I felt as if Putney offered a lot as a school, and provided a really unique student body, but it felt like a really "safe" choice for me. Coming from a very small, progressive school, Putney felt as if it was a place I could come in, and stay the same person I am now, even though it's across the country from my home. Just as was said above, I believe Putney is really great for someone devoted to the arts, and less interested in academics. Personally, I'm an athlete who is very into school, and less into arts, so NMH was the natural choice for me.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your insights into Putney in this thread as well as the revisit thread. I feel that I am back at square one. My S's experience during the application process was grueling, due in large part to the schools that he wanted to apply to and their competitive nature. Deciding on the schools that he wanted to go to was easy, as was which school to accept. My D is totally different, and I feel at a loss as to where to start. Her dream is to go to art or design school for college (or at least a small lib arts with a great visual art program and dance). How to get her there is the question. I am extremely wary of "conservatory" type environments (ie. Walnut Hill or Interlochen) because she cannot be an artist and dance, as well. You must pick as a 9th grader, and furthermore, it seems that early on in the Visual Art you must specialize between sculpture, painting, etc. That is not an environment I want my D to be a part of. Putney (on paper) seemed to offer the best of the arts along with solid academics. However, this appears not to be the case. She easily would slack off on the schoolwork given half a chance - that is not OK for me. Given the fact that she has very little interest in sports ( a little rec lax - she is not a star and does not remember the rules after 3 years playing) so a very strong, committed dance program is essential. She studies best with a support system in place (ie: monitored study hours, peer help groups) and has a hard time being the only one working while others goof off. She focuses best with small classes where she is able to ask questions without the fear of being the only one needing further clarification.
All of these small schools talk about the Arts - but which ones really deliver? Is NMH (I have only heard good things about this place) a place where a non -athlete would shine? Lawrence Academy? Does anyone know specifics about Concord? I must also say, staying in the NE region is key. She is on the younger side of her grade, and wants us within a few hours drive. I will still visit Putney, but with the understanding that it may not solve all my problems. My D also is coming from a small, progressive school, and I want her to be able to evolve as she matures and have a balance between getting a thorough education and pursuing what makes her a happy person.</p>
<p>* Is NMH (I have only heard good things about this place) a place where a non -athlete would shine? *</p>
<p>Yes. Our niece attended and never played a sport because she danced instead. She shone like a beacon. And NMH stresses the diversity and availability of its arts programming. For example, NMH has a policy that you can both play a sport and be in a play or performance at the same time. The schedule is structured to permit both. I am certain that a student can pursue both visual and performing arts there.</p>
<p>What about Stoneleigh-Burnham? It is all girls (don't know if that's a deal breaker), but they have a great dance program and a great arts program. They have sports (but dance can substitute for your sport I beleive) and the academics are strong, but not too overly intense. It's about 10 miles from NMH/20 or so from Putney. It is a small school, small classes and being all girls I think would cover the "fear of being the only one needing further clarification."
I would give it a look.</p>
<p>Mercersburg</p>
<p>Brand new arts building which is nicer than ones I saw at SPS, DF, E or PA. We looked at them originally for their art program. My D dances. They are close enough to DC and Baltimore that they have major people come in as guests. </p>
<p>They have sports programs which are outstanding (my only c/o is that on some of them, you have to be proficient to do). For example, their swimmng program is taught by x-olympiad. Their squash team is ranked.</p>
<p>They have about the 10th highese endowment of schools.</p>
<p>They have one of the top 5 schools in APs. They do not "push" the Ivys as do some of the schools in the NE (We went to one and it was obvious that if you did not go to an Ivy, you were a failure). Their students do the Ivy's, but also do the top liberal arts schools. The Naval Academy thinks so highly of them that they are their #1 post grad school for them. Additionally, they will be the same for the football program at another Ivy next year.</p>
<p>Finally, of all the schools we visited, probably the most closest I saw as a "family". Eg. On our tours, the faculty kidded the tour guides and asked about their sisters, etc. I did not see this at other schools.</p>
<p>Only negative (which my wife feels might be a positive). They are located far from anything. The town is quite small with pizza place and couple of restaurants. No places to "hang out".</p>
<p>On a lighter note - it wouldn't take much to top Exeter's Dance facilities - there are half a dozen giant poles in the middle of the dance studio :) !</p>
<p>I will look into NMH and Stoneleigh - Mercersberg might be a bit far for her to go. I will give admissions a chance to catch their breath before I request info for a year from now. All of your insights are appreciated.</p>
<p>My daughter really needs a place that will help her gain the confidence in her academics that she needs - my daughter really needs a very nurturing, supportive environment after following my S through school. She feels like she will never measure up academically to her older brother - that is why I am not even considering the pressure cooker schools that my son looked at. On another note - even with tutoring, it would be very difficult for her to break the mid -70's on SSAT's. Her verbals will boost her score, but math will sink her every time. Her standardized testing experiences have been middling, at best.</p>
<p>Liddyb,
I kind of bombed the SSAT, and I got into both NMH and Putney. As long as your daughter has extracurriculars and a fantastic personality, both schools will be interested. I'm an advocate for Putney, even though I decided against it. And as far as NMH goes, I didn't mean that it's only for athlete students, they have an amazing arts program, and like laxtaxi said, the ability to balance both arts and athletics (not necessarily a highly competitive team or even a traditionally "athletic" one) is really unique to NMH.</p>
<p>liddy, could you believe the facilites? Great Coach though</p>
<p>liddy, go to the NMH website and check out their incredible new Arts Center which will be opening in the fall of 2008. NMH has always placed great emphasis on the arts, and while they do send a fair number of students to their Ivies, their strength definitely lies in the number of students they send to small LAC's. They also send many students to on to arts programs and specialty schools for art and design. Their athletics programs are strong, but the arts do not lose out at all. They are also probably one of the most caring/supportive schools you will find. The faculty and staff are genuinely warm and caring, as I think others on here who have visited will attest.</p>
<p>My daughter's best friend is at Concord Academy now. Her mom is a professional dance teacher and sent her daughter, who is also a talented dancer, there for that program. I am not sure if the academics would be too much for your daughter (?) but I also think the athletics there are super low key. check it out.
Concord</a> Academy</p>
<p>I did go on the NMH website and I am very impressed with the new center. Beautiful and very comprehensive. I will absolutely request info from Concord Academy - thanks for the advice. </p>
<p>Keylyme - My daughter's dream is to go to RISD or Parson's - so the Ivy dream is not one that she will need to give up. At this point, I just want her to do well enough on the SSAT so it does not eliminate options. I have talked with a tutor that works with kids on strategies to to gain comfort and prepare themselves - she is her own worst enemy (lack of confidence).</p>
<p>I do not think a mid 70 SSAT would be problematic at all for NMH. My older son had something in that range and my younger son was more like an 85 (but really low in math). They are not cutthroat about "numbers".
Go to the site again and click on "The NMH Experience", and in the drop down box, click on "The Arts". There are many links and lots of info on the various arts programs. I don't know how far you are from the campus, but as you can see from the calendar, there are many different art programs/shows you can attend. They are free and open to anyone. You could introduce your daughter and yourself to the arts people while you are there .</p>
<p>**I just checked the website again. If you again click on "The NMH Experience", and this time click on "College Counseling" in the drop down box, you will see a matriculation list. RISD and Parson's are both on the list, and I know that so far this year (from a list my son showed me in March), students have been admitted to The Art Institute of Chicago and The Savannah. College of Art & Design</p>
<p>Liddyb -
Did you check out George School and Westtown Friends? George school has a good arts emphasis and seems the opposite of cutthroat. Westtown has Dance as a sport all 3 seasons with a nice facility. (I don't know about the level of instruction in dance at either place.)</p>
<p>Liddy,
My daughter loves dance so we looked at the top schools by Peterson for Dance. Mercersburg was by far the best (with Deerfield, SPS, WRA after)</p>
<p>bump - for Christi</p>